One of the great things about cooking from scratch is that a well stocked pantry yields nearly infinite combinations of foods. I rarely buy pre-made sauces because I can make them better from scratch at a huge savings.
This is the teriyaki sauce I use for my tempeh “cheesesteak” sandwiches. It’s a thick sauce and might not be suitable for marinating meats, but it’s wonderful for stir fries, grilling, dipping, etc.
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 t ground ginger
5 T light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 T honey
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
In a medium saucepan, whisk together everything but the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water and cook over medium-high heat.
Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water in a seperate dish until the cornstarch is dissolved. Immediately add it to the heating sauce mixture.
Continue to heat, stirring often until the sauce turns clear and is a consistency you like. The sauce will be cloudy when you first add the cornstarch mixture.
I store leftover sauce in the refrigerator in a Mason Jar. It thickens because of the cornstarch, but I just give it a quick whisk before measuring. The consistency improves once it’s reheated.
While the cost of a batch of this sauce is negligible, a small bottle of prepared teriyaki would run me close to $3.
Willow says
Sage, thank you so much! You rock!
I am loving having a well-stocked pantry. It’s taken me some time, but I am finally getting to the point that I can cook almost any recipe I come across without having to buy much of anything. It helps that I live in a city where I can find all sorts of ethnic goodies and fresh spices on the cheap.
Just took some tempeh out of the freezer, and I will be trying this recipe out tonight. Thanks again!
Sage & Simple says
You’re welcome, let me now how you like it!
I have a nice selection of ethic markets here, too and the prices are dirt cheap. I shop those more than the regular grocery stores. I always wonder why more people don’t.
It does take a while to stock your pantry, but once you do, it’s smooth sailing :)
Hi! I'm Traci says
I think I like this recipe better than mine…..thanks!!
And yes, a well stocked pantry can’t be beat!! :)
Willow says
I made this for supper last night and it was delicious, and even better for lunch today. Thanks again for sharing!