This was my first attempt making the Korean dish bibimbop which is basically a dish that consists of rice with a topping of meat and/or veg. Following a couple of different veg recipes and improvising on one of my toppings, tonight’s dinner was pretty darn good for a novice attempt. I have made kimchee before but this was my first hot Korean meal made at home. The dish is served in a hot clay bowl with the rice at the bottom. On top of this, I placed warm soy sauce and sesame oil prepared bean sprout salad, next to it is steamed baby bok choi tossed in a tamari ginger garlic sauce and finally, the third element is fried tofu with sweet potato cooked in sweet ginger garlic and vegetarian fish sauce mix. This is something I will be trying again but maybe with different toppings. And yes, we did have the Korean red pepper paste to go along with it.

Inspired by the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel, I took today’s photo to show what Caroline and I will eat in a typical week, minus restaurant visits. Our food costs for grocery shopping are about $120 per week which does not include meat. With Caroline being a vegetarian I have found it easy and satisfying to only cook vegetarian meals at home. When my meat craving strikes I go out. What foods are pictured and what we will eat over the coming week are as follows:

Homemade pomegranate syrup (used for making Fesen Jan), cauliflower, Napa Valley Grapeseed Oil, Bates & Schmitt Apple Balsamic Vinegar, fresh mint, fresh thyme, sweet butter from Spain, goat and water buffalo yogurt, flaxseed oil, orange juice, collard greens, cashews, pine nuts, currants, celery, Roma tomatoes, limes, jalapenos, brown eggs, fresh corn, red bananas, Himalayan pink crystal salt, chipotle chilies, walnuts, organic pasta, Kala chana (black chickpeas), red onions, nectarines, green beans, margarine (used for making Ethiopian flavoring), Nanak paneer (Indian cheese), tofu, bell peppers, carrots, cilantro, potatoes, pattypan squash, soy kielbasa, Sprecher soft drinks, brown rice, fresh coconut, blueberries, green peas, gobi mix (Indian cauliflower dish), vegetable Tawa mix, vegetable biryani mix. Most of our fruits and veggies are organic. Missing from the photo are curry leaves, fresh dill, parsley, strawberries, Thai green chilies, yellow split peas, and homemade sauerkraut.

So, what does one make with the above? Here are some of the planned dishes:

Herbed rice with currants marinated in oil, thyme, and balsamic vinegar

Yellow split pea stew and gomen (Ethiopian-style stew and collard greens)

Fesen Jan with tofu and veggies (Iranian pomegranate and walnut dish)

Vegetable Tawa (a veg dish from India)

Vegetable Biryani (rice dish from India)

Sauerkraut and sausage

Kala Chana dal and gobi (dishes from India)

Smoothies or eggs with veggies for breakfast, dinner leftovers for Caroline’s lunch.