Kitchen Scrap Bibimbap

Transform the old veggies in your fridge from trashable to smashable

Bibimbap bowl

We've all done it. Maybe our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and motivation when we loaded up on fresh food at the farmers market. Perhaps we made the mistake of grocery shopping on an empty stomach and filled our cart with ingredients for every delicious dish our minds could conjure. There's a chance we ordered a Forty Acres produce box that was a smidge too big for our solo household (don't make that mistake again).

In spite of our best intentions, days

alright, alright...weeks later those oh so fresh veggies are sitting in the fridge untouched as the takeout containers mount in the trash bin.

Before you accept that those yellowed outer leaves and dried, shriveled skins means your produce is only good for compost, channel your inner Evanescence and bring them back to life with a little pruning.

I had some very sad bok choy, carrot, corn, and ginger in my fridge. I took it from this

to this

Now I can do a little something something with these scraps. Earlier this year I went to lunch with a friend and noshed on the most delicious bibimbap bowl. It was so good that the next day I went to my trusty guide, YouTube, for a recipe.

I found a great tutorial from the Maangchi channel, and used it as the springboard to create my own version.

You don't need the exact ingredient list. For example, if you don't have bok choy, spinach is an excellent substitute. You can also use peppers, summer squash, cucumbers, and other veggies. Just remember to keep everything thinly sliced.

Kitchen Srap Bibimbap

Ingredients

• 2 heads baby bok choy (or 2 cups of a mild leafy green)

• 1 medium to large carrot (matchstick cut)

• 1-2 ears of corn (kernels cut from the cob)

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 tsp fresh ginger (minced)

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)

• 1 cup rice

• 1 egg (optional)

• Protein of your choice (optional)

• Sesame oil

• Sea or Kosher salt

Get your ingredients from Forty Acres Fresh Market

Shop Online 

Order a $20 Veggie Box or Mix It Up Box and request bok choy, carrot, corn, garlic, and ginger. Add a jar of Thai Ginger Lemongrass Keep It Savory Salt to your order for just $9.50.

Shop In Person 

Check for the latest information on Forty Acres Fresh Market produce stands and popup markets

Directions

1. Cook your rice according to the directions on the packaging.

2. Slice your protein, season with salt and pepper, then marinate in sesame oil and ginger for up to 30 minutes before pan searing.

3. Prepare your baby bok choy

   1. Separate the baby bok choy into its individual leaves

   2. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes

   3. Remove the bok choy from boiling water and dunk it in a bowl filled with ice water. This stops the cooking process. Once cooled, squeeze the excess water from the bok choy.

   4. In a clean, dry bowl, season with 1 tbsp of sesame oil, 1-2 tbsps of minced garlic, and a dash of salt. I love Keep It Savory's Thai Ginger Lemongrass infused sea salt. Toss together, making sure the bok choy is well coated.

   5. Sauté the seasoned bok choy over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.

   6. Remove from heat then top with toasted sesame seeds.

4. Prepare your remaining veggies

   1. Heat 2 tbsps of sesame oil in a pan over medium high heat

   2. Add matchstick carrots, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp minced ginger to the pan and stir fry until carrots are softened and slightly browned. Transfer carrots out of pan

   3. Repeat this process with all of your veggies until all are stir fried.

5. (Optional) Fry or poach an egg if you have one. Keep the yolk a bit runny.

6. Build your bowl

   1. Combine cooked protein, rice, bok choy, carrot, and corn in a bowl.

   2. Top with your egg (optional).

   3. Enjoy!