Saturday, August 30, 2014

Ramen Noodle recipes

Cheap but tasty & can be nutritious

this lens' photo 
 
Ramen Noodles are a Japanese noodle dish consists of wheat noodles served in a meat or fish-based broth, Usually its flavored with soy sauce and uses toppings such as sliced pork, green onions, and other vegetables. Almost every locality in Japan has its own variation of ramen,

A serving of ramen is high in carbohydrates and low in vitamins and minerals. Adding vegetables & meats really make it a healthy meal. Ramen soup tends to be high in sodium. Ramen noodles themselves contain very little sodium so one can avoid drinking the soup OR using a low sodium broth if a low-sodium diet is recommended for health reasons.

So here are some recipes that will add to that cheap little package of Ramin Noodles. 
 

Ramen Noodle Snack Mix

Ramen Noodles are not only cheap but very versatile! This recipe is a healthy snack for the kids or a great trail mix snack for hikers, bikers & more. We take this on our camping trips as a great snack.

This is an quick & easy Snack mix for the whole family!

Double or triple this recipe because it will get wiped out quick!
When Ramen goes on sale… at 20 cents a pack, stock up and you can make this recipe to even keep in the freezer.
  • Serves: quite a few
  • Prep Time:
  • Total Time:

Ingredients

  • 3/4 stick butter (or margarine)
  • 2 pkg oriental flavor Ramen noodles
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 5 oz slivered almonds
  • 1/2 c salted sunflower seeds (NOT in shell)

Instructions

  1. Crunch 2 packages dry ramen noodles in the packets.
  2. take out the season packets
  3. Melt 3/4 stick of butter (or margarine) in frying pan.
  4. brown the dry noodles in pan till light brown.
  5. Add 3 tbsp sesame seeds, 5 oz slivered almonds & 1/2 c salted sunflower seeds (NOT in shell).
  6. Toast to a richer brown
  7. Sprinkle in 1 seasoning pack from the oriental ramen... let brown a bit more & cool
  8. Store in zip bag & enjoy!
  9. *** you can add different amounts of the things you like more... if you like more sesame seeds or sunflower seeds, add more to your taste.***

Chicken ramen stroganoff

Made with some leftovers

A cost cutting, nutritious meal,

Ingredients

  • About 1.5 lb cut up cooked Chicken
  • About 1/2 c chopped onions
  • 1/2 lb chopped mushrooms.. can use a can of drained too
  • 1 T Soy Sauce
  • Add 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder
  • salt
  • and pepper (I like kosher salt but iodized is fine)
  • 2 packages of chicken ramen noodles
  • 2 small broccoli crowns
  • small container sour cream with chives mixed in

Instructions

  1. Prepare Ramen by boiling in water. Drain & season with only 1 packet of seasoning.
  2. Saute chicken pieces, onions mushrooms , and soy sauce. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  3. Steam two small crowns of broccoli and cut off stems. Lightly Saute in with the chicken
  4. Add small container of sour cream, and 1 tbsp. of chopped chives. Mix all together, cover and let the ingredients blend for a few minutes.
  5. Serve with Garlic bread & a good salad. ENJOY!

Breakfast Ramen Eggs-ellant

Or for a late night study snack

Ramen breakfast bake This recipe is fast, easy and cheap… plus it’s really delicious!! You can serve it as any meal of the day or for a college study snack late at night!
  • Serves: 2 or 3

Ingredients

  • 1 pgk. ramen noodles
  • 8 oz. ground pork and sage breakfast sausage
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • 1 med. tomato
  • seeded and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Chopped green onions (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook ramen noodles according to package directions, without adding flavor packet. Drain and rough-chop noodles. Set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan, crumble and brown sausage. Meanwhile blend together eggs and milk, until mixture is a creamy yellow. When sausage is brown, add egg mixture, to pan. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomato, tarragon, Chopped green onions, pepper and salt, and ramen noodles. Continue cooking until eggs are firm. Serve warm with toast, or pop it in a 350 degree oven only for a few min. to brown a little.. Enjoy!
  3. Feel free to add a bit of shredded cheese or a little salsa too!



Philadelphia Eagles NFL 3-piece Plastic Bowl Set with Lids

Great Soup Bowls

 

Friday, August 29, 2014

How to Make Taco Bell Style Taco Meat

All the instructions on Taco seasoning packets only make that crumbly meat that falls out of the taco shells or tortillas. Here is a secret to making the taco meat that stays in your taco, just like the Taco Fast food places.

No more Taco meat all over the plate & trying to scoop it all up.

 

 

Copycat Fast food Taco meat:

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 - 2 lbs Hamburger
  • 2-3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 packet of taco seasoning
  • dehydrated onions

Instructions

  1. First, in a small bowl, pour even amounts of dehydrated onions & water. Let them soak while preparing the meat. Appx 2 Tablespoons of each depending on how much onions you like. These onions are optional.
  2. In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of ground beef, 1 packet of Taco seasoning (if you don't like it too salty, use the low sodium mix)
  3. dump in 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well with your hands.
  4. When the dehydrated onions have soaked up water & are no longer crunchy... squeeze out water in the onions with your hand. Add to meat mix. Mix together well.
  5. In a pot or fry pan, put in meat mixture & add 1/4 cup water. I use a potato masher to stir & mash at the same time. Cook till meat is cooked thru. You now have "Mexican Fast Food Taco meat".
  6. Tips & Warnings
  7. If you want it a little spicier, add some taco sauce or a little pacante sauce to the meat while cooling.
  8. "Smear" the meat up the side of a taco shell or on a flour tortilla. Then you will have meat in every bite rather than a mouthful of taco shell & lettuce.

