Bibimbap

Bibimbap

 

Yum

Bibimbap

We've tried a number of bibimbap recipes and this one from My Korean Kitchen is hands down our favorite. It's easy enough for a weeknight meal and can be loaded with a ton of veggies. Plus it makes more than enough for lunch the next day! We had to make a few tweaks because we had trouble finding all of the ingredients regularly, but even with the modifications, this dish is filling and delicious!
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Meat and meat sauce

  • 1 pound ground beef we like 80/20 for this - you need the fat!
  • Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sugar – we went with the original recommendation of brown sugar and decided dark brown sugar tastes best!
  • 1/4 tsp minced garlic

Bibimbap sauce

  • The original recipe suggested this sauce might be only enough for 3 servings if you like eating it spicy and it holds true!
  • 2 pinch Tbsp gochujang (in awe've used Sriracha sauce not the same
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 3 small carrots
  • 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp sugar we use brown again here
  • 1 tsp vinegar I'm partial to this addition!
  • 1 tsp minced garlic

Vegetables and other

  • Couple of handfuls spinach we use one handful per person
  • Bag of bean sprouts (f you can find them. If not don't go with canned, it isn't worth it!)
  • 1 package shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 2 peppers we use a mix of red and green or whatever we have on hand
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1/4each will be used when cooking shiitake mushroom and carrots, You can also use Kosher
  • 3 to 4 serving portions of steamed rice
  • 3 or 4 eggs depending on the serving portion
  • Some cooking oil to cook the meat mushroom, carrots and eggs (We use sesame oil)
  • 1 Tbsp sugar we use brown again here
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp vinegar I'm partial to this addition!
  • 1 tsp minced garlic

Instructions
 

  • For meat, mix the ground beef with the meat sauce ingredients. Marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes while you are working on the other ingredients. We usually make the meat mixture first and let it sit while we chop the veggies.
  • Then chop the veggies into julienned strips. We usually combine the carrots, peppers and onion but leave the spinach and mushrooms to their own pans.
  • Mix the Bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl.
  • Add some sesame oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a pan and cook the carrots, peppers and onion on medium-high to high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or longer if you liked them more caramelized.
  • Remove the carrots, peppers and onion from the pan and place on a plate. Add some more sesame oil, another dash of salt and a bit of garlic and saute the spinach and mushrooms.
  • Cook until the spinach is wilted.
  • Remove from the pan and add to the plate with the other veggies.
  • In the same pan, add some more sesame oil and cook the meat on medium-high to high heat. It takes about 5 to 8 minutes to thoroughly cook it. When the moisture has evaporated and the meat is cooked through, remove from heat and drain.
  • In another pan (trust me on this one do not try to reuse the same pan you sauteed the mean in!) make fried eggs. (As the original recipe stats and is spot on: "While sunny side up is common, you can make them per your preference.")
  • Ladle the rice into bowls and add the vegetables, meat and egg. Cover with the sauce!

Notes

My opinion:
I've eaten this dish three days in a row and I'm still not sick of it! You can also substitute ground pork or chicken for the beef. If you plan to use ground chicken, make sure you get ground chicken thighs. The ground chicken breast is too dry.
p.s. even our toddler likes this without the spicy "sauca."
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Homemade Stuffed Poblanos

Or homemade chile rellenos. A new grocery store opened in our town and it is amazing. I’ve described it as if Trader Joes and Whole Foods had a baby. The produce is fantastic. When I stopped by opening day, the poblanos were some of the best I’ve seen since leaving Texas. So I roasted them and we had them for dinner.

Homemade Stuffed Poblanos

Ingredients
  

  • 1 in can whole tomatoespuree; or if you prefer fresh 5-7 large Roma tomatoes, 28 ounces
  • 1 jalapeno chile; (ribs and seeds removed for less heat) minced
  • 1 large or 2 small yellow or white onions; chopped
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
  • 1 pound can black beans; rinsed and drained or about 1ground beef 19 ounces, we used 80/20 ground beef because it was also on sale at the new grocery store
  • 4 ounces shredded pepper Jack cheese
  • 1/4 block of Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese cubed (we had some left over from making Mag Mud at home)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 large poblano chiles; halved lengthwise ribs and seeds removed, stems left intact
  • 1-2 tablespoons oil (vegetable olive, whatever you have on hand)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425.
  • In a blender or food processor, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree.
  • Season with salt to taste.
  • Pour sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside.
  • Add a little oil to the skillet and sauté the onions, garlic and cumin.
  • If using ground beef, brown the beef in the same skillet with the garlic and onions, if you want, add some of the salsa.  
  • Add half the poblano in the salsa covered baking dish. 
  • Dividing evenly, spoon the onions and beef into the poblano half.
  • Sprinkle poblanos with the shredded pepper jack cheese.
  • If room add, the other poblano half with the inside in the salsa (so the skin side is up). (Since there wasn't room in our dish, I just added them where there was room.)
  • Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Add the Velveeta cubes and cover with the other poblano half. Note: you'll want to use a fork or other utensil, the poblano tops will be hot.
  • Return to the 425 degree oven for 20 more minutes or until the salsa is slightly thickened and the poblano half on top is starting to brown. 
  • Let cool 10 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

