Small Stuff: Dragon Sauce
Noodles, bibimbap, stir-fries and more, this sauce is a quick go-to for everything in the universe. It's pretty easy if you've got an Asian pantry going on, and still easy if you don't. This variation makes it even simpler, asking for more accessible ingredients when you want it in a hur. The pepper paste you'll have to hunt down at an Asian market, but everything else you should be able to get anywhere.
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
5 spoonfuls of red pepper paste
1 spoonful soy sauce
1 spoonful rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Heat the sugar and water first in a medium heat pot until sugar dissolves, then stir in the red pepper paste and turn to low heat. Stir until red pepper paste is incorporated, then add the rest of the ingredients. This recipe isn't exact science, since the end product is up to your taste. From here, taste and adjust to your liking. It may be a bit sweet to your taste, in which case you can add more rice wine vinegar to balance it out. Or you may think it's not sweet enough, in which case adding a bit of honey is a really nice way to balance it out and thicken it. This should produce a small jar's worth, and stays okay in the fridge for a few days.