Bibimbap

Bibimbap is one of my favorite Korean dishes (I know, I have too many favorites :) ). In Korean restaurants, it is usually served in a stone pot/bowl where the rice at the bottom sticks to the stone and creates a crunchy layer. Since I don’t have a stone bowl at home, I usually prepare it just in a regular bowl. As much as I like the crunchy part, for some reason, I think that the homemade Bibimbap tastes much better than the restaurant one. I think one of the reasons the homemade one tastes so good is because I’ve found a really good recipe here. I like to add lots of hot pepper paste, mix it really well and eat.

Bibimbap

Serves: 4
Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 batch Spinach Side Dish (recipe here)
1 batch Soybean Sprouts Side Dish (recipe here)
1 medium Zucchini – cut into matchstick size pieces (about 10 ounces)
1 medium Carrot – cut into matchstick size pieces (about 5 ounces)
10 Shitake Mushrooms – thinly sliced (if using dried, soak in warm water for 15 minutes until soft)
14 ounces Ground Meat (I used ground Turkey)
4 Eggs
4 cups Cooked Rice
Korean Hot Pepper Paste (Gochujang) – to taste

Prepared ingredients in a platter

Seasoning:
A pinch of Salt
5 teaspoons Oil
6 1/2 teaspoons Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)
2 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Sesame Oil + plus more for serving
4 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
Freshly ground Black Pepper – to taste

Directions:

1. In a large platter, place prepared Spinach and Soybean Sprouts.
2. In a bowl, place Zucchini and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Mix well and keep for about 5 minutes. Squeeze out water and keep aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tsp of oil and sauté Zucchini for few minutes until translucent and transfer to the platter.
4. In the same skillet, add 1 tsp of oil and sauté Carrots for about 30 seconds and transfer to the platter.
5. In the same skillet, add 2 tsp of oil and sauté Mushrooms for few minutes until lightly browned. Add 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and cook for further minute. Add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, stir well and transfer to the platter.
6. In the same skillet, add 1 tsp of oil, add Ground Meat and cook until lightly browned stirring frequently. Add 4 cloves garlic, 4 ½ tsp soy sauce, 1 ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil & black pepper to taste and continue cooking for further minute. Transfer this to the platter.
7. Cook the eggs sunny side up and keep aside.

How to Serve:

1. Place rice in a large bowl and top it up with prepared meat and vegetables attractively.  Place egg in the center and serve with sesame oil and hot pepper paste on the side.
2. Before eating, add few drizzle of sesame oil to the bowl along with desired amount of hot pepper paste. Mix really well with a spoon for few minutes and eat.

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Grilled Vegetables with Warm Jalapeno Dressing

I was searching for some simple and delicious salad recipes but nothing was catching my attention. I turned to my sister for some ideas and she sent me few recipes to try out. This recipe is from 'Curry and Chilli Cookbook (Step by Step Cookery) by Staff of Murdoch Books. It uses warm dressing with grilled vegetables. We've always made assorted grilled vegetables and I've always loved them so this recipe sounds good to me. The dressing has a very good balance of flavors and you can add as much variety of vegetables as you like. I seasoned my vegetables before grilling but followed the dressing recipe to exact.

Grilled Vegetables with Warm Jalapeno Dressing

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
For Vegetables
1 medium Zucchini - cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium Eggplant -cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 Red Bell Pepper - cut into 1/4 inch rings
1 Green Bell Pepper - cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 Tomatoes - cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 Large Onion - cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 Green Onions 
Olive Oil as needed
Salt and Pepper to taste
*Note: To grill vegetables in bamboo skewers, cut them into thicker or bite size pieces.

For Dressing
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Parsley - chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Freshly cracked Black Pepper

Directions:
For Vegetables

1. Lightly brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.
2. Heat indoor griddled pan or outdoor grill until very hot and grill the vegetables until soften but with a 'bite'.
3. Arrange vegetables in a platter and keep aside.

For Dressing:

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat, cook olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and crushed red pepper for few minutes until garlic and jalapeno has soften.
2. Add sugar, lemon juice and let it heat through.
3. Add parsley and salt, and pour the dressing over warm vegetables.
4. Season generously with cracked black pepper and serve warm. 

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Tilapia Larb (Tilapia Salad)

I love Thai food and Larb is one of my favorite Thai salads. My dad used to make beef or chicken Larb for us often. Although Larb is usually made from ground meat, I tried making it with fish and really enjoyed eating it. It is quick & easy to prepare and healthy & tasty as well. The ingredients used here are similar to the Thai Grilled Beef Salad I’ve previously posted but this one comes together much faster.

