I've said it before but it bears repeating: The Ninj and this blog are all about healthy, easy recipes that anyone can make -- especially for weeknight dinners, when we all feel we don't have enough time to cook a healthy meal.
This spicy Korean beef bowl, a gluten-free riff on bibimbap, is my new favorite example of just such a recipe.
For those that aren't familiar with it, bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice bowl topped with sauteed vegetables, a spicy sauce, some meat and a fried egg, all of which is tossed together just before eating.
In February, I was in New York City for a meeting. (Oh my, doesn't that sound glamorous? Trust me, my life is not glamorous, unless you call working at home in yoga pants glamorous. Besides, I was only in New York for about 24 hours and spent most of it either at the airport or in a meeting room.) While there, we ate at a restaurant called Barn Joo, a self-proclaimed "Korean-inspired gastropub" (whatever the heck that means) with a farm-to-table focus. I really enjoyed Barn Joo's bibimbap because it was served in a hot stone bowl, which made the rice slightly crispy and chewy.
That chewiness made me think of quinoa, which I've been enjoying over the past few years as an alternative to rice in many recipes, not only because of its higher percentages of protein and fiber but also because it's gluten-free, which is an important recipe consideration for many of my readers. (As a pasta addict, I get plenty of gluten every week, so eating a little less of it by choosing quinoa is probably a good thing!)
