Fast Foodie Bibimbap

At the beginning of this year, I was motivated. I was driven. I was ready to establish my food writing as consistent and present. I wanted to share my love for cooking, my navigation through my eating special needs and my support of my nutritional needs from endurance sport. I thought and still think I have something unique to offer. But I have fallen short in my follow through. Good intentions only take you so far, commitment and doing the work produce results. I have dreams, no goals of writing as a living, both food and sport. But in order to make that happen, I have to dig in and do the work. Much like my running. There are many good reasons I have not been as consistent as I like, but none of them are good and none of them will produce the results I want. Now that things have simmered down, I have had time to think about what I really do want. And I have renewed my commitment to my goals. They are goals, not pipe dreams. I have spent a good amount of time in the past 5 years waiting for the right moment, or trying to figure out the right direction, or mostly just trying to make it through the day. But inherently, all that brooding produces no tangible results, no change, nothing. So what is the answer? Just do it. I just have to put myself on the line, do the work and put one foot in front of the other. I am taking a page out of my own book (of running) and going after my goals.

What that means, my dear reader is that I am back, I am committed and I will be here and present. Doing what I love, cooking up a storm, writing amazing delicious, nutritious (and special needs) recipes, working on my food memoir, taking food photography and bringing it all to you here! Stay tuned.

To start myself off, after a 2 day-60 mile weekend, I decided to make a rendition of bibimbap. I have been reading Hungry Monkey and he talks about making bibimbap with his daughter. There is also a children’s book by the same name (Bee-Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park) which I really liked to read to my preschoolers when I was doing storytime at the Seattle Public Library. Wikipedia defines:  Bibimbap (Korean pronunciation: [pibimp͈ap̚] ) is a popular Korean dish. The word literally means “mixed rice” or “mixed meal.” Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.It can be served either cold or hot. That is my kind of definition, so I decided to build my own and the results were super tasty. I strayed away from some of the traditional Korean flavor profiles, kept it vegan and gluten free and threw on some spicy kim chee. It was delicious, simple and filling.

Bibimbap

1 cup saffron rice, cooked
1 tbsp. peanut oil
1 cup broccoli , diced
1 cup brussel sprouts, diced
1 cup braising greens, diced
½ cup green beans, diced
¼ cup bell pepper, diced
1 pkg hot and spicy baked tofu
2 tbsp. cilantro
¼ cup kim chee

Directions:
Cook saffron rice according to directions.

In a large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium high heat. Add in all the vegetables (chopped small) and sautee until crisp tender. Spice with chili powder, 5 spice and salt (or whatever spices you choose!). Stir in 1 cup of cooked rice and cook for a minute.

Top with baked tofu, cilantro and kim chee.

Ratatouille, off the cuff

I really like Ratatouille. Ratatouille is one of those “recipes” that is just so me. Because it is less recipe, more concept. It is a general assembly of a certain group of ingredients, that end up something like a stew. While Julia Childs insisted on cooking her ingredients separately and then baking them all together and even the fabulous recipe I have been using from Karina’s Kitchen and highly recommend, bakes all the ingredients. And I usually do, but on the particular day I was making this, I couldn’t be bothered with that. The oven was occupied with baking a beautiful spaghetti squash and so I opted to throw vaguely what I could remember as the key ingredients in the pot and hope for the best. And of course, added Brussel Sprouts. I didn’t measure anything, I didn’t write it down but I have put together my recipe based on my remembered method (which means you may have to tinker with it, I will too! Sorry for the inexactness). Remember, when you make this precision is not the key, flavor is! Serve over baked spaghetti squash and kale!

Ratatouille

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ large eggplant, cubed
2 large portabello mushrooms, cubed
½ white onion, diced
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
italian herbs
1 cup brussel sprouts, chopped
1 can diced tomato
2 tbsp. tomato paste
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¾ cup mushroom stock
salt
pepper
¼ cup black olives, chopped

Directions:
In a large deep pot over medium high heat, bring the olive oil up until it ripples and add in the eggplant and mushrooms. Add more olive oil if the veggies soak it up too much. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Add in the onions, garlic and herbs and continue to saute, another 3-5 minutes. Add in brussel sprouts mixing to combine.

Add in the can of diced tomatoes (use tomatoes with green chilis if you want some kick) and the tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Add in balsamic vinegar and mushroom stock. Salt and Pepper to taste. Simmer for as long as possible, until the sauce thickens. The longer you get to cook low and slow, the more the flavors combine and deepen. Add black olives just before serving.

The perfect base for Ratatouille, Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Kale

There is a huge secondary storm rolling into Seattle this evening and in preparation I headed to the grocery store in order to buy enough Brussel Sprouts to help me ride it out. Actually, I picked up my mom and took her to the grocery store because her car was already stuck in her garage which is at the bottom of a steep driveway. I did however want to pick up more Brussel Sprouts. I didn’t eat any yesterday and so I had to pick some up! When I got to the co-op, I learned the Brussel Sprouts were snowed out. Not snowed out as in destroyed, but snowed out of delivery (phew!). That meant I probably would be able to find some, somewhere. And I did, naturally. Thankfully, it was at the second grocery store that we needed to go to anyways. Otherwise, I would have raced against the storm clouds that were zooming ominously across the sky towards us to find some.

The love of my life: Brussel Sprouts

Bunkerdown Brussel Sprouts and Roast Veg

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato, chopped
2 small parnips, chopped
3 blue potatoes, chopped
10 cloves garlic
2 cups brussel sprouts
1 cup cauliflower
8 baby carrots, halved
3 mini bell peppers
1 cup button mushroom
2 tbsp. peri peri seasoning
.25 cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a large glass baking dish. Bake for 45-1hr, until the veggies are to desired level of tenderness.

Optional: 30 minutes into cooking, drizzle a combination of 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp grain mustard (mixed) over the vegetables and toss to coat. Return to cooking.

Roasted to Perfection

Cheers to Blizzard Warnings! - Gluten Free Cider, yum!