Bibimbap (Korean One-Bowl Meal)

This iconic Korean dish has many incarnations and is excellent for using up extra bits of vegetables, though I usually go out to shop especially for it since I have favorites and want to be sure I have the stuff I like. This is healthy by almost anyone's standards, except for the sugar which can be left out if necessary (but is delicious).

Ingredients:
Seasoned spinach

• 1 frozen block of chopped spinach
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp reduced sodium tamari / soy sauce

Seasoned cucumber

• 1 english cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp rice or cider vinegar

1 cup matchstick-cut carrots, about 5
1 box fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark sesame oil
t tbsp garlic powder or 8 cloves minced garlic
Cooked brown rice
Eggs

You'll notice I didn't specify a number of eggs or an amount of rice. This is because there's one egg per serving, and the number of servings depends on how much each person will eat. Also, the amount of rice depends on how much rice you like. I only eat about 1/2 cup of cooked rice but Koreans eat way more.

To prepare the spinach, thaw it and then gently saute over medium heat in its own liquid until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the seasonings and set aside.

To prepare the cucumber, just mix it together and set it aside, separately. Incidentally, to make matchsticks, you will first cut the cucumber in half to make two shorter pieces. Then cut the pieces lengthwise into planks, then stack the planks two or three high and slice them into thin strips. Then shorten them by cutting crosswise once or twice.

Prepare the carrots by cutting them the same way, then steaming in a small amount of water for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Set aside.

Prepare the beef by sauteing over high heat until it's well browned. Then add the sugar, garlic, and soy sauce or tamari. Simmer until the liquid is thick enough to coat the meat in a nice sauce. Set aside.

In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and crack eggs over it. Fry them sunny-side-up to your desired degree of doneness. I like to break the yolks and spread them out so they are totally opaque and cooked, because I think liquid yolks are gross, but it is more authentic for them to be liquid, so if you like your eggs that way then by all means, go for it.

Serve the meal by placing some rice in the bottom of the bowl. Then spoon some of each thing over the rice in little piles around the bowl: spinach, cucumber, carrot, mushrooms, and beef like a tasty rainbow. Place a fried egg over the top of each bowl and serve.

You're supposed to break up the egg and stir it together when you're ready to eat it. If you have a liquid egg yolk, the yolk forms a sauce that would be tasty if you like that sort of thing. This is also supposed to be served with sriracha or korean hot sauce. If you like it, then go for it; otherwise, it's also good without the heat.

The leftovers are even better. It's delicious as lunch the next day, even cold.