Get Movin' Monday: Simple International Recipes

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's always fun to try different cuisines.

But sometimes, when we're not familiar with the style it can be tricky to know what to buy.

Robin Asbell, author of Great Bowls of Food, shares recipes for Korean and Greek dishes that can be made easily at home!

Bibimbap
Served with brown rice, tofu, eggs, sautéed shiitakes, cabbage kimchi and spiced nori
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
8 ounces fresh shiitakes, caps slivered
2 Tablespoons mirin
3 teaspoons tamari soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons rice vinegar, divided
8 ounces salad spinach
6 cloves black garlic, sliced
2 large carrots, julienned
1 pound baked tofu or 4 eggs
1/2 cup kimchi
1 sheet seasoned nori, sliced in strips
Gochujang (Korean hot sauce), to serve

Directions:

Warm the rice. If desired, start with cold rice then fry each portion in an oiled pan for a crisp bottom, like the traditional stone bowl-crisped rice.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, rice vinegar, sugar and salt; stir to mix.

In a large sauté pan, heat one teaspoon of the oil and add the shiitakes. Sauté the mushrooms stirring until the mushrooms soften, or for about four minutes. Add the mirin, two teaspoons of the tamari and one teaspoon of the rice vinegar and cook until dry. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

In the same pan, pour the remaining teaspoon of oil and add the spinach.

Add the black garlic and stir until the spinach starts to wilt, then add the remaining teaspoon tamari and teaspoon of rice vinegar.

Stir until softened.

If using tofu, you can either warm it or use at room temp. If using eggs, fry them to desired doneness in a large sauté pan.

Serve a cup of rice in each bowl, topped with 1/4 of the mushrooms, spinach, carrots, tofu or an egg and a couple tablespoons of kimchi. Then sprinkle with nori shreds.

Serve with gochujang on the side.

Paleo Cauliflower Tabouli Deluxe
Served with peppers, carrots, Cashews and lemon-mint dressing
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds cauliflower
2 cups fresh mint, minced, plus sprigs for garnish
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and sliced
2 large carrots, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Put on a large pot of water to boil for the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into large florets and peel the stems; cut the stems into one-inch slices.

When the water boils, drop in the cauliflower.

Cook for two minutes, then drain.

Let the cauliflower cool, then put two cups of florets in a food processor and pulse to make bits about the size of rice.

Transfer to a large bowl, then continue until all the cauliflower is minced.

Spread a lint-free kitchen towel on the counter and spread the cauliflower mince on it; place another towel on top and roll up tightly to dry. Unroll the towels, remove the top one, and let the cauliflower air dry until time to use.

In a food processor or blender, process the mint, garlic and salt to a mince.

Add the lemon juice, zest and olive oil and process until the mint is finely puréed.

Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl and drizzle half of the lemon-and-olive-oil mixture over the cauliflower, tossing to coat.

Mix the remaining lemon-and-olive-oil mixture with parsley and mint.  Spread the cauliflower on a platter, then cover with cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and cashews.

Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Garnish with mint sprigs.