Real World Ramen

Let's be honest - ramen noodles are a part of any household and actually have a lot of other uses aside from the standard soup recipe printed on the back.  Now, this isn't about those uses but about how you can make some really tasty soup with relatively few ingredients and time involved.  Ramen is simple and relatively good on its own but now that I've had it spruced up, I can't go back.  I know there are places you can actually go out for ramen and plenty of places to find recipes online so lets just add another to it. 


 First, here is a user submitted recipe from a good friend of mine, Edie.


Step 1: Boil the water - use a teapot, don't use a regular pot - who are you kidding?
Step 2: Pour water into the ramen.
Step 3: Wait 3 mins.
Step 4: Gourmet!

*~*~MASTER CHEF~*~*

That is, without a doubt, the most straight forward way to make ramen.  I laugh every time I read this because she really can't cook (ramen and pizza are her diet) and I just picture her making this with a teapot and I laugh harder.  There really are some simple steps and ingredients you can use to spice it up - almost all of which you should have on hand. For these recipes I used 2 basic flavors: Pork and Chicken.  You want to start with "good quality ramen" (I know, I know.  Is there even such a thing?) so opt for Maruchan over Nissin.  Another thing to note is how easy it is to make a meal out of this.  If you have some ingredients (leftover chicken, shrimp, etc) its easy to skimp on one part of the meal and make up for it in another.


Garlic Pepper Chicken Ramen


 You will need:


- 1 packet chicken ramen
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp minced white onion
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 pinch cumin


In a small sauce pan, pour 2 cups stock, garlic, pepper and cumin and turn burner to high.  Just as bubbles are starting to form at the bottom of the pan, pour in the seasoning pouch for the Chicken flavor and whisk with a fork. Dump in the dried noodles and lower heat to medium.  Allow to boil for 2 minutes, breaking up noodles as they soften, and then turn burner off.  Put half your green onion in your serving bowl and pour in ramen, then top with the remaining onions.

You really can add any vegetable you want to your ramen, just be sure to add it in before everything starts to boil and make sure its cut relatively small since you only have a short cooking time.

The reason I use chicken stock in this is because it ups the flavor by a lot and takes away some of that weird sweetness that nearly every standard ramen flavor pack has.  If you plan to buy chicken stock, always go for a low sodium version - no need to make this any less healthy than it already is.

Garlic Pepper Pork Ramen


You will need:


- 1 packet pork ramen
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp minced white onion
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 green onions, sliced


Because pork ramen packs don't have that weird sweetness in them, you can go without any sort of stock in this.  Bring your two cups of water along with garlic, onion, pepper and half the green onion just to a boil before adding the flavor packet.  Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.  Turn off burner and allow ramen to sit until no longer bubbling, then serve and top with green onion.

Spicy Ginger Curry Chicken


You will need:


- 1 packet chicken ramen
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/2 - 1 tsp spicy curry powder
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 green onion sliced


Bring your water/stock, ginger, garlic and black pepper to just a boil and add seasoning packet. Add your ramen noodles and lower heat to medium. Once the noodles have softened add your curry powder (as much as you like, really, but a 1/2 of a tsp will give lighter curry flavor as opposed to a full tsp) and mix well.  Allow the liquid to boil out of the pot. Serve warm with green onion garnish.

I will continue to add more to this as I experiment. I'm looking forward to teriyaki shrimp & steakhouse beef.


Update: 5/31/12


Teriyaki Shrimp 


You will need:


- 1 packet shrimp ramen
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1 cup shrimp stock (not required but adds more shrimp flavor)
- 1 cup water (2 if omitting the stock)
- 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp diced white onion
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes


Bring your water/stock, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes and black pepper to a light boil. Whisk in your teriyaki sauce and add the sauce packet.  Bring to a full boil and add in your ramen.  Allow to boil 2 - 3 minutes until noodles are tender. Remove from heat and serve with sliced green onion.  If you have any shrimp left over (I reserved some from a previous meal) you can add it to the soup after its removed from heat and allow it to heat through. If the shrimp isn't cooked, add it in when there's about a minute left of boil time.

Enjoy!


Have some ramens that you do?  Leave a message in my gravy boat so I can try it out and add it to the list!

Delicious Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a staple - from excess Easter eggs to New Years Eve blowouts. There are so many different ways to make deviled eggs that even I've gotten confused when looking through recipes. What I've noticed, though is that most recipes just say "prepare your eggs".  Well, most people don't know its entirely possible to over boil your eggs which is what gives you the dark ring around the yolk. I'm guilty of this and, while I don't believe it makes it taste any different, I do think that presentation is just as important. This is a fairly basic recipe that is packed with flavor.

