“I’d like to build the world a home and furnish it with love” – B. Backer, B. Davis, R. Cook, R. Greenaway, from “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Our long holiday break included the heartfelt family drama Somewhere with music and dance at the Guthrie (it’s worth seeing); discovering Le Puzz puzzles which have a similar feel to vintage Springbok puzzles; and the ever-creative 10th Wave chamber collective that this time collaborated with Monsoon Season for a shadow puppet and music show. We gathered to sing again with the Minnetonka Senior Chorale this week and the first number we did was “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”, which felt very appropriate for these trying times.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
The sweet and savory flavor combo of this Korean Ground Beef Bowl from Valerie’s Kitchen is both quick and easy and wonderfully flavorful… John LOVED the sauce, which I may use for other dishes as well.
KOREAN GROUND BEEF BOWL
for the Korean ground beef
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger root (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon re-pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
for the Rice and Veggies
- 3 cups cooked long grain white rice (like Jasmine or Basmati)
- 1 head broccoli (2 crowns) cut into florets
- 2 red bell peppers cored and cut into large 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 sweet yellow onion cut into about 6 chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the rice, 1 cup dry rice cooked in 2 cups water.
Meanwhile, toss the broccoli, bell pepper and onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet line with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned and fork tender, tossing with spatula once or twice through cooking time.
While the veggies are roasting, make sauce: in a small blow, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and break up the ground beef into the pan. Cook, leaving some chunky texture to the meat. Drain off excess grease and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the sauce mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to combine with the beef and thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds if desired. Serve over cooked rice, with roasted vegetables.
