Monday, August 11, 2014

RAMEN FEAST

Gina and I are on Stay-Vaction today and tomorrow and it is infinite bliss.

Today was a big day of Pat Catan's (Gina had some projects in mind that involve a hundred thousand picture frames).  While she delved into those with frantic vigor, I wandered the aisle where they keep the clay and gave really serious thought to trying to sculpt then lost interest.  Exact same scenario in the aisle with the wood carving stuff.  I was all:  I could carve statues and stuff, yeah! - then found myself three aisles away just checking Instagram on my phone, all prior ambitions out the window.

As we drove home in the dismal weather I was very much in the mood for soup - for instant Ramen to be more specific.

When I suggested a Ramen Feast Gina was at first hesitant, but then was won over by nostalgia (we used to make Ramen Feasts in my studio apartment when we were just dating many moons ago).

Posts and Posts ago I gave a run down on Ramen Soup as a hangover helper, but tonight's Ramen extravaganza was no quick fix.  This was a FEAST.  I am pretty sure towards the end of making it I was greeted by the smiling, contented face of Momofuku Ando rising in the steam of the Ramen on my stove and I knew, then, that I'd done the world of Ramen right.

And it looked like this:


Feel like recreating this?  (it takes like thirty minutes-ish and that's going at a leisurely pace)

Alls you need is:
3 packages of Oriental Flavor Top Ramen (the ones in the blue package)
1 package of Beyond Meat chicken strips (I like the "grilled" kind)
1 smallish head of broccoli separated into about 2 cups of florets
1 bunch of kale chopped up (or sliced up?)
8 ounces of baby bella mushrooms (I used pre-sliced because I am lazy)
8 ounces of button mushrooms (ditto on the pre-sliced)
1 bag of shredded cabbage and carrots for cole-slaw
1 can of bamboo shoots
1 small onion (whatever kind you have although, honestly, green onions or even a leek would work really well)
1 and 1/2 tsp of Ginger Powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 cup of soy sauce
About 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
a couple leaves of fresh Basil
6 cups of water

The Steps you then take:
1) Put the Beyond Meat in the toaster oven at 450 for like 20 minutes.
2) Bring to a simmer about a 1/4 cup of water in a stock pot, simmer the onions for 5 minutes.
3) Add all the mushrooms and stir occasionally for 8 minutes.
4) add the ginger powder, garlic powder, cilantro and basil, soy sauce and mix well.  Allow to heat for another minute or so.
5) Add the six cups of water and bring to a boil.
6) While waiting for all that water to boil, put another 1/4 cup of water in a large pan and bring that to a simmer.  Add the Kale and steam for about 7 minutes adding water if needed.  Then add the broccoli and steam that for another five minutes until tender.  Remove from heat until soup is done.)
7) Once the water is boiling add two or three large handfulls of the shredded cabbage/carrots and the bamboo shoots and stir it up.  Simmer for three or 4 minutes. 
8)  Add the dry Ramen noodles, simmer them for 2 minutes, add the three flavor packets and stir well for 30 seconds or so then remove from the heat.

To assemble the bowls:
In a large bowl heap the steamed Kale and Broccoli on one side.  With slotted spoon scoop Ramen noodles onto the other half trying to get a good distribution of the mushrooms/cabbage/carrots/bamboo shoots/onions.  Ladle broth over it.  Stack three Beyond Meat strips on each side kind of like weird wings.  Don't laugh.  EAT.