Tuesday, September 13, 2005
What would college students do without their favorite hot meal?
By EMILY DULCAN
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Foodies loathe them, the health conscious eschew them, but college freshmen and mageirocophobes would bow down at the Altar of Ramen Noodles if such a thing existed.
Mageirocophobes? They are people with an irrational fear of cooking. Lucky for them, ramen turns into a hot meal with instructions that are no more complicated than this: "Add boiling water. Let sit three to five minutes."
Producers might consider adding, "Don't burn tongue" -- just in case.
And thanks to a new cookbook, people who set foot in the kitchen only to heat water no longer have to settle for the same dehydrated beef/chicken/shrimp options every night. With just a few extra ingredients, ramen devotees can create an array of interesting meals. Especially at 2 a.m., the hour in which we suspect the majority of ramen noodles are consumed.
Concoctions
In writing "101 Things To Do With Ramen Noodles" ($9.95, 120 pages, Gibbs Smith), Toni Patrick concocted ramen recipes for soups, salads, main dishes and even desserts. Breakfast dishes are mostly absent, though you may be tempted by Maple and Brown Sugar Ramenmeal.
Patrick also votes for the convenience of frozen or canned vegetables, which she writes are interchangeable with fresh vegetables. (Real cooks might threaten to abandon the book after reading that statement in the Helpful Hints section, but then they'd never learn what to do with leftover seasoning packets.)
A few blank pages at the end of the book have the heading "Notes," for all of the recipe variations ramen chefs are bound to stumble upon. Or they can use the space for new inventions, following Patrick's helpful hint No. 9: "Be creative and enjoy yourself."
Ramen martini, anyone?
CHINESE VEGGIE NOODLES
1 package Oriental ramen noodles
1 cup frozen stir-fry vegetables
11/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce, optional
Salt
Ground black pepper
Cook noodles in water according to package directions; drain. Add seasoning packet.
In a frying pan, saut & eacute; vegetables in oil until heated through. Add to warm noodles. Sprinkle with soy sauce; stir together. Season with salt and pepper.
Yield: 2 servings.
Per serving: 230 calories; 10g fat (39 percent calories from fat); 4g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5g protein; 30g carbohydrate; 2g sugar; 2g fiber; 858mg sodium; 23mg calcium; 159mg potassium.
MAPLE AND BROWN SUGAR RAMENMEAL
1 package ramen noodles (any flavor)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar or to taste
Save ramen seasoning packet for another use or discard. Crumble ramen noodles into a 4-cup microwave-safe bowl. Pour in milk and syrup. Heat in the microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sugar.
Yield: 2 servings.
Per serving: 271 calories; 9g fat (30 percent calories from fat); 5g saturated fat; 12mg cholesterol; 7g protein; 40.5g carbohydrate; 19g sugar; 19g fiber; 52mg sodium; 161mg calcium; 282mg potassium.
Variation: Omit the syrup and sugar. Instead, use 1 sliced banana, 1 cup blueberries or a mixture of 1/2 diced apple, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar.
BEER NOODLES
1 package ramen noodles (any flavor), broken up
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed onion soup
1 soup can beer
Chopped green onions, optional
Save ramen seasoning packet for another use or discard. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add noodles and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly.
Add soup and beer. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Drain noodles and serve, garnished with green onions.
Yield: 2 servings.
Per serving: 398 calories; 21g fat (47 percent calories from fat); 5g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 8g protein; 35.5g carbohydrate; 2g sugar; 2g fiber; 1,286mg sodium; 49mg calcium; 185mg potassium.
RAMEN NACHOS
1 package beef ramen noodles, broken up
1/2 cup cubed American processed cheese
1 cup chili
1 cup corn chips
Sour cream
Chopped green onions
Cook noodles in water according to package directions; drain. Add 1/2 of the seasoning packet.
In a saucepan, stir warm noodles, cheese and chili together over low heat until cheese melts. Garnish with chips, sour cream and green onions.
Yield: 2 servings.
Per serving: 534 calories; 25.5g fat (43 percent calories from fat); 11g saturated fat; 32mg cholesterol; 17g protein; 59g carbohydrate; 6g sugar; 7g fiber; 1,715mg sodium; 263mg calcium; 798mg potassium.
XRecipes adapted from "101 Things To Do With Ramen Noodles," by Toni Patrick ($9.95, 120 pages, Gibbs Smith).