Recipes From The Road: Ramen with a Twist
By theprofessionalhobo ~ April 24th, 2008. Filed under: Hawaii, recipes.
Anybody who spends some time on the road, especially in hostels, will eat more than their fair share of Ramen. You know – the oriental noodle-cakes you boil for two minutes, add “flavour” packets, and then “enjoy”?
There are a number of reasons I object vehemently to this garbage:
- The first ingredient in the “flavour” pouch is MSG
- The noodles don’t bear any resemblance to noodles I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot of noodles)
- There are no vegetables (unless you call the occasional green fleck in the “flavour” packet a vegetable
- Yawn…they’re BORING!
Instead, here’s my take on ramen. It’s healthy, it tastes great, and (as with most of our recipes) you can work with whatever is in your fridge and substitute at will.
-quantities below are per serving-
1 ¼ – 1 ½ cup water
2 tsp powdered chicken stock bouillon
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ – ½ tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 small bunch of baby bok choy
½ carrot, thinly sliced
½ green pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch of bean threads (clear dried noodles made of 100% mung beans you buy in the oriental supermarket. For lack of these, any clear oriental noodle will do, or if you must – the noodles from a ramen packet)
½ sheet toasted nori (seaweed)
1 egg
Bring first six ingredients to a boil in a medium sized pot.
Add onion, bok choy, carrot, and green pepper. Boil for 2 minutes.
Add bean threads. Boil for 1 minute. Stir with a fork to separate and mix noodles.
Tear up the nori into approx 1 inch squares, and add.
Add the egg. Scramble it into the soup and bring to a boil.
Turn off the heat as soon as it boils and let sit to finish cooking the egg and cool the broth to a palatable temperature.
Enjoy – and don’t burn your mouth!
