Bibimbap2 (Korean Seasoned Vegetables & Rice with Spicy Sauce)

Directions

To cook the carrots and spinach:

Heat ½ teaspoon vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Add the carrots and half of the garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes until tender.

Stir in ¼ teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil and ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds until well mixed.

Transfer onto a small plate and set aside.

Add remaining vegetable oil in the skillet, and cook spinach and remaining garlic until wilted.

Stir in remaining soy sauce, sesame oil and seeds until well mixed.

Transfer onto another small plate and set aside.

To prepare the cucumber:

Add cucumber slices in a bowl and add ¼ teaspoon of salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Rinse under the cold water, drain and squeeze out the excess water.

Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add cucumber, stirring constantly, add salt and sesame seeds, and cook for about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

To prepare the zucchini:

Add zucchini slices in a bowl and add ¼ teaspoon of salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Rinse under the cold water, drain and squeeze out the excess water.

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat.

Stir in zucchini and cook for 1 minutes.

Stir in the seasoning ingredients and cook until it gets soften, but the color is still green, another 1 to 2 minutes.

To prepare the mushrooms:

Thinly slice the fresh or re-dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, and cook in the vegetable oil with the seasoning ingredients until soft, 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

To prepare the mung bean sprouts:

Blanch the mung bean sprouts in the boiling water for 1 minute, drain well and put in a mixing bowl.

Mix well with the seasoning ingredients. Set aside.

Stir in the seasoning ingredients until well combined. Transfer to a small plate, and set aside.

To prepare the smoked tofu:

Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.

Stir in smoked tofu strips and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the seasoning ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

To serve:

Place the rice in the individual serving bowls.

Arrange the vegetables on top of the rice.

Top with a fried egg if needed with sauce over each bowl.

Mix well and serve with kimchee if desired.