Here is a bit more detail on the asian beef bowls, how I prepare them, and how I serve to kids vs adults.

Recipe

Gochujang Beef Bowls (Little Spice Jar)

How I cook this meal

• I follow the recipe for the ground beef, though I leave out gochugaru. This is partly because it is a unique ingredient and therefore difficult to find, but also because it would add more spice than we want. I do include the gochujang, which can easily be found in most grocery stores, though I keep it to 1 Tbsp.
• I make a very simplified version of Little Spice Jar’s cucumber salad. Before I start cooking the beef, I thinly slice 1/2 of a large English cucumber, then add about 1/2 cup of white vinegar, a big pinch of salt, and a couple Tbsp of olive oil in a jar or tupperware. Give it some good shakes and let it sit while you cook rest of the meal. These are a huge hit among my pickle-loving kids!
• I grate up some carrots to pile on the top, since I left those out of the pickle salad.

The final result

Kid serving:

Adult serving:

* The recipe suggests topping with the sliced up green parts of a scallion, which clearly I forgot. You can also top with sesame seeds, which doesn’t do much for the flavor but does make it look fancy.

Ratings and Reactions

Husband: 10/10. Polished off a second serving of beef without hesitation.

Kids: 7/10. They all liked different things but everyone found something to fill up on. 1 year old had 2 servings of beef and nothing else. 3 year old ate carrots, pickled cucumbers, and rice. 7 year old ate everything, licked his plate, and came back for thirds of pickled cucumbers.

Leftovers: 8/10. I had the remaining ground beef and rice for lunch the next day. It was missing the freshness of the veggies, but still tasted good and was filling.