Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Sauce

This recipe is great for chicken stir fry, awesome with shrimp or scallop stir fry, and mouth-watering with grilled fish (tilapia or salmon).  I make several variations of this, so I'll give you the main recipe, my favorite alternate recipe, and a couple ideas for experimenting.


Ingredients:
     1/3 c. pineapple juice
     1/3 c. red wine vinegar
     1/3 c. brown sugar
     1/8 - 1/4 tsp seasoning salt or table salt, depending on your taste
     1/4 tsp powdered ginger
     1/4 tsp garlic
     1 tsp. arrowroot powder mixed in 1-3 Tbsp. water (just enough to dissolve the arrowroot; I usually do this in a small cup.  Make sure to stir it well.)


Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a saucepan and heat at medium heat until boiling and the rest of your meal is almost ready.  Stir the arrowroot in water mixture, then Add arrowroot in water mixture slowly, stirring, until sauce is the desired consistency.  Stir until well mixed, turn off the burner and replace the lid.  Make sure sauce is hot, and serve.  Leftover sauce keeps well in the refrigerator and reheats just fine.


Substitution note 1:  I usually use 2-4 Tbsp. agave nectar instead of the brown sugar.  Sometimes I use 2 Tbsp. agave with a sprinkle of stevia.  I haven't tried other sugar substitutes or stevia by itself, but they would probably work.  If you use all stevia, make sure you have a brand that doesn't leave an aftertaste.  If you try something I haven't listed, let me know how it works!

Substitution note 2:  Other fruit juice such as cranberry or pomegranate juice works just fine.  I used a cran-grape mixture once too.  Decrease the red wine vinegar to 2-3 Tbsp, depending on your taste, if you do this. 


Substitution note 3:  There are other thickening agents besides arrowroot that might work with this recipe.  I have used tapioca starch mixed in water as well, but I don't care for the flavor that this adds.  A friend of mine simply sprinkles guar gum on the top of her sauce to thicken it.  I haven't tried this, so you're on your own if you want to use guar gum! 

Here's my favorite alternate recipe, using some of my substitutions:

Ingredients:
     2/3 c. pomegranate, cranberry, grape, or mixture juice
     1/3 c. red wine vinegar
     2 Tbsp. agave nectar
     sprinkle of stevia
     1/4 tsp seasoning salt
     1/2 tsp garlic
     1/2 tsp ginger
     1/2 Tbsp arrowroot in 3 Tbsp. water (mixed well)

Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a saucepan and heat at medium heat until boiling and the rest of your meal is almost ready.  Stir the arrowroot in water mixture, then Add arrowroot in water mixture slowly, stirring, until sauce is the desired consistency.  Stir until well mixed, turn off the burner and replace the lid.  Make sure sauce is hot, and serve.