VeganMoFo: Bibimbap-a-roo-bop!

BeeBop? Little Bunny Frou-Frou? No! Bibimbap!*

I had never heard of this fun meal until just a few weeks ago, but apparently it is a common and popular meal in Korea. This was my first time ever eating or making Korean food, and it was very inspiring! I can't wait to explore more!

*(pronounced bee-beem-bap)

I used a variety of recipes for my Bibimbap experience... First I made a whole bunch of little side dishes, mostly using recipes from Fat Free Vegan (great recipes!), and also getting some tips from this Food Network recipe. I was only making 3-4 servings, so I made half-batches, or even quarter-batches in some cases.

Zucchini Stir Fry with Garlic. Well, in my book, you just can't go wrong with a simple saute with garlic. These little zukes were mighty tasty. Here's the recipe.

Korean-style Cucumber Salad. Heck yeah!! I loved this! It was cool and pickly and hot-spicy all at once. Just a tiny little crunch from the onions and cukes... This was a new flavor-texture experience for me and I loved it. It was one of my favorites of the meal. Recipe here.

These are the little mung beans - transformed into Mung Bean Sprout Salad, again a recipe from FFVegan. Like so many of these dishes, this was quick and simple and very tasty. The spouts are quickly cooked, so they maintain their crisp quality, but soften a bit too.

A few shiitake mushrooms, cooked with a little peanut oil and a pinch of salt.

Simple sauteed carrots with a dash of peanut oil and garlic.

Oshitashi, Spinach with Toasted Sesame Seeds. I used Susan's recipe, and LOVED IT. Next time I make Bibimbap, I might not make quite so many side dishes (just in the interest of time), but I won't skip this one. Very yums, and very easy!

Also, I used Susan's recipe for the special Korean hot sauce, Kochu Chang, which - according to the internet - is a critical part of the bibimbap experience. I was really grateful for this recipe, because we don't have any Korean markets here. I used my extra hot cayenne, and this stuff packed a serious spicy punch. We were all blowing our noses about halfway through dinner. Ha! There's still about half of this stuff left... which I guess means I get to make Bibimbap again soon! :) Lucky me.

Here's the whole plate, all assembled. First of all, there is a layer of white rice under all of this... Then you can see on the left there, a little section of Super Mega Tasty Soy Curls, which I didn't photograph separately. I used this same Food Network recipe, and marinated Soy Curls (instead of ribeye steak). I used about 4 big handfuls of soy curls and made a half batch of the marinade. First, I re-hydrated the soy curls with a little hot water and a not-beef bouillon cube. Then I drained them, squeezed out the liquid, and put them in the marinade for a few hours. Then I just sauteed them while I was making the rice and other goodies. Each time the pan would start to dry out, I would add a little more marinade, until it was all gone. They were officially So Freaking Good. This is most definitely a recipe I'll come back to.

All sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds for an extra touch of flavor and elegance.

Mr. Vegan Eats and Treats says: "Draw a picture of me inhaling my food like in a cyclonic action of food consumption!!!" This is the best I could do. :)

Bibimbap takes some work, but it is very convenient that so many of the elements can be served cold or at room temp. That makes advanced prep pretty easy. My friend Alana recently suggested a bibimbap potluck party, and I didn't know what she was talking about. Well, sign me up! Bibimbap is a great idea for a potluck!

Hoorah for bibimbap!