Lee Kum Kee’s prepared sauces are about the same price (often less expensive, depending where you go) as the super-salty-low-on-flavor LaChoy selections, but here’s the difference: great big in-your-face flavor. The Spicy Garlic Eggplant sauce is one of my absolute favorites for restaurant-quality food at home AND, unlike many LaChoy products, is MSG-free.

Plus, it’s so easy to make! I like to peel my eggplant first (not a fan of the skin), but leaving the skin on adds a cool purple color to the dish. I also add onions, whatever pepper I have in the house, and this time the rest of some broccoli rabe that I bought for stir-frying a couple weeks ago.

I’ve made this with pork and, as I did last night, with chicken and tofu, and it never disappoints. Stick with the American brands if you’re cooking for kids or those without a sophisticated palette, I suppose. But if you’re cooking Chinese, buy the brands the Chinese use.

CONFESSION: I am hugely skeptical about tofu that claims to be something else. Unless it’s made by Quorn. Then it’s cool.

That said, it’s not a surprise I’m not terribly impressed with Smart Strips Chick’n Strips. They simply tried to make them too much like chicken, which is awesome in its own way, I guess, but I kind of wanted a tofu product. However, I will continue to sing the praises of one of my favorite things, the House Tofu Cutlet.

This stir fry is loaded up with onion, sugar snap peas, orange pepper, yellow squash, bamboo shoots, oyster mushrooms and pea shoots, one of my new favorite vegetable finds thanks dinner with some Chinese friends who knew just what to order in Chinatown.

For the sauce I just used the leftover JES Korean BBQ Sauce from last week’s Boolgogi and served it over brown rice.

CONFESSION: Campbell’s taught me how to cook. The first cookbook I ever used regularly was Campbell’s Quick and Easy Cookbook. While my dad has a lot to do with my love of cooking, this was the first cookbook that taught me how to shortcut through recipes and how to begin experimenting with the possibilities of everyday foods.

The Beef & Broccoli recipe was one that I absolutely lived on when I was first living on my own. I make a few changes when I make this, adding some Chinese Five-Spice to punch up the flavor, and I marinate the beef in teriyaki or soy sauce.

When I told my husband that the sauce was made with Campbell’s Tomato Soup he looked at me like I was crazy. Two servings later, he was a believer.

Who says udon noodles belong in soup? Delicious udon noodles, salty and sticky, are also a great base for a stir fry when rice gets a little boring (or will take too long to make).

For this stir fry I started with some chicken that was sealed in a FoodSaver bag with some Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriyaki marinade. To that I added some mushrooms, a can of baby corn pieces (drained), half an onion and a sliced red bell pepper, and the leftover bits (a couple tablespoons) of some hoisin sauce in the fridge — always good for thickening a stir fry sauce.

For the edamame, I boiled a small pot of water with lots of salt. To the boiling water I added a bag of frozen edamame and boiled this according to package directions. I rinsed the pods in cold water after draining and scattered the soybeans on the stir fry for some great color and crunch.

It’s a pretty typical stir fry for me. The best part about any stir fry is the color, and adding edamame is a great way to make something look and taste even fresher.

One of my very favorite authentic Asian dishes to make is Spicy Garlic Eggplant. The recipe can be found on the back of the Spicy Garlic Eggplant Ready Sauce, and it’s super simple.

Start with 4 center cut pork chops, an onion, some garlic, and two packets of Lee Kum Kee Spicy Garlic Eggplant sauce. I also like to add sweet corn and baby peas to this to add some sweetness.

First, chop an onion, some garlic, and peel and slice a small eggplant into cubes. I prefer regular eggplant to Chinese eggplant, but either works well. Sauté the onion, garlic and eggplant with some sesame oil and a bit of soy sauce until the onion is caramelized and the eggplant is soft; letting it char a bit also adds a bit of flavor. Set this aside in a bowl.

I then take 4 center cut pork chops and cut them into cubes; these will be sautéed in the same pan. Brown the meat and add one packet of garlic sauce. Toss with the meat and let the meat cook thoroughly. When the meat is done, add back the eggplant and onion and the remaining packet of sauce.

Toss until combined and heated thoroughly. Serve over rice; I used Chinese brown rice this time, a new favorite.

I can’t wait to tell everyone tomorrow that yes, I made this. It’s outstanding and smells incredible!

There are some products that come along that are kind of like magic. I really and truly feel that way about Nasoya’s Cubed Super Firm Tofu. I love tofu in restaurants but I could never get the texture right when I made it at home. But once this came into my life, everything was instantly better. It marinates beautifully and just has the best texture when stir-fried, especially in sesame oil.

Tonight’s stir fry included a can of straw mushrooms (sautéed in sesame oil and freshly grated ginger), some garlic, pea pods, chopped bok choy, a diced jalapeño pepper and one of my favorite Chinese ingredients, Really Big Carrot™. Seriously, you cannot get these gigantic carrots anywhere but the Asian Market!

I marinated the tofu in Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriyaki 10-Minute Marinade, then added some hoisin sauce to  thicken up the sauce. I absolutely LOVE the Mrs. Dash marinades because, like their herb and spice blends, they are completely salt- and sodium-free.

The stir fry was accompanied by some panfried Pork & Leek Gyoza (Potstickers) and another new favorite, short-grain brown rice.