Bee-Bim Bop Sushi Rolls, #SundaySupper

Who is your role model? Newbery Medal winning author (and former food journalist) Linda Sue Park is one of mine. Her bestselling books are an artful glimpse into Korean culture. The pages of her novels for middle graders and young adults sing with insights into humanity. She also turns a phrase like no other in books like A Single Shard.   (At age 4 she won a poetry contest in a magazine with her haiku submission!)



Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park:
A picture book about food, family and a traditional Korean dish


On a recent mission to the library to research literary agents for my middle-grader. (My book is about a Japanese girl learning to treasure life again after great loss at the hands of the Great Earthquake of 2011.) Linda Sue Park’s picture book Bee-bim Bop! tumbled into my hands. 



Beef, bean sprouts, spinach, carrots and Japanese-style egg are ready
to roll with sushi rice.


Have you tasted Korean bee-bim bop?  As Korean food (and TV dramas) are popular in Japan, I’d heard the term but wasn’t quite sure of the ingredients. After flipping through the pages of Linda’s Bee-bim Bop!, I learned the traditional Korean dish is basically rice with mix-ins. (Instead of sweet mix-ins for ice cream, savory items are combined with rice.)



The Ninja Baker's Bee-Bim Bop Sushi Rolls


"Stuff, Roll and Wrap" is the theme for this week’s Sunday Supper. So I rolled up the yummy Korean bee-bim bop into Japanese sushi!  Kimchi Mom, Amy Kim - a maestro of Korean cuisine – hosts this week’s Sunday Supper gathering on Twitter. (You are invited! Please scroll down for details.)

Bee-Bim Bop Sushi Rolls

Korean dramas and food are popular in Japan. Thought it might be fun to combine the best of the two cultures in a sushi roll. My recipe is drama-free and delicious. Serve the sushi rolls with Korean kimchi (pickled cabbage) If you prefer  spicy food. 

This recipe is inspired by and adapted from Linda Sue Park's picture book,Bee-bim Bop!

Ingredients: 
  • 2 cups sushi rice 
  • Dried seaweed (nori) or soy paper wraps
  • ¼ lb frozen spinach
  • ½ cup bean sprouts
  • 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
  • ½ lb. sukiyaki beef or thinly sliced beef
  • 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½ - ¾ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • dash of pepper
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • Vegetable oil - enough to coat a wok or large frying pan
Directions: 

1. Cook short grain - sticky white Japanese - rice.
2. Make
sushi rice.
3. Microwave ¼ lb frozen spinach per package directions.
4. Drain the cooked spinach and set aside.
5. Make thin egg crepes -
kinshi tamago.
6.Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, onion, pepper, sugar, seeds and sesame oil to make a marinade.
7. With your fingertips, gently massage the beef with the marinade. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
8. In a wok or large saucepan, parboil the bean sprouts. (2 to 3 minutes) Remove from the pan. Drain.
9. Coat the wok or large saucepan with vegetable oil (1 to 1 ½ tablespoons is perfect.) Sauté the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out of the pan and set aside.
10. Add more oil to the wok or pan, if needed. Lightly fry the carrots until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside.
11. Stir-fry the meat in the marinade.
12. Assemble the sushi: On a plastic-covered sushi roll mat, place a sheet of dried seaweed or soy paper wrap. Scoop petite mounds of sushi rice onto the top portion of the mat. Level the rice so it is even. Arrange the meat, eggs, veggies and additional sesame seeds (if desired) on top. Gently roll the sushi up!



For a thicker sushi roll, cover the entire nori sheet with rice and mix-ins. 

Tip: Rice is sticky so it helps to have a bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers.
 

Here are a few other bloggers who know how to Wrap, Stuff and Roll!

Starters and Snacks

Entrees and Mains

All things Sweet

 

Sunday Supper Movement Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Wishing you magical finds at the least unexpected moments.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

 

 

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