You can buy all-purpose Asian sauces at the grocery store, but most of them are loaded with sugar and fat. This one—with lots of ginger and garlic and just a little bit of oil—is very flavorful.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 3/4 cups (28 servings)

　　1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger

　　6 garlic cloves, minced

　　1/2 bunch scallions (white and green parts), chopped fine

　　1 tablespoon cornstarch

　　6 tablespoons soy sauce

　　3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

　　3 tablespoons rice vinegar

　　1/2 cup reduced-sugar ketchup, such as Heinz

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions, and sauté, stirring often, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, place the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, and ketchup, and whisk to blend.

　　

Step 3

Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauté pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

　　

Step 4

Store the sauce in a covered container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 1g (before), 0.5g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 25 (before), 12 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 0g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 1g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 0mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 0g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 233mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.