Month: July 2025

Ramen and Veg

/ featherheadlady / Leave a comment

The ramen experience! Everyone has had ramen. You can always tell when school is starting because grocery stores, particularly in college towns, have cases of ramen on an end cap! An inexpensive, satisfying, and easy to prepare meal for young people living on their own. Years ago when I was still working, a friend and coworker brought a ramen salad to a potluck we were having. The ramen in that salad is just crumbled, not cooked. The dressing hydrates it, but it still has a little crunch. After visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden Christmas light show our daughter and son-in-law took us to a restaurant that specializes in Ramen dishes (and served wonderful sushi and cocktails). After a cold, rainy walk the hot ramen was especially delicious. This doesn’t replicate the dish we had at the Torino Ramen in Wilmette, and it’s nothing like my friend’s salad recipe, or the ramen of your college days, but it is a tasty version of a ramen dish. We had this as a meal in itself, but it would also be a good side dish with a protein. This is a modified version of a recipe I saw online and, like most savory recipes, it can be further modified based on personal preferences.

Ingredients:

2 blocks of ramen

2 carrots matchsticked

2 cups of broccoli florets

1/2 red bell pepper sliced

1 cup snap peas

1 cup edamame

1 generous tsp each of ginger, paprika, Korean chili flakes, cumin and garlic

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 1/2 cups broth (I used chicken broth from Better than Bouillon)

1 T soy sauce

This is prepared stovetop in a large pot with a lid. Wash and prep your vegetables and add them to the pot along with the noodles. If you’re using the individual ramen packets discard the flavor packets.

In a bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the coconut milk, broth, and spices and pour it over the noodles and vegetables. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stopping halfway through to stir. You don’t want to overcook the noodles or the vegetables.

Plate, garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy.

NOTE: Another recipe that can be modified based on ingredients you have on hand. The spice level is moderate. The next time I make this I will add some yellow miso paste. Miso is fermented soybean paste, and it adds great umami flavor.

Dumplings in Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

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This is something that I found scrolling reels on Instagram, a favorite past time of mine. To me, what makes cooking fun and interesting is experimenting with new recipes. To be honest, this was my first time using curry paste. I’ve used curry powder before which is typically used in Indian cuisine, but I’m a little scared of using too much heat in dishes. Particularly dishes I plan on eating. The red curry paste is make from chilis, is frequently used in Thai dishes, and it’s got a major kick. At least for me. There’s spice that makes your eyes water and takes your breath away, and there’s spice that’s a flavor bomb and enhances the dish. I’d say the red curry paste is in the middle. I need to train my palate. I’m working on it. I did cut the paste in half when I made this recipe. I usually have pot stickers aka dumplings in the freezer. Occasionally we have them for a quick lunch with a dipping sauce. This recipe comes together pretty quickly, and fed two of us plus leftovers. As with most savory recipes it’s a good outline that can be modified based on taste preferences and what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 14oz can of full fat coconut milk

2 T red Thai curry paste (I used 1 T, but suit yourself)

2-3 cloves of minced garlic

3 T soy sauce

2 T agave

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1-2 cups of broccoli florets

3 cups of chopped bok choy

15 frozen pot stickers/dumplings (flavor of your choice)

1/4 cup green onions chopped for garnish

sesame seeds for garnish

1-2 T chili crisp for more heat (I omitted)

Preheat your oven to 375. Use a 3.5 quart oven safe casserole dish. Put the milk, curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, and agave into the casserole pan and whisk together until everything is incorporated.

Once you’ve whisked the sauce ingredients wash and chop your vegetables.

Toss your vegetables in the sauce to evenly coat them. Nestle in the potstickers.

Spoon some of the sauce over each dumpling. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes. The potstickers went in frozen so check for doneness after 30 minutes. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Add chili crisp if you have a notion to. We enjoyed this with a little jasmine rice.

NOTE: Feel free to change out some of the vegetables. Cabbage, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, or sweet onions would be good additions or substitutions. I discovered super easy to use ginger paste at Aldi, and I keep jarred minced garlic in the fridge for a time saver because why not?!