Foodblogging: Bibimbap bop bop

Bibimbap is another one of the more popular Korean foods in America.  It's infinitely customizable and can be spectacular or unassuming.  It's one of those "use whatever's about to go bad in the fridge" recipes.  Bibimbap almost always includes bean sprouts but I forgot to pick them up at the store.  This is what I had:

Zucchini, spinach, carrots, and a mushroom medley from the farmer's market.  It appeared to be crimini, portabello, and oyster.

Other inclusions could be tofu, beef (usually cooked with bulgogi sauce), other proteins, beans, lotus root, greens -- whatever.  Got half a jar of artichoke hearts in the back of the fridge?  Sure!  Broccoli on its last day?  Why not?

The basic idea is that you put a bunch of rice in a bowl, top it with your fixings, and crown it with a fried egg.  Korea is indeed the land of comfort food. 

It's best to leave the yolk a bit runny...

...so when you mix everything together it coats the hot veggies and rice and finishes cooking...

...and then you finish it off with a splort of gochujang, sesame oil and some sesame seeds.

It's as cheap as you want it to be, filling, and delicious.  I made enough for lunches the next day but instead of over easy eggs (mmm...lunchtime salmonella!) I made a big rolled omelette with two eggs and a little water and chopped it into pieces.

Korean Mixed Vegetables and Rice (Bibimbap) Recipe
Source: http://koreanfood.about.com/od/riceandnoodlerecipes/r/Bibimbap.htm

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes

2 cups medium-grain Korean (or Japanese) rice
1 large cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1.5 cups bean sprouts, parboiled and squeezed of excess water
1.5 cups spinach, parboiled and squeezed of excess water (3/4 lb before cooking)
2 carrots, julienned
4 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated if dried and then sliced
1 zucchini, sliced into thin strips
1/2 lb meat (optional, both and cooked ground meat work well)
Fried egg as a topping (optional)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Sesame seeds

Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove.
Give cucumber strips a saltwater bath for 20 minutes and then drain.
Season spinach with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, and a dash of sesame seeds.
Season bean sprouts with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, and a dash of sesame seeds.
Sauté carrots with a dash of salt.
Sauté mushrooms with a dash of salt.
Sauté zucchini with a dash of salt.
Place cooked rice in large bowl and arrange vegetables on top.
If desired, beef or egg can be placed in the center.
Serve each with small bowls of red pepper paste (kochujang) and sesame oil.
To eat, add a small amount of oil and desired amount of red pepper paste to your bowl and mix everything together with a spoon.

(Serves 4)