I’m sure the majority of us have either been a poor college student or just plain poor and some point in our lives. As we all know, ramen noodles are a diet staple during these times. I am currently living through one of these times. Help me escape the monotony by posting creative ramen recipes!
My favorite:
Ramen Vegatable Lo Mein
Prepare as normal. Drain broth.
Chop up, cook and add whatever random vegetables you may or may not have handy (carrots and mushrooms are preferable).
Add some* terriyaki sauce, a smaller amount of soy sauce, and a dash of sesame oil.
I soak the noodles to soften them a bit, and then do a stir fry with chicken and ginger, if I have it, or the ramen seasoning if I don’t have any ginger.
Some years ago there was a “favorite ramen recipes” thread, but I’ve lost the link, and of COURSE we can’t search for it! I used several recipes out of it.
I sometimes prepare ramen as usual, but add a few florets of broccoli to steam in it, and maybe a few bits of leftover chicken. Swirl a dab of chili garlic through it and it’s pretty yummy. I bet baby bok choy would work really well in this, as well. I usually add the seasoning packet as I add the noodles, so that they are infused with all that delicious NaCl and MSG.
My Mom used to make a similar pseudo-lo mein recipe when I was growing up, but added hamburger and a big bag of frozen veggies, then some soy sauce/cornstarch slurry for sauce. It’s really very tasty…I think I’ll make it this week.
Add the noodles to boiling water, add as much of the seasoning packet as you care for, then add a beaten egg and stir, for kind of an egg-drop soup. Frozen peas are a nice touch to add to this.
I sometimes make chicken soup with a couple of chicken thighs, some carrots, potatoes, and zucchini, and throw in a package of Top Ramen once the veggies are done. The Princess loves it.
I don’t care for ramen myself, so I can’t swear by this recipe. My husband invented it, and he seems to like it, though.
Shrimp flavored ramen. Add two or three frozen shrimp to the boiling water until thawed, also slice up some fresh mushrooms and carrots to add to the finished ramen.
The frozen shrimp are slightly expensive, but a 1lb bag will last for 10 or 12 ramen meals if you do that.
Make the ramen as directed. Pour nearly all of the liquid into a cup and drink it as soup. Stir a slice of American cheese into the noodles for mac’n’cheese.
Frozen peas are a nice touch to add to a black eye. Other than that, they are the culinary equivalent of hazardous waste.
I like taking ramen noodles and mixing them with butter, garlic, etc., just like they were spaghetti. The chicken ones, and the shrimp ones, do this well.
I don’t know if I could stomach it now but when I was a teenager I luuuuurved to put some instant mashed potatoes in the bottom of a big bowl and poor the ramen on top.
I always liked this one when I’ve been on a ramen kick: fix your noodles according to the directions, drain the broth off (you’ll use some of it, but can drink the rest for soup), mix a little of the hot broth with a big glob of peanut butter (I know you have this :)) and some soy sauce and pour it over the noodles. A little green onion, garlic and ginger are good in the sauce too. The shrimp or chicken work best for this.
I did a ramen pizza once. Messy, but delicious. I can’t find the exact recipe I used, although I’m sure there’s plenty out there. It involved mixing cooked ramen and canned biscuit dough for the base and then putting melted cheese and tomato sauce from a jar on top.
With 456 packages of Ramen noodles and some Super Glue™ and varnish, you can make a faux-rattan Adirondack chair.
Otherwise…
Never use the packaged seasoning.
Steam instead of boiling if you can.
If you’re boiling, use half the water recommended and add to it a quarter-teaspoon of ginger, a teaspoon of soy sauce, a couple dashes of sesame oil, some chili paste or hot sauce, one and a half teaspoons of peanut butter, and some shredded vegetables and whatever else occurs to you (I like baby shrimp). Cover the pot and pay attention.
The biggest thing wrong with frozen peas is that miguided people try to *cook * them. Stir them into your finished dinner and wait a moment for them to thaw and warm, and as the Jolly Green Giant said, taste the delicious green pea-ness.
I used several recipes out of it.
