This weekend, I tried FreshZen Foods' products for the first time! They are based in Boston and they make the only plant-based Asian pesto on the market. I love supporting local businesses, so I was stoked to give their products a try, but I was a little confused by the "Asian pesto" name. Essentially, just like pesto, their sauces are almost like a thin paste and can be used on their own, in marinades, etc., but it doesn't have the typical ingredients of pesto- hence, the Asian flair with ginger, scallion, and garlic. The ginger scallion sauce (although I never thought of it as pesto) is actually a sauce I grew up with; it's found commonly in Cantonese cooking and served with steamed fish or roasted meats, but Cantonese cooking also just uses ginger and scallions often in dishes, so this sauce is super versatile for Asian cooking! The Ginger Scallion sauce is perfect to cut down on prep/chopping time (say if you don't want to chop up all that ginger or scallions yourself), easy to use, and great to keep on hand for quick recipes! FreshZen is actually expanding to being sold at Whole Foods (check them out in Beverly, MA!) and they also hold cooking classes at the Kitchen at Boston Public Market! My stir fry recipe (serves 2, depending on how much rice or noodles):
1 large red bell pepper 1 large yellow bell pepper 1/2 white onion 8 oz mushrooms (about 8) 14oz extra firm tofu (1 package) 3 tbsp FreshZen 6 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp honey Rice/noodles (optional) Cut veggies into strips/thin slices and cube your tofu into bite-sized pieces. Heat your pan on medium. Add 2 tbsp oil, the FreshZen, the onion, and saute. Add in the tofu, making sure the tofu gets pan-fried and browned on each side. Add in the mushrooms, soy sauce, and honey. Make sure everything is combined and cook until the mushrooms soften. Add in the bell peppers and cook until they soften to your liking. You can cover the pan to speed this process up. Serve over rice or noodles. If you use noodles, you can boil them beforehand and add them in when you add in the soy sauce to make sure they get combined in the sauce. Other options because stir fry is super versatile and forgiving:
Recipe also posted on Instagram here.
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