k-town beef bowl with kimchi 🍚🥢
Welcome to those who were just scanning the web and serendipitously landed on my humble site 👋 whether you are in a rut and don’t know what to make; are in that loop of “sooo, what do you want to eat tonight?”; or have fallen into the infinite black hole of saved recipes from social media (the internet is truly ultimate purveyor of maximalist TL;DR content overwhelm 😵💫🫠🤭). I hope you enjoy — it brings me great joy to sprinkle any ease into your life — cheers to your good health, good love & good fortune!
And per my usual caveat, I do not claim to be a doctor or a chef. I do not dream of being a fancy food blogger. I’m just a gal who enjoys living and eating for optimum well-being. I like to creatively alter, and occasionally create, recipes to make them as balanced as possible, in both taste and health. I’ve come to learn soul-food and body-fueling food are both real and equally important, hence the critical importance and beauty of mind-body-soul eating! ✨ I typically like to begin with a key ingredient or two that I’m hoping to work with, search for a preexisting recipe as a guide, then play with measurements and make swaps to level up nutrient density. Consider this a destination for healthy recipe inspiration, where you’ll never have to scroll through any continuously re-populating ads. One of my primary goals is to add a little simplicity in places I’ve found murky.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PERSONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. INDIVIDUALS SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE ADMINISTERING ANY OF THE SUGGESTIONS MADE ON THEBALANCEDCALM.COM TO ENSURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE.
This recipe is pretty much a mirror from Gaby Dalkin’s cookbook, What’s Gaby Cooking: Everyday California Food, with a few of my amendments included below:
INGREDIENTS
BEEF
1 lb 100% grass-fed (ideally local) trimmed hanger steak, thinly sliced
3 tbsp low sodium organic soy sauce
1.5 tbsp organic toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp organic ginger, peeled and grated
3 organic garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp crushed organic red pepper flakes
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp avocado oil
Kosher salt
QUICK PICKLES
3 organic Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 organic carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 organic red onion, finely diced
1/2 c rice wine vinegar
SCALLION SALAD
8 scallions white and light green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 c organic cilantro leaves
1/2 c organic fresh mint leaves
2 tsp organic toasted sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Pink Himalayan salt to taste
TO SERVE
2 c jasmine rice, cooked per package directions — can also sub in quinoa!
1 - 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 c Firefly Kimchi — or any alternative refrigerated kimchi that’s raw, fresh & fermented with live probiotics!
INSTRUCTIONS
(TO PREP) BEEF
— ((this step is critical for clean cuts)) Freeze beef for 30 minutes, then use a knife to slice against the grain into super thin strips.
— Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, red pepper and brown sugar in a large ziplock bag. Add beef to the marinade, seal and ensure meat is evenly coated. Let sit a room temperature for 1 hour or chill in fridge for up to 8 hours.
QUICK PICKLES
— In a medium bowl, combine veggies and vinegar. Let sit a room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
SCALLION SALAD
— In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, mint, sesame oil, vinegar and sesame seeds. Season with salt.
(TO COOK) BEEF
— Heat 1 tbsp of the avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove half of the meat from the marinate, letting excess drip back into the bag. Season lightly with salt and cook in a single layer without moving until lightly browned, about 1 min. Continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the meat is crisp around the edges, about 5 min total. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and meat.
TO SERVE
— Toss rice with rice vinegar. Divide the rice among 4 bowls and top with quick pickles, beef, scallion salad and kimchi. Enjoy ASAP! YUM!!
CLICK PHOTO ON FAR RIGHT TO SEE ADDITIONAL IMAGES >
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. I will again caveat, I’m not a nutritionist, but as holistic health coach, here’s some functional food for thought:
100% GRASS-FED, LOCALLY RAISED BEEF
Similar to buying organic produce, it’s critical to seek out 100% grass-fed, locally raised beef. Similar to organic free-range chicken and eggs, there’s a major pay off on the nutrient and taste front, as well as on the ethics side — and if we have to realize that the ethics, such as filthy living conditions, cross right over into the quality of our food (and health!). Don’t skim on quality, if anything skim on quantity.
This brings me to my next point on the importance of quality animal protein. As I primarily plant based eater, I personally find it challenging to eat enough high quality animal protein. I can pile on the nuts, beans, tofu and seeds, but I can tell that when my energy level is down at certain moments, it’s typically pointing back to my body’s need for a little more protein. My recommendation is that as long as you’re open to it, give yourself the challenge of making a fun new meat dish once or even twice a week. It really ups the kitchen game and also gives a boost to energy, as well as mood and immunity!
KIMCHI
Let’s talk live food! Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are considered “live food” and are extreme supporters for healing our intestinal lining. When we suffer from multiple food sensitivities, as many of us do, it’s vital we pay close attention to healing those imbalances. When intestinal barriers are broken down, we cannot regulate our innate or adaptive immune system and this is why we can begin to see correlations between autoimmune diseases and gut imbalances. In order to rebalance, we need to restore our intestinal flora, remove triggering foods for at least 6 months (because immune cells have memory…!!!) and support our digestion with the healing properties of live food that aid in immune function and reduce inflammation. Fermented foods, including kimchi, contain a host of life microbes (probiotics) that have been seen to regulate out metabolisms, aid in lactose digestion, protect against many cancers, increase nutrient utilization, support oral health, aid in lipid regulation, moderate immune health and inflammation and generally detoxify the body — translation, there’s such an incredible host of health benefits, we’d be silly to not incorporate live food into our regimes to both maintain balance AND rebalance. Of course, it’s important to remember, moderation is key, as with all things. A little goes a long way. If we overload on the fermented foods, we’ll be sure the experience gassy tummies that I imagine we’d all prefer to avoid ;)
CILANTRO
Also known as coriander, cilantro is very polarizing, but it’s hands down one of my absolute favorite herbs! And thankfully, it’s a true superfood. From lowering blood-sugar levels, to heavy metal cleansing, to preventing cardiovascular damage, to possessing anti-anxiety and mood lifting effects, to improving sleep quality, to acting as an antimicrobial and natural internal deodorant — cilantro is simply a super-powered detox herb! Its strong antioxidant properties should also be highlighted, rich with beta-carotene and lutein, both carotenoids known to reduce damage to cells caused by free radicals.
PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Since pink Himalayan salt is less processed than table salt, your body has an easier time processing it, as it doesn’t require as much water to clear out the excess sodium! It also contains more than 80 minerals and elements, including potassium, iron, calcium and (naturally occurring) iodine, aiding our body’s natural detoxification process and promoting the removal of bacteria. This can even help lower blood pressure, as iodine supports our body’s electrolyte balance, allowing our intestines to absorb more nutrients.
***important to note, quality is essential — always shop organic, whole, preferably in season, ideally know where your food is coming from and thoroughly wash those fruits + veggies!
