Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a Korean dish of rice topped with sauteed or seasoned vegetables that are mixed together with the rice before eating. Additional toppings include egg, and ground meat. I took a mostly vegetarian approach to my bibimbap.

The assembled bibimbap. I should have used a bigger bowl! The toppings are spilling over.

Quick pickled cucumber, pan fried sesame tofu, radishes, and sauteed shitake mushrooms.

Giving the tofu its glamour shot.

For the toppings! I didn't go super authentic, but went with what I had in my kitchen. It's a bit fusion.

• Sweet quick cucumber pickles: mixed with a tsp of sugar, white vinegar, pepper, and just a pinch of salt. Slightly sweet and sour. Let them sit until the other ingredients are prepared.
• Sauteed shitake mushrooms: sauteed the mushrooms in a tablespoon of canola oil, then added balsalmic vinegar and soy sauce.
• Pan fried sesame tofu: added enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, sauteed the tofu, added green onion, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and a tablespoon of oyster sauce.
• Radish: sliced and raw.
• Sprinkled liberally with hot sauce before eating.

A pretty healthy and satisfying meal. I could eat this more often! A nice thing after all that heavy holiday eating, and a good way to start a new year :)