Tasty Tuesday; Ramen According to Jenny.

For starters, it's not ramenS and it's not RAY-men. It's rah-men--America's cheapest ethnic food.

It's a proven fact that college kids survive on ramen. Well, this college kid has been running on cheaply processed noodles and small packs of seasoning years before college. And the journey has just gotten started. I have perfected my own style of creating a better ramen, but be warned, this may be for my own taste buds. This recipe is only for the adventerous.

Despite the fact that it's a 25 cent pack of noodles, there are so many ways to eat ramen. First, let's go through the varieties of your average Maruchan brand ramen noodle, with all the best flavors bolded.: -Beef, Cheddar Cheese, Chicken Roast, Chicken Cajun, Chicken Creamy, Chili-Habenero with Shrimp, Chili Lime Shrimp, Hot & Spicy Beef, Jalapeño Cheddar, Lime Shrimp, Oriental, Pork, Roast Beef, Shrimp.

These flavors are the most versatile, save for Chili Lime Shrimp, which is what I usually use for this recipe. I often prefer cup noodles to the bags, but when you're making elaborate ramen, like I will show you how, packaged ramen is the best to use.


Here's What You Need:
-Franks Red Hot
-Lemon/Lime Juice
-Garlic Salt [optional]
-Chili Pepper
-Sesame Oil/chili sesame oil
-kim chee
-Green Onion


Making your ramen not so plain is simple. What goes good in a soup? I figured out that the best food to put into a bowl of ramen that you don't have to get in Asia is green onions. It adds extra flavor to that wimpy pack they give you, and a little bit more than soft noodles to chew on. If you have access to asian food, I suggest getting Kim-Chee, which is pickled and spiced cabbage. Taste it before you put it in your ramen, but I personally love it.

Here's What You Do:
Cook the ramen according to directions. While the ramen is boiling, add either chili sesame oil or sesame oil and chili powder if you can't find that variety. When it's done, pour out half the broth. Next put in at least 3/4 of a tablespoon of Franks. Franks is pretty strong, so you don't want to overpower the other flavors, just a little bit will do. Then put in at most a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice. Put in a few sprinkles of garlic salt if you want a slight garlicy taste. Mix it all together. Cut an entire green onion into slices and sprinkle on top. Next add some kim-chee, according to your taste. I put a small pile on top. And from there, just eat. Don't mix the kim chee in, since you'll want it to retain a little bit of it's chill from the fridge, but still get heated by the broth.