Topped Ramen: Number 3

In the last Topped Ramen post, I tried the Oriental Flavor Top Ramen. I didn't really like the flavor. However, I had another package of the flavor leftover. So, I decided to try something new: making Ramen without the flavor packet. Essentially, this Topped Ramen involves Ramen stir fry.

To make this, I first chopped vegetables. I used baby carrots and regular celery, slicing in 1/4 inch pieces.
While I chopped the vegetables, I soaked the ramen noodles in boiling water.
After all the veggies were chopped and the ramen was soft, I mixed them with two tablespoons of teriyaki sauce. Then, I let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.
After a couple hours, I put the mixture onto a hot frying pan with just enough oil to keep it from sticking. I stirred constantly while it cooked, until the noodles darkened.
Finally, I put I ate, enjoyed, and cleaned up the mess.

It ended up tasting really good this way. I'd never made stir fry before, and I have a lot to learn, but for an experiment, this recipe turned out pretty well. I would recommend trying this recipe. The only change I might make to it is possibly steaming the veggies first, as the carrots, especially, were a bit too crunchy.


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Topped Ramen: Number 2

I decided to get a little adventurous. So, I tried Oriental flavored Top Ramen...apparently I don't really like it as much as the chicken or beef flavors. It wasn't bad tasting, it just wasn't great...I also ended up feeling sick afterwards, but that is probably mostly my body's fault, not the recipe.
This time, I included a lot more ingredients than I did last time. In addition to my Oriental flavored Top Ramen, I added some canned chicken, sweet peas, and some black olives. The peas and olives especially added some tastiness to this meal. The chicken was a little odd since I'm not used to canned chicken, and possibly added to the fact that I felt too sick to even finish my meal. However, it did add some much needed protein. I think it's one of those food items that I'll get used to over time. I think, too, if I start using my own sauce, I might be able to add flavor to the entire dish, instead of having flavored noodles with bland meat stirred in later. I'm still experimenting with everything...obviously.

I'd suggest trying this one out if you're a fan of oriental flavored Top Ramen and if you are already used to eating canned chicken. It really isn't all that bad, it just made me sick... (yeah, I'm probably not selling this one too well, am I?)


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Topped Ramen: Number 1

The time has come. I have begun to eat Top Ramen. It's time for true college food now. I'd like to thank my brother for giving me an electric kettle for Christmas, as well as the school for now selling Top Ramen in their new market (which is pretty much a mini-convenience store in the basement of the cafeteria, which uses meal points to pay for purchases instead of actual cash).

If I were to just eat Top Ramen as per the actual instructions on the packaging, this blog would be pretty boring, as would my meals. So, instead, I introduce to you Topped Ramen. From time to time, I will be sharing different ways that I have improved these instant noodles. Some of the inspiration comes from Serious Eats: Ramen Hacks, while some, too, comes from the Ramen Homepage.

My first Topped Ramen is extremely simple and only requires two ingredients. Yet, it tasted much better than plain top ramen. To make it, just follow the instructions on the packaging using as much or as little of the seasoning as you want. I also poured out some of the water, which makes the flavor a bit more concentrated so I didn't need to use as much and it also made it a bit less soupy. Then, I simply added a few whole, pitted black olives. I did this with Beef Flavor Top Ramen, but any brand should work, and I am sure other flavors would work quite well, too.

This ended up tasting delicious and it was super easy, fast, and cheap to make. There were very few ingredients used to make it. However, it was absolutely not healthy. While scientifically, olives are considered a vegetable, when it comes to nutrition, they should be considered an oil. Not to mention, each package of Top Ramen includes 2 servings of noodles. That makes the entire package (with flavoring) have about 22% of your daily fat intake. Plus, both olives and Top Ramen are high in sodium. So, it's not intended to be a nutritious meal, by any means. But it is hot and tasty, which was all that was important when I made this.


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