My Opinion:
The poblanos that were on top of the salsa roasted up quite nicely adding a sweet char to the pepper. Next time, I’ll roast the entire poblano before adding the filling. Other than that, the only other addition is to smother the entire stuffed poblano in Mag Mud for extra creaminess.

Jeb’s Chili

 

One of J’s favorite dishes is his father’s chili. It makes more than enough for three meals and a few lunches for us. Like most of our favorite meals, this one gets better the longer it simmers. It looks complicated, but I promise it’s easy and worth it.

Jeb's Chili

Ingredients
  

Base Ingredients:

  • 1 pounds and 1/2chili or stew beef you can also use ground beef if you want
  • 1 pound pork chop cut up or you can use ground pork
  • 2-3 green bell peppers chopped
  • 1-2 onions chopped

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 beer (any kind cheap is particularly good)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder (REGULAR chili powder not ancho, not super, not hot. Trust me)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground chipotle we buy them whole and use a coffee grinder for this
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 to 1/2 d cup iced celery
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 can rotel or green chiles
  • lime juice as needed
  • 1 can rotel or green chiles
  • lime juice as needed

Instructions
 

  • Brown the meat.
  • Add the chopped bell peppers and onions and cook until desired caramelization.
  • In a separate pot make the sauce by adding the first 11 ingredients and simmering for about 45 minutes until smooth.
  • Then add the tomatoes and meat and peppers and onions. Simmer one to two hours.
  • Add 1 to 4 tablespoons massa flour to thicken if needed (most of the time we leave this step out).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

My opinion: This is delicious with shredded Monterrey jack cheese, lime juice and tortilla chips. J prefers his with corn bread. It’s perfect for a cold winter’s night.

Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry


I didn’t expect this to be so good. In fact, I tried to find a stir fried cabbage dish and was wary from the start.  There’s hardly anything I would change from the original recipe, except using beef strips instead of ground.

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef (will use beef strips next time)
2 tablespoons of sesame oil, divided
3 green onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of cabbage, sliced thin
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (we used about a tablespoon)
2 cups cooked white rice

Directions:
Brown ground beef, remove and drain; set aside. To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and heat over medium high. Add green onion and garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir fry another 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice and soy sauce and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add the cooked ground beef back to the skillet and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes; toss until heated through.

My opinion:
Surprisingly good. And a great way to use up a head of cabbage.

Super Easy Weeknight Enchiladas

Easy Weeknight Enchiladas by Dispatches from the Castle
UPDATE: We made this again using homemade hot Enchilada sauce, whole wheat tortillas (they hold the sauce better and don’t fall apart as easily), onion and garlic powder (we were out of fresh). The
homemade hot Enchilada sauce recipe is: 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. These additions made all the difference in the world! The Enchiladas were spicy and delicious! I can’t wait to make this again!

This super easy recipe made enough for us to freeze half for another meal.

Ingredients:
10 flour (or corn) tortillas
Enchilada sauce (or make your own, we weren’t that adventurous, yet!)
8 ounces Mexican blend cheese
1 pound ground beef (you could also use chicken)
oil to coat pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in the pan. Brown the ground beef. Drain. In a mixing bowl add all but about a cup of the cheese, ground beef and half of the Enchilada sauce. Mix. Spoon mixture onto tortillas. Roll and place in a greased (or lightly oiled) 8 inch pan. Once all the tortillas are in the pan, pour the remaining sauce over the Enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Put in oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes.

My opinion:
Next time we will make our own sauce or at least add green chilies for more flavor. While good, this dish was a little bland for our tastes. We’ll also add onions and green peppers to the beef and cook it a little longer in the oven, we only cooked them for 12 minutes. All in all, we would make this again.

Reminder: #cookchat returns on Thursday January 20, a 8 p.m. CST. Join Matt LaCasse and I for an hour of food filled conversation.