Monday, February 23, 2015

Weekend Recap + My Favorite Ramen Recipe

This weekend T was out of town with some of his buddies, so my parents came into town to keep me company while he was gone.  We kept it low key on Friday night, and went to a Mexican place down the street.  On Saturday, we got up and tackled some house projects that I've been putting off.  Dad replaced the ugly fluorescent light in our master closet with a much more visually appealing one. The light that the new one casts off is so much more soothing than the sterile light of a fluorescent.   We also built some speaker stands for the sound system that we've got in our living room.  Mom and I also managed to squeeze a trip into TJ Maxx, a must any time she comes to Greenville. 


After eating and drinking more than we should have this weekend, T and I are both needing to scale it back a bit this week.  On weeks that we're trying to behave ourselves, I try to cook a meatless meal at least once. 

This winter we've been on a ramen jag.  A few years ago T and I took a trip to NY and fell in love with ramen at a place called Ippudo.  Since then I've played around with several recipes to find one that was comparable.  We've found a few good ones along the way, but they've called for obscure ingredients that can only be found in Asian markets.  I finally ran across a recipe a few months ago that called for simple ingredients and comes together in 20 minutes.   And it tastes damn good.

You actually use the noodles from the 15 cent packets that we all used to eat in college.  But that's the only similarity to the cheap stuff.  The broth is deliciously spicy and rich, and when you break the yolk of the soft boiled egg into the soup it makes the broth even more robust.  I can't say enough good things about this meal, it's cheap, low calorie, and really easy to prepare.  

My only complaint is that it's not good leftover.  The broth will keep, but the noodles soak up too much broth, bloat, and become mush.  If you're thinking about having this for leftovers, save a portion of your raw noodles and cook them with the left over broth instead.


Sriracha Ramen Noodle Soup
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 T sesame oil
1-2 T Sriracha (depending on how hot you want it)
1 small onion, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 T fresh ginger, grated
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp celery salt
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
3 packages ramen noodles (any flavor, seasoning packets won't be used)
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
soft boiled eggs (optional, I use this recipe)

Directions:

Add sesame oil and sriracha to a large stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add onion and tomato and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add ginger, garlic, and celery salt; cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. 

Add 2 cups of water, stir to combine, and process with an immersion blender until smooth.   (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer mixture to a blender or food processor)

Add chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer, add soy sauce and vinegar, and cook for 10 minutes. 

Add the ramen noodles to the broth and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the noodles have cooked.  Add the scallions.  Remove pan from heat, ladle soup into bowls.  Top with cilantro and eggs.



What are your go-to recipes when you're trying to cut down on calories? I'd love to get some more ideas!

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