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.

Shrimp 'n Beans

This dish doesn't exactly have the most sophisticated name, does it? I suppose you could jazz it up by calling it Gamberetti e Fagioli alla Toscana, since evidently this is a classic Tuscan meal. People dig Tuscany -- it's trendy, you know.

Anyway, it's really important to make this dish with dried beans. You can't just start off with canned beans, even though it would cut the cooking time. The reason is that the fresh sage infuses the water that cooks the beans so that the beans themselves taste like sage. Remember to buy U.S. farmed shrimp, not wild-caught or imported. Bottom trawls used to catch most wild shrimp damage sea floor habitat and unintentionally kill unwanted fish and sea turtles. U.S. fisheries are generally well regulated to prevent this kind of damage.


Tuscan Shrimp and Beans
serves 4

• 2 cups dried white beans (cannellini, navy, pea, Great Northern)
• 20 fresh sage leaves
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 pound shrimp, rinsed, dried, cut into 3-4 pieces each
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Place the beans in a large, deep pot with water to cover. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Skim the foam if necessary. Turn the heat down so the beans simmer. Add the sage and pepper and cover loosely. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and some more pepper. Continue to cook until the beans are very tender, usually at least 1 hour. Add additional water if necessary. Drain the cooking liquid if necessary, then add the garlic, additional salt to taste, and shrimp. Cook over low heat until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and serve.

Fast Easy Fresh

This warm weather we've been having in Cambridge is really perking up my spirits. You honestly can't appreciate spring until you've survived a Boston winter. I've survived 5 now, so let me just say that the first days of spring are like manna from heaven. Over the weekend I celebrated the warmth by grilling up some yummy burgers, which I always associate with summer cookouts. Tonight I went with a fast, easy, fresh-tasting pasta dish perfect for spring, from a recent Bon Appetit. I need to enjoy this weather while I can - it'll be back in the 40's later this week. That's Boston weather for ya.


Linguine with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Basil
Serves 2

• 8 oz. linguine (I used fresh black pepper linguine from my local grocer)
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 T butter
• 12 uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 slender asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish
• 2 lemon wedges

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add wine and butter; boil 2 minutes. Add shrimp, asparagus, and lemon juice. Toss until asparagus is just tender and shrimp are just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet; add 2 cups sliced basil leaves and toss until basil wilts and sauce coats pasta, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta between 2 plates. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon wedges and serve.

Florida, Sweet Florida

I'm at home in the sunshine state for the holidays. I've been spending my days studying for finals, which unfortunately fall in January, forcing us poor, wretched Harvard Law students to spend our Hanukwanzistmas break with our noses buried in exciting books like Gilbert's guide to Property Law. Today I went so far as to take my laptop, books and notes to the Odessa public library. I live in the middle of nowhere, so the library consists of one room with some bookshelves (not entirely full) and a couple of tables that have been arranged to look vaguely like desks/study areas. But at least it was an excuse to get out of the house and drive 5 minutes each way with the car windows down singing out loud to Rascal Flatts. Oh yeah, and it's 75 degrees here.

But I digress. After rotting my brain with studying all day, I like to cook. And I'm familiar with my mom's kitchen, so at least I can do it with some ease, despite the crap she's got lying around everywhere. I made dinner for my parents last night, which they always appreciate after a long day at work. I decided that while I'm home, I'm going to try to make as many things as possible with key limes and/or coconut. Reason? Key Lime & Coconut is the title of my blog (surprise!), and these two flavors are central to what Floridian/Floribbean cuisine is all about.

My Bahian Seafood Stew with Coconut and Tomato incorporated both of these delicious ingredients. Bahia is a region in Brazil, so this stew draws lots of Latin American influences. If you can get super-fresh ingredients (particularly the tomatoes and seafood), I think you'll find that this dish will transport you to somewhere warm, sunny, and tropical... maybe like Florida.


Bahian Seafood Stew with Coconut and Tomato
(serves 4-6, depending on appetite)

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, diced (1+ inch pieces)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (1+ inch pieces)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, outer leaves discarded and stalk smashed, or 1 Tbsp. dried lemongrass
• 3 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 12 cilantro leaves, plus 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1/2 pound grouper (or similar) filet, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp. fresh key lime (or regular lime) juice
• White rice
• Lime wedges

Heat the oil in a medium enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the shallots, garlic, onion, bell pepper, ginger, and lemongrass, and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Season the shrimp and crab with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole along with the coconut milk and cilantro leaves. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Season the grouper with salt and pepper, add to the casserole, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Discard the lemongrass stalk, if using. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve over white rice with lime wedges.

Suggested wine pairing: a Latin American white, such as a Chardonnay from Argentina's Mendoza region. A chardonnay is a sturdy enough white to stand up to this rich dish, and additionally, food and wine from the same general region tend to complement one another.