Mongolian Sauce

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil (can substitute canola or corn oil)
• 1 Tablespoon ginger root, peeled and grated
• 4-5 medium to large garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 7-8 fresh basil leaves OR if you can’t find fresh basil, use1 Tablespoon Gourmet Garden Basil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 Tablespoons corn oil, canola oil, or other oil that can be heated for frying

Meat (or chick’n)

• 1 lb lean beef, sliced thin and cut to thumb-size lengths
• OR 2 Morningstar Veggie Grillers patties or 12 Morningstar Chick’n Nuggets to make the vegetarian version
• 4 Tablespoons cornstarch if using beef OR 1 Tablespoon cornstarch if using chick’n
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion tops

If you are making the beef version, cut your beef into strips and then cut each strip across it’s length so you have pieces about the length of your thumb.  Dredge all the beef pieces in the 1/4 cup of cornstarch in a pie plate or other flat dish with high sides.  Leave the beef soaking up the cornstarch while you make the sauce.

Sauce: Select a large non-stick skillet and  heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil over low temperature.  Add the onions and turn the heat to high.  Stir fry the onions until the edges are turning brown, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, ginger, garlic and basil and stir fry on high for 3 more minutes. Next, add the soy sauce and water and cook on high 2 minutes.  Add the brown sugar by 1/4 cupfuls into the liquids and vegetables, stirring after each 1/4 cup of sugar.  Bring the sugared sauce to a boil and stir will boiling for 4 minutes.

If you are making the vegetarian version, add 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to the sauce and allow to cool while you bake the chick’n nuggets.  Slice each Morningstar chick’n nugget length-wise so you have long “fingers” of all-vegetable chick’n. Most of each finger will have breading around it, but the centers will be exposed white “meat.”  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 (or follow package directions if  you are using a different brand.)

If you are making the beef version, you need to pour your sauce into a heat-safe dish like a cake pan or pie plate, or even another sauce pot.  Wipe out the non-stick skillet and heat 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat for 30 seconds.  Stir fry half of the cornstarch-coated beef strips for 5 minutes on high heat.  Transfer the beef to a plate with paper towels in it to absorb excess oil.  Add 2 Tablespoons of corn oil to the hot skillet and heat over high for 30 seconds, then stir fry the second half of the beef for 5 minutes.  Drain again on a plate lined with paper towels.  Wipe the inside of the skillet to remove any remaining grease.

Reheat the sauce in the skillet over high heat, stirring to prevent the brown sugar from sticking to the bottom. After reheating 2 minutes, add the cooked beef or chick’n and stir and continue heating on high for 4 more minutes.

Add 1/4 cup chopped green onion tops and cook one more minute.

Serve warm over cooked rice.

Makes enough for 4 hearty appetites if you serve it with rice.