Tilapia Larb (Tilapia Salad)

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
8 ounces skinless Tilapia fillet
3/4 cup red onion – thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion – thinly sliced (about 2 green onions)
1/2 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves– roughly chopped
2 teaspoons uncooked sweet rice/glutinous rice – toasted on skillet until fragrant and lightly browned; and ground to a coarse powder
2 teaspoons crushed chili pepper - lightly toasted on skillet till fragrant (adjust to taste)
1 lime – extract juice (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to taste)
Black pepper to taste (optional)
Oil spray

Directions:

1. Have all ingredients ready before cooking the fish.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with oil spray. Once hot, add fish fillets and pan fry for few minutes per side until flaky and cooked through.
3. Smash it lightly using a fork to break into big chunks. Season it with some black pepper, if desired.
4. If you do not like raw onion taste, add the onion and cook for further minute, stirring gently. If not, turn off the heat and remove from heat. Add all the remaining ingredients and adjust according to taste.
5. Serve hot with steam rice and fresh vegetables such as cabbage and cucumber pieces.

Note: I usually make toasted sweet rice and toasted crushed chili pepper in larger quantities (about 1/2 cup or so) and store it in airtight containers for future use.

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Greek Salad

Greek salad is a pretty easy and delicious salad. Since I like sour food, I really like citrus based dressing on salads. It comes together very quickly and you can either serve it as a side dish to a meal or as a meal on its own by adding some Greek chicken and pita bread on side. As a side dish, I like to pair it up with Lemon Rice, Roasted Potatoes, Tzatziki, Greek Chicken and Hummus.

There is really no fixed recipe as you can use as much or as little of the vegetables you like and dress it up to your taste but below is a good start out point.

Greek Salad

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium tomatoes - seeds removed and cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups)
1 green bell pepper - core removed and cut into bite size pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice - cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups worth)
1/2 red onion - cut into bite size pieces (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives - sliced thinly
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish

For dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all the vegetables in a bowl and keep aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and adjust according to taste.
3. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the vegetables, to your desire taste, and garnish with feta cheese and serve.

Variations

• For Vegan friendly version, skip the feta cheese.

Note:

• Chunkier vegetables taste best for this type of salad. Vegetables and dressing can be prepared ahead but only combine them right before serving. 
• Peel the cucumber skin if they're not too fresh and seeds can be removed if you prefer.
• If red onion is very spicy, cut into smaller chunks compared to other vegetables and wash couple times and soak it in cold water while cutting other vegetables. Drain the water out before using.

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Thai Grill Beef Salad

This is one my favorite salads. The taste and ingredients used in the dressing is very similar to the Thai dish 'Larb' that my dad used to cook for us when we were kids. You can serve the salad by itself as a light meal; serve it as a side dish to a meal or serve it with steam rice as a meal on its own.

Thai Grill Beef Salad

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Marinate time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For Marinate:
2 – 1 inch thick, boneless New York strip steaks – fat removed and poked with fork all over
2 cloves garlic – crushed
1 teaspoon ginger – grated
1 tablespoon light soya sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, cooking wine
1 teaspoon sugar or grated palm sugar
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup mint, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon or to taste crushed red chili pepper – toasted (toast chili pepper in a small skillet on low heat until fragrant)
1 tablespoon uncooked sweet rice – lightly toasted on a skillet and grinded to a coarse powder
2 tablespoon fish sauce (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon sugar or grated palm sugar (adjust to taste)
Juice of 1 to 2 limes (adjust to taste)

Other ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Mix all marinate ingredients except for beef in a small bowl and adjust according to taste. Coat both sides of the beef with this mixture in a shallow dish and let it marinate for about 30 minutes or so.
2. Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl and adjust according to taste and keep aside.
3. Heat a griddle skillet pan or a skillet on high heat until the pan is hot. Spray with oil and cook the steaks on high heat for about 3 minutes on each side to get color.
4. Reduce heat and cook till your desire doneness. For a little well done meat, after reducing the heat, cover the pan halfway and let it cook through.
5. When done, transfer the meat to a plate, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing the meat into thin strips.
6. To serve, add tomato, cucumber and lettuce in a big mixing bowl and add half of the salad dressing. Toss well and transfer to a serving platter. Top it up with sliced beef and pour more dressing on top. Serve with steam rice.

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Kachumber (Mixed Vegetable Salad)

Kachumber is a super quick salad that goes really well with most Indian curries. The sourness of this salad cuts down the richness most of the Indian curries have, so it is a good balance. There is no fixed recipe or type of vegetables to use for this dish. You can just make it with pretty much any vegetables you like. Below is the version I usually make.

Vegetables can be cut into small or chunkier pieces. I prefer the chunkier style. Sometimes, I add lime and salt before serving, but every now and then, I just serve lime wedges on the side with small salt bottle so that people can make it according to their taste.

Kachumber (Mixed Vegetable Salad)

Ingredients:
2 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice – peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 medium tomato – halved or quartered and sliced
1 small carrot – cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 jalapeno – cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly (adjust to taste)
3 to 4 sprigs of cilantro – roughly chopped
3 to 4 mint leaves – roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 to 1 fresh lime juice (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and adjust according to taste and serve.

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Red Onion Salad

This is a quick salad and taste best the same day. Goes really well with rich Indian curries and Kheema Paratha (Flat bread stuffed with minced meat)

Red onion salad

Ingredients:
1/2 red onion – very thinly sliced
1 Jalapeno or Serrano - very thinly sliced (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and serve. 

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