Hot Chilies Salt and Pepper Shakers 3 Piece Set


 

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Award Winning Green Chili

 Green Chili... the best around!

The flavor of green chili really depends on the kind of green chilies you use. There are about 200 varieties of chilies, only three or four of which are commonly used in green chili.
I have tasted many green chili recipes but this one is, by far, the best. Add more or less heat depending on your taste.
Serve as a soup with a tortilla or slice of french bread dipped in. You can also simply pour it over your burrito.

Things you’ll need: 

1-3 lb pork loin or tenderloin roast
Olive oil
Cumin
minced fresh garlic
salt & pepper
flour
2 cans whole tomatoes
fresh roasted chilies Large fry pan
2 larger Dutch ovens or roasting pots.

1: Prepare a Slow roasted Pork roast first. Allow 3 or 4 hrs for this part. Preheat Oven to 325 degrees
Rub pork roast with olive oil. Rub about 1 Tbsp of cumin ( I like more) and 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic (I like more)  all over the roast. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2: SEARING… will keep juices inside & keep the roast tender.
Heat a few Tbsp of olive oil in a Fry pan & let it get hot (sprinkle a bit of water to see if it sizzles).
With tongs, put in your roast on 1 side for about 3 min. Turn for another 3 min, then hold with tongs & sear each end for 3 min each end. Put in Dutch oven or roaster, cover with water. Put lid on pot & slow cook for 3 or more hrs. To test if it’s done… it will pull apart with 2 forks. DO NOT DRAIN YET.

3: GREEN CHILI
Use a new pot on the stove… Add 2/3 c. olive oil & heat, add more minced or crushed garlic (to your taste or a couple cloves)Stir for about a minute. Add 1/3 c. flour, whisk & heat till light brown. Add 4 c OF THE WATER FROM THE ROAST. Whisk as you pour. Open the 2 cans of whole tomatoes & squeeze through your hands into chili pot. This way they are not too chopped up. They are the perfect texture.

4: THE PORK… using about half the roast… shred apart with 2 forks.
Add to pot. Keep the rest for burritos or pulled pork sandwiches.
Chop about 4 or 5 fresh roasted chilies… clean out veins seeds. (or 1 can diced) add to pot. Add more salt to taste… Stir & simmer for a while. Make sure you stir so the bottom does not burn. Enjoy

5: IF GREEN CHILI IS TOO THICK OR THIN…
If too thick, just add a small amount of the “roast water” or plain water until the desired consistency. If too thin, in a small bowl or cup… add 2 Tbsp of softened butter & mix in 2 Tbsp flour. Make a paste & as your chili is simmering, add 1 Tbsp of flour mixture to chili & whisk. If you need more, add the rest. I like mine about the thickness of a cream soup. Some like it really thin, closer to a broth.  

Tips -  Warnings
Add more chilies or a bit of canned diced jalapenos for more heat.

Pour over Burritos to make smothered burritos.

We like eating as soup with tortillas or french bread dunked in it.

Next day if it’s too hot & spicy… you can add water to cool it down.

Hotter & Spicier the next day.  


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Saturday, August 23, 2014

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps






 

 Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as an appetizer

To make an entrée, serve this dish with steamed white rice.

 

 

Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Stir-Fry
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup water chestnuts, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 head Bibb lettuce (8 ounces), washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole
  • Hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Place chicken pieces on large plate in single layer. Freeze meat until firm and starting to harden around edges, about 20 minutes.

2. Whisk rice wine, soy sauce, oil, and cornstarch together in bowl. Pulse half of meat in food processor until coarsely chopped into ¼- to 1/8-inch pieces, about 10 pulses. Transfer meat to bowl with rice wine mixture and repeat with remaining chunks. Toss chicken to coat and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. FOR THE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.

4. FOR THE STIR-FRY: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.

5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until smoking. Add celery and mushrooms; cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms have reduced in size by half and celery is crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water chestnuts, scallion whites, and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk sauce to recombine. Return chicken to skillet; add sauce and toss to combine. Spoon into lettuce leaves and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve, passing hoisin sauce separately.

Cuisinart GR-55 Griddler Stainless Steel Nonstick Grill/Griddle Combo


Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Serves 6 to 8 White mushrooms can be substituted for the cremini mushrooms. We use a spice grinder to process the dried shiitake mushrooms, but a blender also works.



Ingredients 1/4 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
 4 1/4 cups water
 1 sprig fresh thyme
 1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, minced
 Salt and pepper
 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup wild rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
 1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
 2/3 cup dry sherry
 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
 1 tablespoon soy sauce
 1/4 cup cornstarch
 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

 Instructions 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grind shiitake mushrooms in spice grinder until finely ground (you should have about 3 tablespoons).

2. Bring 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, garlic clove, ¾ teaspoon salt, and baking soda to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add rice and return to boil. Cover saucepan, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is tender, 35 to 50 minutes. Strain rice through fine-mesh strainer set in 4-cup liquid measuring cup; discard thyme, bay leaf, and garlic. Add enough water to reserved cooking liquid to measure 3 cups.

 3. Melt butter in Dutch oven over high heat. Add cremini mushrooms, onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and dark fond develops on bottom of pot, 15 minutes. Add sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced and pot is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add ground shiitake mushrooms, reserved rice cooking liquid, broth, and soy sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until onion and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

 4. Whisk cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in small bowl. Stir cornstarch slurry into soup, return to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked rice, cream, chives, and lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Nordic ware cast iron Dutch oven