Macaroni Bibimbap

Macaroni Bibimbap

Red Rice Macaroni Bibimbap
Seasoned Vegetables and Beef
Fried Egg, Gochujang Sauce

I struggled to come up with a name for this dish. Traditional Bibimbap is a super-popular Korean dish where seasoned vegetables and beef are neatly arranged over cooked rice, often topped with a fried egg and served with red chili sauce. Just before eating, the diner vigorously mixes it all together creating a wildly colorful, nutritious, and immensely flavorful meal in a bowl.

The Korean word Bibim translates to mixing. Bap translates to cooked rice. Myeon translates to noodles. Since I’ve substituted red rice macaroni for steamed white rice…should the name be bibimmacaroni? bibimmac? bibimmyeon? Ultimately I decided on the name Macaroni Bibimbap because it is made with rice-based macaroni, hoping that is not too confusing.

Macaroni Bibimbap

Made in Italy by my friends at Explore Cuisine of organic rice flour and pea protein, Red Rice Macaroni is loaded with 11 grams of protein per serving.  With a chewy al dente texture, unique shape and color, it makes for a fun fusion twist on the traditional Korean recipe.

Red Rice Macaroni Bibimbap

Red Rice Macaroni Bibimbap Recipe

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Mac and Cheese, Ham, Carrot, Celery, Onion {gluten-free}

mac n cheese, ham, carrot, celery, onion {gluten-free}

Mac and Cheese, Ham, Carrot, Celery, Onion {gluten-free}

The inspiration for this out-of-the-ordinary mac and cheese comes from an unlikely source – split pea soup! To make mac and cheese more of a meal than a side dish, I added the same ingredients and spices I use in my soup – cubed ham plus plenty of carrot, celery, and onion. Garlic, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes add extra flavor. The smooth white sauce was made with Parmesan and cheddar, flavored with nutmeg and dry mustard. Paired with a green salad and a glass of ripe and juicy Grenache, it makes a most satisfying winter’s night dinner.

Cooking for someone with gluten intolerance – I made this dish with gluten-free organic red rice elbows from my friends at Explore Cuisine and use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour. You can use traditional macaroni and regular wheat flour if gluten is not an issue.

Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese with Ham Recipe

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Korean Macaroni and Cheese with Beef, Kimchi, Cheddar

Korean Macaroni and Cheese with Beef, Kimchi, Cheddar

Korean Macaroni and Cheese with Beef, Kimchi, Cheddar

One stellar food pairing is kimchi plus cheddar. So when it came time to create a macaroni and cheese dish for Food Network’s Comfort Food Feast event, I immediately thought of kimchi. Funky tangy kimchi partners with sharp creamy cheddar, ground sirloin, and gochugaru, a Korean red chili powder that is definitely spicy – but also has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried red peppers. The resulting fusion dish is an irresistible grown-up full-flavored mac and cheese.

Korean Macaroni and Cheese with Beef, Kimchi, Cheddar

Beef & Kimchi Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe

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