Everybody’s gone out so it’s only me. Not cooking for the family? I know-- ramen noodles! Western Beef had a sale-- 2 12 packs for $4. That’s, like 15 cents a package.
Soooo. . … I boiled a cup of water and put one flavor packet in the water and two drops of sesame oil. When the water was boiling I dropped an egg in and stirred with a fork. Took the saucepan off the heat and added two packets worth of noodles. Eat when noodles are as soft as you like.
Everybody’s got ramen recipes, no? Tell me your favorites.
Ramen noodles are pretty nice when cooked just right. The problem is the broth is so weak its like they maybe waved a chicken over it to give it a trace of flavor. On the other hand, Campbells chicken noodle soup (or even more upscale stuff) has plenty of flavor but canned noodles are mushy as all get out. Combine the two and you have the best of both worlds.
Then there are those small bluish cans of “oriental vegetables” you find in the ethnic section or a dedicated asian store. They typically have stuff like baby corn, mushrooms, fungusy stuff, tofu and some other things. The stuff is rather oily and strong. Combine that with a batch of Ramen and its also pretty darn good IMO.
1 spoon of dry chicken boulion.
Dash of soy sauce.
Handful of vegetables (usually onions/garlic and greens of some sort)
Just enough water to cover the ingredients.
Cook to a roiling boil.
Allow to cool five minutes and let noodles absorb liquid.
Eat.
I eat ramen/mee all the time, but I add meat and vegetables to make it a full meal – typically prawns/shrimp, broccoli, cabbage, and a bit of chili bamboo shoots. If I have a bit left over from a Chinese or southeast Asian take-out meal, I’ll often add some of that.
At work, my lunch is often a tuna-ramen-dressing mix, with Italian dressing replacing the ramen flavor packet. One ramen packet + one 6.5-ounce tuna packet + about 1/4-cup of dressing = greatness.
PBS just started a new series, “The Mind of a Chef”. Starring David Chang, narrated by Anthony Bourdain, the first episode is on noodles, and ramen is a lead player.
-Mix 1-1/2 cups of water with one ounce of lychee syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and bring it to a rolling boil.
-Add sliced, peeled plums and cook for 5 minutes.
-Remove pan from heat, add noodles.
-Top with sliced banana and/or maraschino cherries to taste. Garnish with two pirouline cookies.
…why are you all looking at me like that?
I cook the noodles plain, with the seasoning packet dumped into the bowl I’m going to eat from. When I drain the noodles, I use enough of the cooking water to dissolve the seasoning and get it mixable. Then I mix that solution with the drained noodles and enjoy. (Yes, I like stronger flavor.)
I’m currently trying to remember how to achieve a creamy-sauce effect with the seasoning (I’m pretty sure the version I used to know how to do involved butter and milk).
For chicken ramen I add lemon juice and an egg to the regular recipe on the package.
For beef ramen, I add worchestershire sauce, nuoc mam sauce, and tabasco.
(Yes, I like stronger flavor.)