I love bibimbap, but had yet to find an awesome vegetarian version. This was so delicious, immediately after trying it out, I had to sit down and furiously type the recipe for next time!

It could easily be made vegan by simply omitting the egg, and is a great way to use up leftover takeout rice and assorted veggies.

STEP ONE- START THE RICE
If you don’t have leftover rice to reheat, you can cook it fresh. For Asian style rice, I like to start by measuring the amount of dry rice I want to use (it will double in volume), rinsing it, and putting it in a small saucepot with just enough water to cover it, plus 1/4 inch (1 cm). You can add a little cooking oil, butter, and/or rice vinegar as well. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lower than “warm”, as low as you can get it without turning the burner off. Leave it covered and cook for about 25-30 minutes (if using white rice). For brown rice, cook for about 35 minutes.

STEP TWO- PREPARE THE VEGGIES
You can use any veggies you want for this- in the picture above, I used red bell peppers, carrots, and asparagus. Cut them into thin, long strips. Fill a saucepot with about 1/2 inch of water, and try to prop veggies in the pot where they are not laying in the water and turn the heat on medium low. Steam for about 10 minutes, and remove from heat.

STEP THREE- COOK THE BBQ “MEAT”
Start by preparing the BBQ sauce, which is very simple: 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and a teaspoon each of chili oil and sesame oil- this will make enough for 2 people. The chili oil and sesame oil are essential to the flavor, so try not to substitute for them. I buy all of my condiments at Asian markets, they are much better and cheaper than their American counterparts. Also, please don’t judge my crusty ketchup bottle.

Next, slice up your meat substitute into “steak-strip” size pieces. We are partial to Field Roast sausages in my house, but tempeh, tofu, and cauliflower would also make excellent substitutes. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high, and sear the pieces in the pan with a little chili and sesame oil. When they have a nice dark brown char on both sides, throw them into the bowl with the bbq sauce, and stir gently to coat. Return the cast iron skillet to the burner, add a bit more oil, and crack eggs into pan. You can cook them any style you want, but sunny side up seems to work best for this dish.

Now it’s time to assemble! I love the presentation of bibimbap almost as much as the taste. Scoop the rice into a large bowl, and add sections of each steamed veggie, any raw veggies like green onion and sprouts, kimchi if you desire, then the bbq “meat”, and last top with the fried egg. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, and a dash of hot sauce! And prepare to be amazed… you will not be missing the meat.

Painlessly easy (although it does involve some waiting), and so good you won’t want to share!

YOU WILL NEED:
-a 9X9 pan of your favorite brownie. I’m gluten intolerant, and find the premix bags make my life easier, so I used that. I’m rather fond of Arrowhead Mill’s brownie mix- some people didn’t believe me that it was gluten-free- EXACTLY what you want. Not rubbery or dry like others. I mean you, Trader Joe’s.
-peppermint extract
-a box of peppermint candy canes
-1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips
-1 cup of white chocolate chips

Step 1: Bake brownies according to package (or recipe) and ADD 1 tsp of peppermint extract. Allow them to cool FULLY. (I let them cool overnight.)

Step 2: Put dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir. Repeat until chocolate just melts. Don’t try to cheat and put it in for 2 minutes, you will fry the chocolate into nuclear nuggets.

If you are anti-microwave, you can use the French method- heat water in the bottom of a double boiler- pour chocolate into top and stir until melted.

Smooth melted chocolate evenly over the top of the brownies using a rubber spatula. Let it cool for at least ONE HOUR in the fridge.

Step 3: While chocolate is cooling, unwrap the candy canes, and place them into something sturdy like a paper bag. Take a hammer and smash the candy canes. Now is a good time to release any pent up holiday anger. Check the pieces for consistent size- you may need to smash some more. After ONE HOUR, check the brownies and give the chocolate a little tap make sure the chocolate is rock hard. If not, refrigerate it some more.

Step 4: Melt the white chocolate chips the same as the dark chocolate. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula- work quickly to avoid melting the dark chocolate below. Sprinkle the candy cane bits over the white chocolate, and press lightly with your hands. Let them cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then slice with a sharp knife. The peppermint bark may not break evenly, but you should be able to cut some nice squares regardless.

YUM!! And kicks the crap out of cookies.