My family has a long history of renaming everyday items after one another. The Lazy Susan, that corner cabinet where we store our canned foods, has been called The Lazy Becca for as long as I can remember. Someone said it once and it stuck. In an ode to that, I have named this recipe Becbimbap. It’s my twist on traditional Korean bibimbap, which is fun to say and means “mixed rice”. My interpretation of this recipe is not traditional, but it is delicious. I cut out a few steps to make it a little easier and quicker to get on the table after a long day of work.
This food feels like comfort food to me and is in heavy rotation in our house. It’s warm, a little spicy, healthy and chock full of vegetables. It’s also a great “clean out the fridge” recipe as ingredients can be easily swapped. I started making this when we were getting a crop share. We bought one share of a local farm and every other week we receive a big box of whatever veggies are in season. The crop share forced me to become much more improvisational in my cooking and has taught me a lot about how to use and revere seasonal, local ingredients. The recipe below is meant to be a guide. Use what you love, are craving or simply have in the fridge. My husband and I are vegan, but if you are not, a gooey fried egg would be great on the top of this dish.
.This recipe has a few ingredients that appear to be intimidating but you can find at your local Asian food market or on amazon.com. Gochujang paste is a tradition Korean food. It will last a long time in the fridge so you can have bibimbap whenever you want. It has a salty, spicy, umami quality. I also use dark soy sauce in this recipe. I went to Thailand a few years ago and discovered this ingredient and can’t live without it now. It is a thicker version of soy sauce with a much more mellow flavor. I love it so much I often add it in place of traditional soy sauce or tamari in recipes. If you don’t have this around, just use whatever soy sauce you have in your house.
Serves 4 hungry people
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Brown Jasmine Rice, prepared according to the package (I cooked this in my rice cooker the night before)
1 Cup Beauty Heart Radish, cut in bite sized pieces
1 Cup Cabbage, chopped
4 Carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
4 Small Zucchini, cut into matchsticks
4 oz Marinated and Baked Tofu (I used this, but I think Trader Joe’s has a good alternative). You can also use Silken tofu, cut it in slices and sauté it in a little sesame oil over medium heat until it browns. This give the tofu surprisingly nice fried egg like consistency.
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (I use 1 Tablespoon tamari and 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce)
2+ Tablespoons Gochujang Paste (add more if you like spicy foods)
Garnish ideas: chopped green onions, sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, lime wedge, kimchi
Instructions:
1 – I recommend making the rice the night before, if possible. If your rice is not yet prepared, start cooking it first.
2 – Cut the radish and carrots.
3 – In a large, preheated skillet heat 1 Tablespoon of water over medium heat. Sauté the radish for 3 minutes then add the carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes, or until al dente (soft but with a little crunch).
4 – While the carrots and radishes are cooking, cut the zucchini, cabbage and tofu.
5 – Transfer the carrots and radishes to a plate and add the sesame oil, soy sauce and gochujang paste to the same skillet. Stir until the liquids are combined. The paste is sticky and takes a few minutes to dissolve.
6 – Add the rice and shredded cabbage to the skillet and stir until heated and combined. Taste and add more soy sauce or gochujang paste if it needs it.
7 – Add sautéed vegetables to the skillet and stir to combine.
8 – To serve, spoon the rice and vegetable mixture into a bowl. Add the raw zucchini matchsticks and tofu chunks. Serve with Sriracha for those who want an extra spicy kick.
Enjoy!
Becca
