Hibiscus bowl & Vegan Soon Dubu Jiggae

Man. Things sure have been busy. I wanted to take a minute to share a couple of dishes that I've been making lately that I really enjoy.
The First one is a mixture of vegetable salads on quinoa, inspired by a delicious, kick-your-ass bowl I had at hibiscus in Kensington Market.
Some wonderful things about this dish: you can recreate it with all of the little bits of ingredients and dishes you end up with in the fridge. It tastes a bit different every time. And it makes you feel really really good (and full!)
In my bowl, the base is quinoa (cook the quinoa as you would rice, then dress it with orange juice and balsamic vinegar and maybe some mustard. Add in a handful of raisins and a tiny bit of chopped onion or garlic if you like)
At 12:20 is roasted cubed squash (roasted with garlic, olive oil and sea salt)
below that are roasted beets (roasted at the same time as the squash, but for a fair bit longer) dressed in tahini, red wine vinegar and salt.
At 6:00 is the lovely broccoli, steamed and tossed with a smidge of garlic and some balsamic.
At 9:00 is a piece of tofu, previously frozen, baked with soy sauce and cumin.
And rounding the corner at 11 is the lovely cold salad of chick peas, avocado and tomato with a little diced onion, olive oil and vinegar.
All of the dressings/ingredients can be subbed for others. Last week I made a version of this with Kale sauteed with onions and soy...it almost made me cry.The next dish...I'm going to wear out reallly fast. It's called soon dubu chigae, and it's a Korean spicy tofu stew that I first had in Koreatown. I was pretty sure that in the restaurant it was made with meat stock, but I found it delicious anyway and tried to replicate it at home.
First I had to figure out what it was called and then I had to figure out what was in it and how I could vegetarianize it.
Most recipes call for fish, fish stock, beef, and egg, but I find this stew doesn't miss it. It's hearty and super easy/cheap to make.

I adapted the recipe from this one. I think it's pretty solid, with the exception of the spice level and the add-ins.

I like to throw in some kale or broccoli, some tvp crumbles, some firm tofu...everything but the kitchen sink basically. Serve over hot rice.
One problem with this dish. The main ingredient, gochujang, a Korean red pepper paste, has msg in it. I don't know about you, but for me this means possible headaches/muscle aches.
I aim to make my own after I finish the container (which, at this rate shouldn't be long!) otherwise try to find a brand that is msg free.
xoxo