Spring cleaning for your fridge: A flavor-packed stir-fry

Spring cleaning isn’t just for closets and garages — your fridge could use a refresh, too. Instead of letting half-used veggies or leftover meat linger, turn them into something delicious with a stir-fry.

This quick, easy meal transforms leftovers like roast veggies, steak, pork or chicken into a satisfying dish without wasting a thing. Think of stir-fries as a blank canvas for getting creative with what you have on hand.

The formula is simple: Start with a starch like rice or noodles, sauté aromatics like onions, add your protein and veggies and then slather everything in a scrumptious sauce.

Best of all, you can use whatever leftovers you’ve got, whether remnants of last night’s roast or that last lonesome pork chop. Stir-fry turns odds and ends into a delicious meal.

To make your stir-fry truly shine, the secret is in the sauce — homemade stir-fry sauce, to be exact.

Homemade stir-fry sauce is a total game changer. It’s not only cheaper and fresher than store-bought options, but it’s also customizable to your taste.

With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a sauce that brings flavor and excitement to any meal. It pairs perfectly with veggies, meat, tofu, shrimp or whatever proteins you have on hand, and it’s a great way to use up those random leftovers.

Plus, making it yourself means you control the ingredients, so it’s healthier and budget-friendly. Keep a jar on hand, and you’ll always be ready for a quick, delicious stir-fry.

With endless possibilities, stir-fry will clean out your fridge and create a fresh, flavorful meal in no time.

Flavor Bomb Stir-Fry Sauce

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 heaping teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced

1 heaping teaspoon garlic cloves, grated or finely minced

Procedure

Whisk all the ingredients together. Adjust the ingredients to your preference. Add to your stir-fry and cook for 3 minutes to thicken. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.

Leftover Luxe Stir-Fry

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 cups rice, quinoa or noodles (your choice of starch)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 small onion, sliced

1 to 2 cups leftover protein (chicken, beef, pork, tofu and so forth) or raw protein

4 to 6 cups mixed vegetables (for example, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach and bean sprouts)

3 eggs, scrambled (optional)

1 cup stir-fry sauce

Procedure

If you’re not using leftover starch, cook your rice, quinoa or noodles according to package directions.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes. If using leftover protein, reheat with the onion and set aside. If using raw protein, cook it through before setting it aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet. Start with slower-cooking vegetables — for example, broccoli, carrots and cabbage — and cook until tender. Add quicker-cooking vegetables — for example, spinach and bean sprouts — near the end, cooking until just wilted. Scramble eggs in a bowl and add to the skillet. Break them up as they cook.

Combine everything: Add protein back into the pan and heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle with the flavorful stir-fry sauce, cook for 3 minutes to thicken the sauce and serve over your choice of starch.