BiBimBap

Whew..... We all have been so busy the past week - getting ready for school to start, KB spending nights off, summer cleaning around the house, OH... and I started a new job!!!

We have been cooking at the house though, I just didn't post it. We've had amazing pulled pork sandwiches, beef ravioli with homemade marinara sauce, lamb stew, and a charcuterie, cheese, and toasties platter.... They were all so delish!!

As I've said before, Asian food is my absolute fave cuisine. I like to try new dishes all the time. Earlier this year, Tim and I went to a noodle house in downtown Augusta. Although the service was terrible, the food was good. It was the first time I tried Saki...... aaaaaannnnnndddd it was the last time!!!!!

I did enjoy their BiBimBap though. It was the first time I've had it. I didn't know anything about it or what to expect, but it was great. So I started my research for a good recipe. And then I had to research some of the terms and ingredients.... I knew I would never find some of those things at Kroger - HAHA... I gathered a good list of ingredients that I knew I had already or could easily find.  

The List:
Beef skirt steak, prepared short grain rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, oyster sauce, mirin, sriracha sauce, honey, sliced veggies - mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, cucumbers, green onion, cilantro, lettuce, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, fried egg

First and foremost - the meat and marinade!!!

 Skirt steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, garlic, coriander, and lime juice

I also clipped some lemongrass for the marinade!!!

For this dish, the skirt steak need to be thin sliced against the grain. The pictures below demonstrate this.

On the left, the "grain" is going away from me. I sliced perpendicular to the grain. It's best to freeze the steak for about 30 mins prior to slicing. It helps to make thin, even, and precise cuts.

While the meat was soaking in it's yummy marinade, I chopped my veggies and prepared the gochujang sauce. The recipes all had a varying array of veggies to choose from. I used what I had in the fridge. I also knew I would never be able to find gochujang sauce anywhere but an Asian grocery. So I made my own!!

Mushrooms, onions, peppers, water chestnuts, carrots, and spinach were all sauteed with sesame oil, garlic, and S/P. Cucumbers, lettuce, green onion, and cilantro were added to the final dish as is. And of course, I couldn't find fresh bean sprouts. That would have made a huge difference!!

 I love the colors of fresh veggies!!!

For the gachujang sauce I put mirin, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, and garlic in a small saucepan. I reduced by half to thicken it up.

                  Before                                                                               After

I seared the beef slices in small batches.

Then combined all the beef back together with the marinade and let it baste for about 1 hour.

Now to assemble the bowl - a good serving of rice in the bottom topped with the sauteed and fresh veggies.

 Almost ready!!!!

 The over easy fried egg was the best part!!!

 The final product topped with all the goodies!!!


I was so happy with the results... I am definitely gonna try more.

ENJOY!!!

"Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon??"

Until I really started to experiment with different recipes, I only cooked chicken. No for real..... I only cooked chicken. I would sometimes have something with ground turkey, i.e. - spaghetti, tator tot casserole, maybe lasagna on a special occasion - like the first time I cooked Tim dinner at my house!! This is what started the whole recipe search. I had to find more ways to make chicken. Eventually I would come across a pork chop, beef, or shrimp recipe.

So I ventured out of my comfort zone. I learned quickly to only try one new recipe at the time.The most disastrous night was the Spring of '14 (yeah like 3 months ago)..... I wanted to have an Asian night. I had on the menu pork pot stickers, "bang bang" shrimp, and crispy wontons all with their own sauces. None of them worked out... the pot stickers did just what the name suggests - stuck to the pot. The breading on the shrimp fell apart even before I put the sauce on them. And the "crispy" wontons were soggy.... I was so disappointed, I actually cried :(

Anyway, it was a lesson learned the hard way. And to this day I haven't reattempted to make those disastrous dishes.

Staying with my chicken roots I came across this recipe Dijon Chicken with mushrooms and onions. I had just scored a large box of white button mushrooms for $.89 so it was fate that I found this recipe. And not to mention I had a jar of Dijon mustard in the fridge going to waste. I substituted chicken thighs for breasts.

I gathered my ingredients and supplies.

 See those big yummy mushrooms???

 I coated my boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked until just browned on both sides, then set aside.

 I added the sliced mushrooms and sauteed' until brown. I learned in my recipe research to never salt mushrooms as you cook them or else they won't brown. Salt allows them to release too much liquid!!

Next came the sliced onions and seasoning and herbs. I love slightly toasting dried herbs. I think it releases their flavor - it may not even be true, but it works in my head.

After the mushrooms and onions have cooked, I deglazed the pan with the wine, scraping up all the little fried bits stuck to my pan. I added the rest of the liquids and put the chicken back in the pan. 

Cover and let simmer for about 20 - 25 mins depending on the thickness of your chicken.

 The sauce was amazing, but anything with wine sauce is good to me!!! Kendall loves mushrooms and asked for seconds of just mushrooms. I served it with  squash and zucchini cheesy bake.

Enjoy!!