It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these Simple Meals. If you don’t know what this category of recipes on my blog are all about, it’s really pretty simple. They are exactly as the name… Read more →
Bibimbap, the flavorful and vibrant Korean rice bowl meal, gets its alluring sweet-and-sour flavor from a sauce called gochujang. The vinegary, mildly spicy sauce can now be found on many grocery store shelves, where it is positioned to become the new hot-sauce darling. (Look out, Sriracha!)
(Note: If your market does not yet carry gochujang, you can make a tasty substitute by combing 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian chili garlic paste and 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar.)
To make bibimbap, you don’t need a lot of time — but you do need lots of small bowls! It is beautifully served as a composition of the separate ingredients, which are balanced to lend an assortment of flavors and textures, from grassy to sweet and chewy to crisp. The runny yolk on top, when pierced, serves as a rich sauce that unites the entire dish.
Bibimbap is healthful, satisfying and beautiful — a triple dinner winner.
Easy Weeknight Bibimbap
Makes 4 servings
We used quick-cooking brown rice in place of white to amp up the nutrients even more — and get the dish on the table even faster.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 cup quick cooking brown rice
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
1 pound top round, very thinly sliced (brasciole) and cut in 1/2-inch strips
3 scallions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup preshredded julienne carrots
8 ounces zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut across in crescents
9 ounces baby spinach
4 ounces shiitake, stems removed and caps sliced
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons gochujang sauce
1. Place sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium high and toast until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Cook brown rice according to package directions, omitting any fat. Once cooked, leave the rice covered in the pot (off the heat).
3. Combine the soy sauce sugar, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. In separate bowls, combine the meat and scallions with 1/4 cup of the mixture; the cucumbers with 2 teaspoons; the carrots with 2 teaspoons; the zucchini with 2 teaspoons and the shiitakes with the remaining 1 teaspoon of the mixture.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, until it is slightly pink in the center. (It will continue cooking as it stands.) Use tongs to transfer the meat to a clean bowl, leaving the liquid in the pan.
5. Add the spinach to the pan and cook, tossing constantly to wilt, until it is soft and bright green, about 2 minutes; transfer to a clean bowl. Add the zucchini and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp-tender; transfer to a clean bowl. Add shiitake and stir-fry until the liquid is thick and the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs to the pan and cook until the white is just set.
6. Divide the rice evenly among four serving bowls; top with the beef, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, spinach and shiitake. Drizzle with gochujang and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Add an egg to the center of each bowl and drizzle with more gochujang. Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories 454; Fat 16 g (Saturated 4 g); Sodium 755 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 6 g; Protein 38 g
Marge Perry is an award-winning food, nutrition and travel writer and teacher whose work appears regularly in Rachael Ray Every Day, AllRecipes, Newsday, and on her blog, A Sweet and Savory Life. In addition, Marge is a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and an Adjunct at New York University, where she teaches food writing.
‘Twas a good one!!
Thursday night I went with a group of friends to see Ben Rector, one of my very favorite artists. Three of us upgraded to the VIP meet n greet package, which was soooo fun!
Before the show I had appetizers and a glass of vino at The Fitzroy.
Side salad, cauliflower, oysters, pretzel.
Our meet n greet included a private acoustic concert with Ben. He sang two of my favorites – Sailboat and Forever Like That. We also had the opportunity to ask him questions. His favorite Netflix show is Stranger Things!
The best part of the meet n greet was snagging a front row spot!! The show was AMAZING, and totally exceeded expectations. I loved every.single.song. and shed a tear when it was over.
Lynsie and I have seen Ben together three times now! She is 9 months pregnant, and had a cute shirt made for the occasion : )
Friday morning I went to Afterburn (it’s so hard to get a spot in that class!), and then walked 6.3 miles the rest of the day, according to Apple Health. My legs were shot!
Friday night I went to the new Water Street restaurant!
Formerly known as Tempo, the space is totally re-decorated and looked beautiful. Love those floors.
I shared the octopus and fava bean salad and roasted hen of the wood mushrooms. Loved those mushrooms!
Plus the lamb and spinach large plate dish. Melted in my mouth!
Ice cream for dessert! I tried our new Kilwins, but didn’t think it was as good at Chaps or Splendora’s! This was S’mores flavor, and it was pretty tasty!
We stopped by the Tom Tom festival to listen to music to conclude the night out on the town.
Saturday morning: steamy coffee + reading!
For breakfast I had pumpkin millet porridge, which was leftover from a Friday recipe shoot I am working on : )
Mazen and I went to a birthday party on Saturday for lunch. The family has three boys, and had one huge party instead of three smaller ones. Such a fun idea! They went all out with a bouncy house and tons of delicious food and fun.
I had a bunch of raw veggies, some cheese and crackers and a small piece of pizza for lunch.
After the party Mazen and I went to Target for some shopping. Had to have these Oh Joy! forks!
I happened to notice a nurse inviting people for flu shots and got one on our way out. It was perhaps the most pleasant flu shot experience I’ve had – no waiting, really nice pharmacist, over in 5 minutes. Too bad the shot still hurt!
Saturday evening we went over to the Struckmann’s for dinner.
I brought this wine from my wine club and loved it!
We had BBQ chicken, pesto rice, and salad plus brownies for dessert.
After those kiddos were asleep of course!
Hope you guys had a lovely weekend too!
Hey, hey!
Everyone love a good protein ball, right? Well, here’s another recipe to add to your repertoire this fall. This one, though, is especially amazing because it only requires 5 ingredients, has no added sugar, and its texture is pure perfection. Biting into one these babies reminds me of a soft, thick, and chewy oatmeal cookie. I’m telling ya, you need to try these Pumpkin Protein Balls. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients:
Directions: Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. The batter will likely seem dry, but just keep mixing until all of the protein powder is adsorbed. Roll batter into 6 balls. Store in a plastic container with a lid in the refrigerator.
Makes 6 protein balls
Macros: P5 C8 F4
