Vegetarian Bibimbap Food

VEGETARIAN BIBIMBAP

Steps:

• Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir carrot and zucchini in the hot oil until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Cook and stir until carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and set vegetables aside.
• Stir cooked rice, green onions, soy sauce, and black pepper in the same skillet until the rice is hot. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt butter and gently fry eggs, turning once, until the yolks are still slightly runny but the egg whites are firm, about 3 minutes per egg.
• To serve, divide hot cooked rice mixture between 3 serving bowls and top each bowl with 1/3 of the vegetable mixture and a fried egg. Serve sweet red chili sauce on the side for mixing into bibimbap.

BIBIMBAP (KOREAN VEGETARIAN NOODLES)

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk gochujang, lemon-lime soda, miso, corn syrup, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, vinegar and sesame seeds until smooth. Set aside.
• Bring a 4-qt saucepan of water to a boil and add sprouts. Cook until crisp tender (30 seconds). Transfer to a bowl of ice water, drain and dry with paper towels. Set aside.
• Repeat procedure with spinach (squeeze out as much liquid as possible when draining). When finished, pour boiling water into a bowl and add mushrooms. Let soften for 30 minutes. Drain, remove stems, and slice 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp canola oil and 1/2 tsp sesame oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp ginger and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until hot (2 minutes). Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
• Repeat procedure, using same amounts of canola oil, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger with the gosari, squash, carrot and radish. Season each with salt and pepper. Set each aside in separate bowls and add 1/4 tsp sesame seeds to radishes.
• Add 1 1/2 tsp garlic, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, salt, and pepper each to sprouts and spinach and stir well.
• Heat remaining canola oil in skillet and add tofu. Cook, turning once, until browned (4-6 minutes). Transfer to a plate and cut each in half.
• When ready to serve, place 1 cup rice each in center of 4 bowls, drizzle a little sesame oil over each mound of rice and top each with a fried egg. Place 1/4 of mushrooms in a mound in each bowl over the rice.
• Working clockwise, arrange 1/4 each squash, carrot, radish, spinach, sprouts, gosari, chicory, and lettuce. Place tofu on lettuces and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with sauce on the side.
• Each diner should stir their bibimbap vigorously before eating. Bibimbap is considered Korean therapy food which makes sense given that the notion of food as medicine is a fundamental one in Korean cooking and the stirring helps to relieve stress.

BIBIMBAP (KOREAN RICE WITH MIXED VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Stir cucumber pieces with 1/4 cup gochujang paste in a bowl; set aside.
• Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a large nonstick skillet and stir in spinach; cook until spinach is bright green and wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain spinach and squeeze out as much moisture as possible; set spinach aside in a bowl and stir soy sauce into spinach.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet and cook and stir carrots until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Stir in cucumber pieces with gochujang paste; sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and set the mixture aside in a bowl.
• Brown beef in a clean nonstick skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, and set aside. In a separate nonstick skillet, heat 1 more teaspoon olive oil over medium-low heat and fry the eggs just on one side until yolks are runny but whites are firm, 2 to 4 minutes each.
• To assemble the dish, divide cooked rice into 4 large serving bowls; top with spinach mixture, a few pieces of beef, and cucumber mixture. Place 1 egg atop each serving. Drizzle each bowl with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a small amount of gochujang paste if desired.

VEGETABLE BIBIMBAP

Steps:

• In a medium pot, cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, bring 2 cups water to a boil over high. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly until wilted, about 30 seconds; drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze spinach dry with a paper towel.
• Wipe out skillet; heat 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high. Add carrots and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add garlic and scallion whites and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook 4 minutes. Add cucumber and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add spinach and soy sauce and stir to combine. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
• Heat 3/4 teaspoon vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high. Add eggs, reduce heat to medium, and cook until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. Divide rice among four bowls; top with vegetables and eggs. Drizzle each with sesame oil, sprinkle with scallion greens, and serve with Sriracha.