Emily Clark ‘15
When people think college food, people think ramen. It’s stereotypical, cliché .... and in a lot of ways, very true. I mean, what could be better than a hot meal you can make in your microwave for less than fifty cents? It’s a dorm essential, a late night staple, and, admittedly, a little boring after a while.
For all those ramen veterans out there with noodle dissatisfaction, there’s hope. You can still eat a day’s worth of sodium in a single meal while experiencing the variety you crave, in the sanctuary of your own dorm room. For our favorite recipe below, we’ve also made a step-by-step video and pictorial flow chart for the cooking-challenged, but be sure to check out the other four great recipes as well!
Have you crafted your own ramen creation? Tweet or instagram a picture with #rhodesramen and #rhodescollege for your chance to win a week’s supply of free ramen! Now grab your bowl, spork, and sense of adventure—we’re going to pimp yo’ ramen.
Easy in-the-Dorm Ramen with Dressed-up Leftovers
Got some chicken or pork from dinner out with friends Friday night that you want to make into a full meal Saturday lunch? Just add Ramen! Well, ramen, an egg, and some spices, and you’ve got a protein filled meal to fuel whatever Saturday fun you’ve got planned.
Ingredients:
1 ramen cup
1 large egg
1/2 cup greens
3 oz leftover meat
1Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
a pinch of sugar
Sriracha (to taste)
Cooking spray (oil or butter will do)
In a coffee mug, heat water for 2 minutes. Pour over ramen in the Styrofoam packaging. Steep ramen as per package directions—this usually takes about 3 minutes. Pour ¼ cup of the ramen broth back into the coffee mug, drain the rest, and toss the ramen in the biggest bowl you can find. A Tupperware will do, or your roommate’s shower caddy.
Loosely pack the greens (stem first) into the mug. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt over the greens. Cover the mug with whatever you have handy and microwave for 2 to 2.5 minutes. Drain the greens and put them in the large bowl with the noodles.
Wipe the mug completely dry. Lightly grease the bottom of the mug with cooking spray. Crack 1 egg into the bottom. Pierce the yolk. Cover and microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to bowl. Warm up 3 ounces of your favorite leftover protein and cut into bite-sized pieces, and add that to the bowl as well.
Top with hoisin sauce and Sriracha to taste.
Poor Man’s Pad Thai
Who says you need to spend a ton of money for delicious Thai food in Memphis? This simple recipe yields delectable Pad Thai at a fraction of the cost of take-out.
Ingredients:
1 ramen noodle cup
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp hoisin or soy sauce
1/4c pre-cooked frozen shrimp (or your favorite easy to grab protein)
cilantro and a hand full of bean sprouts to garnish
Juice of half a lime (optional)
Thaw shrimp in the microwave. Cook ramen to package directions & drain. Stir in peanut butter and hoisin (or soy) sauce, and then toss with shrimp. Garnish and top with lime juice.
Ramen Trail Mix
This is the perfect zesty snack to tide you over between classes, or fuel a late night study session in the library. Portable, quick, and tasty? Perfect.
Ingredients:
1 packet of ramen noodle
½ cup of peanuts
½ cup of pretzels
½ cup cashews
½ cup corn flakes
(feel free to add/substitute ingredients to taste)
Crush ramen noodles in the package. Add noodles, peanuts, pretzels, cashews, and corn flakes (and anything else you’ve got hanging around the dorm) into a large plastic Ziploc bag. Sprinkle ramen flavor pack over the dry mix, seal the bag, and shake for 30 seconds.
Ramen Mac ‘N Cheese
The only thing better than ramen is cheese. This recipe combines them for a savory dish almost as good as mom’s home cooking. Almost.
Ingredients:
1 pack of ramen noodles
3 slices of American cheese
a sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Cook ramen noodles, following directions on the package. Add American cheese without draining water, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Stir, and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top to finish.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Munchies
Whoever said you couldn’t have ramen for dessert had never tried this recipe. Make these for your next movie night, or mid-term study session.
Ingredients:
1 packet of ramen noodles
½ cup of chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
Mix ½ cup of chocolate chips with two tablespoons of peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, stirring occasionally until mix is melted and smooth. Break raw ramen noodles into bite size pieces, dip in chocolate peanut butter mixture, and then roll in extra chocolate chips. Allow to set for 15 minutes in the fridge before enjoying.
Recipes courtesy of Justin McGregor and allramenrecipes.com.