You will need:

- 6 extra large eggs

- 1/4 - 1/2 cup good quality mayo

- 1 - 2 tbsp bacon bits

- 1 tsp yellow mustard

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 1 1/2 tsp dill relish

- 1 tsp paprika

- 1 green onion, sliced diagonally

Place your six eggs in a large pot and fill so they are covered with cold water.  Heat stove burner to high and allow pot to come to a rolling boil, then turn off and allow eggs to sit in water for an additional 15 minutes.  Drain the hot water and fill will cold, allow eggs to sit about 5-7 minutes until comfortable to handle. Don't allow them to cool completely as it makes the film beneath the shell more difficult to remove and that little thing is a nightmare to deal with as it is.

Because water will tend to gather under the shell in the larger bottom, smack the egg against the counter there, then roll the egg to break up the rest of the shell. This will also allow any water under the shell to move to other parts of the egg so the film underneath will be easier to remove.

Once your eggs are peeled, halve them and remove the yolk into a separate bowl.  You'll notice the yolk is bright yellow as opposed to that muted color you get when you over cook them.

Start with the quarter cup of mayo and add everything but the green onions and paprika.  If you want more mayo you can add it depending on how wet you like it. 

Now this part is entirely up to you on how its done.  I prefer a more "rustic" approach and I'm also lazy.  If you have piping bag you can use that or you can just take a ziplock sandwich bag and use that. If you're using the sandwich bag, scoop all of your filling into it and mush it to a bottom corner.  Hold the open end tightly and snip off a small part of the corner (start small because its easier to cut off more than to try and transfer to a different bag).  Twist the bag to squeeze out your mix and fill your egg cups.

If you want to do it my lazy way, just scoop some of the mixture up with a spoon (though a melon baller gives it a much prettier look) and dump it in the egg cups, patting it down with your fingers.  Put the paprika in your palm and pinch/sprinkle it over the finished eggs.  Garnish with your green onions and you're done!

ENJOY!

Stuffed Artichokes

Something I picked up from a friend - I couldn't remember the recipe the way she made it but with a little experimenting, I was able to recreate it.  Once cooked through, the mixture becomes a decadent dipping sauce for the tender leaves of the artichoke.

You will need:

4 large artichokes, prepared*

1 1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 lemons

*To prepare your artichokes, carefully remove the tough outer leaves by pulling them away with your hands. I usually take off two layers. Trim the spines of the remaining leaves with a scissors and use a knife to cut off about 1/3 down from the tops. Remove stem to create a flat bottom. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the artichokes to the boiling water. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into the boiling water. Toss in the lemons. Cook the artichokes until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the artichokes and let cool.

In a bowl, combine mayo, Romano, bread crumbs, garlic and pepper. 


Preheat oven to 400.


When your artichokes are cooled enough to handle, open them with your thumb and use a small spoon to scoop out the small leaves and furry bits (the choke) to reveal the heart.  Stuff each artichoke with equal amounts of the mixture and place in a baking dish.  Drizzle the tops of the artichokes with olive oil and bake until heated through and dipping mixture is bubbly - about 25 - 30 minutes.

Serve warm with a side of french bread or alone.


Enjoy!

**Smitty wanted it noted that you can peel the stem and cook it with the rest of the artichokes and eat it - they have a taste similar to that of the heart of the artichoke.  If you're a waste-not-want-not type, there ya go =D

UPDATE: I wanted to try for a chunkier dipping sauce so I adjusted it with about a quarter cup shredded Parm instead of Pecorino and about a half cup of mozzarella then topped it with mozz after it was stuffed. You'll want to adjust your boiling time down by about 5-7 minutes and shock them in ice water when done. Baking can stay the same.

Seafood Dip

This is a simple and hearty dip that goes great with pita or tortilla chips.

1 cup cooked, diced shrimp (or baby shrimp)
1 cup crab claw meat, picked through for cartilage
1 cup cooked bay scallops
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 small white onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cup good quality mayo
1 1/2 cups grated parm
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1tbsp butter
1tbsp vegetable oil
salt, black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large pan, melt butter and add oil (the oil keeps the butter from burning).  Add vegetables with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Sautee until tender.

In a large casserole dish combine all ingredients and and spread evenly.  Bake at 375 until bubbly and top is golden brown.

Enjoy!