Hello from Minnesota! I’m so excited to be guest blogging today for my future sister-in-law Kayla. My name is Erin and I live in Minneapolis with my fiance (and Kayla’s brother) Zack. One of the many things Zack and I have in common is our love of taking our taste buds on wild adventures and preparing great food together. Over the past few years we’ve tried to limit the use of grains in our home-cooking and love creating low-carb versions of our favorite meals we have when eating out. After a recent trip to St. Louis and an incredible meal at Seoul Taco, we realized it would be fairly simple to adapt a low-carb and semi-Paleo version of the Korean dish Bibimbap.
This recipe has quickly become a go-to meal in our household. The version I’m sharing uses cauliflower rice instead of regular rice and is a perfect balance of warm comfort food and fresh veggies and herbs. There are no limits to the variations and flavor profiles that can work with this dish (we’ve switched out meats, herbs, sauces, etc.) so have fun with it and create a version that you love!
*Note: in case you’re not convinced of our love of cauliflower – check out this list of its health benefits!
Ingredients for 4 large servings:
1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups of teriyaki marinade (I used Trader Joe’s Soyaki)
1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp of coconut oil (or fat of choice)
2 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of Sriracha (optional)
5 green onions
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 cups julienne carrots
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
4 eggs
Directions:
Place the chicken thighs in marinade and cover for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, turn your oven’s broiler to its high setting. Remove chicken from marinade and arrange evenly on an oven-safe cooling rack positioned on top of a foiled baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the rack directly below the broiler. Broil chicken for about 8-10 minutes, per side (we like ours crispier but you can adjust time as you see fit).
While your chicken is broiling you can get started on the cauliflower rice. Add the florets to the food processor or blender and pulse until the cauliflower resembles rice.
Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan. Add garlic and riced cauliflower and saute for 4-5 minutes.
Add sesame oil and Sriracha and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 10-12 more minutes or until desired consistency.
Separate the cooked rice equally into four serving bowls. Once your chicken has cooled enough to handle, chop and add evenly to the bowls. This will be the base for your Bibimbap compilation.
Finely chop the green onions, basil, mint and cilantro.
Divide the green onion, chopped herbs, carrots and bean sprouts evenly between the bowls.
Note: While there are no bean sprouts pictured (Zack forgot to grab them at the store!) I highly recommend them with this dish – they add the perfect amount of crunch.
Last but certainly not least, fry your eggs over easy (you can use the same pan from the cauliflower rice) and place on top to complete your Bibimbap masterpiece. I garnished with more Sriracha and some hoisin sauce (which is totally not paleo or low-carb but, of course, very good).
Now, get in there, mix it all together, and enjoy!
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