Ramen Made Classy

Can you remember the good old days as a student when you ate ramen noodles for nearly every meal, enjoying their deliciousness while also delighting in the fact that you could buy a package for as little as 10 cents? If you're young (or my boyfriend), those days may still be upon you.

When Joe came to visit me this past weekend, we were trying to come up with something quick and easy to make for dinner, since we'd spent all afternoon working on this month's Daring Bakers project (coming to a blog near you on March 30). Then I remembered this ramen dish that my mom always used to make when I lived at home. (And I know Joe loves ramen because, like I said, he eats it almost every single day.) This recipe takes no longer than 5-10 minutes to make, and it's a good way to get protein and veggies even while indulging in what many consider to be a very lowbrow junk food. It's also fantastic because you can throw in whatever you want, as long as you give it a generous squeeze of lime juice at the end. The recipe I'm including below is just a starting point -- feel free to make this dish your own.


Big Eth's Special Ramen
Multiply these ingredients by the number of people you intend to serve (e.g., serving 4 people -- start with 4 packs of ramen noodles).

• 1 package of ramen noodles, any flavor
• 1 thin-cut pork chop, cooked
  
• 1/2 pound of shrimp, cooked
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 carrot, sliced into bite size pieces
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 lime
  
• optional: mushrooms (yuck), other kinds of meat...

Break the dry ramen noodles into smaller, bite size pieces and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle the ramen seasoning on top. Boil some water while you're prepping the veggies and meat. When the water boils, sprinkle it slowly over the dry noodles until they are moistened but still crunchy. Add more water if you want them softer. Toss the semi-cooked noodles with the meat and veggies. Lastly, squeeze the limes over the mixture and toss again. Serve with extra lime wedges.