There is a good reason for why I decided to start off my VERY FIRST post (other than the introduction) with a packet of Ramen noodles, and I WILL get to it ... I promise. I'm just going to take a moment digress a little, first, with my story.
The other day, I was talking to one of my good friends while we were at a restaurant ... one which we were not having a particularly good experience at ... and he asked me, "Rashmi, what was your first 'kitchen fail' to which you think back and say to yourself, 'How in the world did I REALLY do that'?" ...
*Insert thinking here*
Well, actually, no, no reason to insert thinking because my first 'kitchen fail' is pretty much still clear as day in my mind ........... I burned microwaveable Mac-and-Cheese ... 2 years ago! -- When I went to a different University than the one I currently go to, I lived in the dorms and I pretty much lived off ANYTHING that could be microwaved! My three favorites were:
1) Campbell's soup-on-the-go cups, the chicken noodle kind, that took like 2-3 minutes to microwave.
2) Freezer chicken pot pies ... but only for SPECIAL occasions! We had one of those mini-fridges, which was TINY and even tinier was the freezer compartment that would fill up when 1 thing was placed in it.
3) Mac-and-Cheese.
I did have constant debates in my mind of whether I wanted to get the soup or the Mac-and-Cheese, and a lot of the times, it ended up being good ol' M&C. So in between classes, I would just throw things in the microwave and leave them unattended for the 2-5 minute cooking time depending on the product, while I got things ready. Well, this day, it was just my luck that I was running late to class, SUPER HUNGRY, and added microwave time DOUBLE that which I was supposed to, without thinking. And nope, I didn't bother to check on how my "meal" was progressing! It was only when I heard the, *beep beep beep,* at the end that I opened up the microwave and to my horror, there it was: burnt lunch! :(
Here's the thing - when you have an epic fail like that, you normally know better than to admit to it! Thus, I continued on to made up some elaborate story about how I was trying some fancy recipe and it didn't go right. HA! ... Then I returned the question to him, to which he replied, with a smug grin on his face, "I haven't ever had a true 'kitchen fail' because the only thing I know how to make is Ramen noodles!" --- Uh, see what I mean about NOT admitting to something like burnt Mac-and-Cheese?! ... Well, thank goodness I didn't re-tell that tale because that + Ramen noodles, I'm pretty sure, are supposed to be about as fool-proof as it gets! ... Anyways, we continued this conversation another day with a few other mutual friends of ours, and they had similar stories to tell!! --- The conclusion I got from this was, cooking, or "cooking", for many people, starts with Ramen noodles! If nothing else, people are adventurous (or not-so-adventurous) enough to make this ... sometimes as meals multiple times a day! SO in my mind, I thought, what a different way to start off a food blog: with a post about Ramen!
*Insert thinking here*
Well, actually, no, no reason to insert thinking because my first 'kitchen fail' is pretty much still clear as day in my mind ........... I burned microwaveable Mac-and-Cheese ... 2 years ago! -- When I went to a different University than the one I currently go to, I lived in the dorms and I pretty much lived off ANYTHING that could be microwaved! My three favorites were:
1) Campbell's soup-on-the-go cups, the chicken noodle kind, that took like 2-3 minutes to microwave.
2) Freezer chicken pot pies ... but only for SPECIAL occasions! We had one of those mini-fridges, which was TINY and even tinier was the freezer compartment that would fill up when 1 thing was placed in it.
3) Mac-and-Cheese.
I did have constant debates in my mind of whether I wanted to get the soup or the Mac-and-Cheese, and a lot of the times, it ended up being good ol' M&C. So in between classes, I would just throw things in the microwave and leave them unattended for the 2-5 minute cooking time depending on the product, while I got things ready. Well, this day, it was just my luck that I was running late to class, SUPER HUNGRY, and added microwave time DOUBLE that which I was supposed to, without thinking. And nope, I didn't bother to check on how my "meal" was progressing! It was only when I heard the, *beep beep beep,* at the end that I opened up the microwave and to my horror, there it was: burnt lunch! :(
Here's the thing - when you have an epic fail like that, you normally know better than to admit to it! Thus, I continued on to made up some elaborate story about how I was trying some fancy recipe and it didn't go right. HA! ... Then I returned the question to him, to which he replied, with a smug grin on his face, "I haven't ever had a true 'kitchen fail' because the only thing I know how to make is Ramen noodles!" --- Uh, see what I mean about NOT admitting to something like burnt Mac-and-Cheese?! ... Well, thank goodness I didn't re-tell that tale because that + Ramen noodles, I'm pretty sure, are supposed to be about as fool-proof as it gets! ... Anyways, we continued this conversation another day with a few other mutual friends of ours, and they had similar stories to tell!! --- The conclusion I got from this was, cooking, or "cooking", for many people, starts with Ramen noodles! If nothing else, people are adventurous (or not-so-adventurous) enough to make this ... sometimes as meals multiple times a day! SO in my mind, I thought, what a different way to start off a food blog: with a post about Ramen!
Although I'm not an avid Ramen noodle eater, here's a recipe that I often make with Ramen noodles! I've listed the recipe as I received it from a family friend a few years ago, and will make comments on the end to the variations I make.
Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad
What you will need for the salad:
1/2 head of cabbage, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 package Ramen noodles, crushed
1 package sunflower seeds
What you will need for the dressing:
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp vinegar
Pepper
Seasoning from Noodle packet
Directions to make salad:
Combine chopped cabbage, chopped green onions, and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Refrigerate for a few hours. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for dressing. Add crushed noodles and dressing to cabbage mix at time of serving. Toss and enjoy!
It's definitely a very simple salad and a nice little side dish. When I make it, I do not add green onions or sunflower seeds because I prefer it without either. And also, when I make the dressing, I add a little salt for taste, or if I forget to do that, I'll add a little while I'm tossing it all together. Here's what it looks like when finished!
Has anyone tried this recipe before or have any other variations you like to make? ... Does anyone have any other simple side-salad recipes that they like to make?
i have tried cabbage in ramen noodles but not a fan... i do love cabbage in another noodle... curry noodles! so yummy!
ReplyDeleteI have not tried curry noodles! I'll have to look for them. Can they be found at regular grocery stores or elsewhere?
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