Improving Instant Ramen

Posted by Michelle on Jan 23, 2012 in Main dish, Recipes | 3 comments

Instant Noodles with homemade Japanese-style cha shu, poached egg and spinach

I have to confess that this household eats more instant noodles than should possibly be legal for three adults who are no longer in college. But hey, you eat what you gotta eat when the economy’s in the toilet, right? Luckily, all the adults have learned to be okay with this arrangement and my preschooler is pretty thrilled with the idea of noodles all. the. time.

Now before you write me and tell me just how horrible instant noodles are for you — and especially for a growing child — let me just stop you right there and say: yes I know. We make a special effort to make sure that TLE’s instant noodle meals only use a touch of the seasoning packet, are portion controlled and always include a protein and fruit/vegetable and make sure she drinks plenty of milk. So nyah.

Of course, I wish I could say the same for us adults.

I think just about everyone has their own way of making instant ramen more palatable and all the adults in my household have their own style. My husband, for example, likes his noodles with an egg broken into and cooked by the hot broth. He’s got high blood pressure so tries not to use the entire seasoning packet but still likes to spice it up with a generous splash of Sriracha. Our housemate came up with the ingenious and energy saving idea to poach an egg in the boiling water first — she adds a teaspoon or so of rice wine vinegar to the boiling water and then cracks an egg into it to poach it. After it poaches, she removes it and then tosses in the noodles to cook. She might also add a splash of sesame oil along with the seasoning.

I like my noodles without the broth. I take the noodles and boil them until they’re cooked, drain off most of the water and add about 1/4 of the seasoning packet which is plenty. Then I’ll put the pot back on the stove and add a raw egg to the mix, scrambling it and cooking it with the noodles until they’re done. For the photo above, I decided to change it up a bit. I poached my egg the way my housemate does before blanching about a cup full of spinach. Once the spinach was done, I cooked the noodles and seasoning them. Then I put it all in a bowl with some slices of Japanese style cha shu pork belly.

Not bad for broke food, really.

What’s your favorite way to dress up instant ramen?

Garlic Tofu with spicy dipping sauce

Posted by Michelle on Jan 20, 2012 in Main dish, Recipes | 1 comment

Panfried Garlic Tofu with brown rice and vegetables

Every so often, I have the urge to eat healthy. Yes, even my body knows that it can’t survive solely on delicious, delicious pork. (More’s the pity.) Whenever I feel like I’m in healthy mode, I turn to my old vegetarian standby: garlic tofu. My absolute favorite way to eat tofu is panfried so that it’s crisp and savory on the outside, creamy on the inside, drizzled with a simple but delicious spicy soy dressing.

I know, pan frying tofu when you’re supposed to be on a diet seems backwards but eating the right kind and right amount of fats is important if you eat a mostly vegetarian diet. (So I learned during my defunct 30 days vegetarian challenge. Which I totally failed after 2 weeks BUT I did learn a lot.) If you’re really squeamish about the oil, there’s always baking tofu which is just as delicious and a great snack itself. The texture is slightly different — far crispier without the creamy center — but just as tasty, though I think it makes a better vegetarian snack than a main dish. I’ve included both directions, just in case.

Whether you’re baking or pan frying, the most important thing when it comes to tofu is that you’re buying the right kind and that you prep it correctly. Staying Vegan has some great tips for tofu buying. I always buy my tofu in tubs from the Asian market though well-stocked American megamarts should also have tub and vacuum packed tofu. (Honestly, these never taste “right” to me but that may be me being picky.) Wherever you buy it, make sure it’s labeled “Firm” or “Extra Firm” — sometimes it may say “Chinese style” or label it as good for stir fry. Silken, Soft or Japanese-style tofu is far too soft for this dish.

Nutella Crackle Cookies

Posted by Michelle on Jan 18, 2012 in Baking, Cooking with Kids, Recipes | 0 comments

Nutella Crackle Cookies -- best enjoyed with a cold glass of milk! <3

One Saturday afternoon, my 3 year old The Little Empress (TLE) was running around in circles, two hours overdue for her nap. In desperation, I promised her that if she took an hour long nap, we’d do something really fun together. Her interest piqued, she paused for a half-second mid-twirl during which I quickly gave her the choice between painting or making cookies with Mommy.

“Cookies!” TLE declared, gracefully turning her twirl into an excited hop, her arms raised in glee. “Chocolate cookies!” But not chocolate chip cookies, she clarified in between hops. Chocolate cookies.

I promised that the second she woke up, we’d start making a batch of chocolate cookies. Just like that, she ran up the stairs. Two minutes later, she was tucked into bed and sound asleep.

Moral of this story? Bribery: it works.

As luck would have it, I’ve never made just plain chocolate cookies before. But I was determined to deliver. While she napped, I rifled through the pantry to figure out what we could make together and then it dawned on me: crackle cookies. I had never had them before but I love the look of them — powder sugar dusted cookies with cracks that reveal a fudgy center. Plus, they’re perfect make-with-kids cookies, from rolling the dough into balls to covering them with powdered sugar. We also happened to have on hand a large jar of Nutella. TLE loves Nutella (who doesn’t?) so I figured I’d adapt a recipe to use it.

So here we go… Nutella Crackle Cookies. Just I suspected, they were a great hit! TLE loved rolling up the dough balls and then coating them in sugar. “They’re footballs!” she declared, tossing them in the sugar with glee. Who am I to argue?

My only reservation is that they didn’t come out as white as I’d have liked. Bakerella has this great Martha Stewart recipe that came out with far more pronounced crackles that looks awesome. No Nutella in the recipe but I may have to try this for the next time I make these cookies. And yes, there will be a next time.