Bibimbap

Also: Bibimbab, Pibimbap

This is one of those dishes that can be served in a variety of ways - here's ours. If you can't find fiddlehead ferns, try substituting some wakame or other green veggie of your liking. It's usually served with a fried egg on top, but we're leaving that out...

For marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 TB garlic, chopped
1 TB ginger, grated
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TB honey
1 TB sesame oil
1/2 TB korean red pepper powder

4 cups wheat gluten strips

2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups spinach mixed with 2 carrots, julienned
2 cups fiddlehead ferns
3 tsp. sesame oil
4 cups steamed white rice
black & white sesame seeds, for garnish
green onions, chopped, for garnish

For cucumber salad:

2 cucumbers, peeled and deseeded
2 TB white vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate gluten strips for 4-6 hours. Slice cucumbers and stir with vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Refrigerate. Remove gluten from marinade (reserving marinade) and grill over hot coals (or broil) until browned and crispy. Saute the bean sprouts in 1 tsp. of the sesame oil until slightly tender. Remove from pan and repeat this process with fiddleheads and spinach/carrot mixture. Set aside.

Place one cup of rice in each bowl, top with some of the fiddleheads, spinach/carrot mixture, and bean sprouts. Place 1/4 of the grilled gluten on top of each bowl. Combine reserved marinade with korean red pepper paste until smooth. Drizzle some of this sauce over the grilled gluten. Dress each bowl with cucumber salad. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Makes 4 servings.