Bibimbap

Bimbimbap is a Korean rice dish mixed with vegetables and gochujang.  The banchan takes a lot of work to prep but the dish is super easy to make!  You can save a lot of time from cooking the veggies if you already have a lot of leftover banchan in the fridge.  This dish is typically mixed with seasoned stir-fry meat like beef or pork and sunny side egg on top of the veggies.  Below is an adapted recipe from "The Korean Table". 

BIBIMBAP (literally means "mixed rice") - serves 2

Short grain rice

Eggs

Beef rib eye or ground beef

Soybean sprouts

Carrots

Cucumbers

Spinach

Sesame oil

Sesame seeds

Soy sauce

Green onions

Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

Sea salt

Brown sugar

Honey

Rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook rice in the rice cooker and prepare veggies according to the recipes below. 
2. Prepare eggs sunny-side up right before assembling.
3. To assemble, scoop rice into big individual serving bowls and artfully arrange each of the seasoned veggies on top of the rice.  Please beef in the center.  Set one fried egg in the center on top of the beef.  Add a dollop of gochujang sauce.  Drizzle a bit of sesame oil (optional).  Mix well and dig in!

SEASONED VEGETABLES:

Bean Sprouts 
1 tsp sea salt
1 lb. soybean sprouts
4 T chopped green onions
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 T sesame oil

In a medium saucepan with lid, combine water, salt, and bean sprouts.  Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, cover with lid, and steam the sprouts for 5 minutes. Strain the sprouts and transfer to mixing bowl. Mix sprouts with green onions, sesame seeds and sesame oil.

Carrots
4 medium size carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchstick strips
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 T sesame oil

In a medium size skillet, heat the sesame oil on medium heat.  Add the carrots and salt and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Spicy Cucumber Salad
1/2 English cucumber, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds or cut into matchsticks
1 tsp gochujang
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
salt

In a large bowl, toss cucumbers and pinch of salt.  Set aside for 5 minutes.  Gently squeeze liquid from the cucumbers and transfer to bowl.  Combine gochujang and cucumbers. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds.

Spinach Salad
1 lb. spinach, washed
1 T toasted sesame seeds
2 T sesame oil
1 tsp sea salt

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add spinach.  Cook for 1 minute.  Strain the spinach and rinse with cold water.  Take one handful of spinach at a time and squeeze the water from the spinach.  Cut spinach into 2-inch pieces on a cutting board.  Transfer to a bowl and add sesame seeds, sesame oil, and salt. Mix well.

SEASONED BEEF
1/4 lb. rib eye cut into strips
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp brown sugar

In a small bowl, mix together the beef, soy sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar.  Marinate for 15 minutes. Heat a small skillet and stir-fry until cooked. Set aside.

GOCHUJANG SAUCE
2 T Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)
1 T rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 T water
2 tsp sesame oil

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.