#34 My broth has been cuckolded by cheese

I know. It has been awhile since I have made a ramen post. It's not that I've lightened-up on the ramen consumption; I've just been bogged down with the typical things that bog people down. Yesterday was a bit of a frantic day, with a lot of running around and lab meetings. I'm not too clear on how a simple protocol-related question can launch into a 3-hr discussion on primer design; but it happens. Anyways, by the time I got home, I was ready to plunge knee-deep into some comfort food. And, really, what is more comforting than Mac'n'Cheese? Mac'n'Cheese and bacon. I found this cheese-flavored ramen bowl at HEB earlier in the week, so I decided to give it a try. I sauteed some brussels sprouts and mushrooms in bacon before adding them to the cheesy ramen, which I topped with pepper flakes and some shredded pork. It was a meaty, cheesy, MSG-y delight.

Ingredients: 

-Mushrooms

-Cheddar Ramen Bowl

-Bacon

-Brussels Sprouts

-Salt'n'peppa

-Cheddar Cheese

-Hunger

#33 There's bacon in my ramen bowl!!!

I just got back to Houston from a mini-trip to San Antonio. Apparently, you may contract "Island Fever" in your living room if you cope yourself up for enough days. My condition was severe; but spending a day in a different room to study gave me enough of a boost to make a ramen creation. Kroger had a sale on bacon; naturally, I could not resist this temptation. I sauteed green bell peppers and onion in the sweet and meaty lard that is bacon; and stirred them into some cooked ramen. And this was the result:

#32 Mediterranean Garden Ramen

Where all vegetables came together to meet a singular fate.... my belly

#31 Teriyaki Pig Taco

Once again, I apologize for the delay. Busy times are in motion. Anyways, I gave into my old ramen ways last weekend. I had far too much homework to leave the house and purchase real food; ramen seemed like an appropriate alternative. Fortunately, I have a fridge with a modest amount of sauces and condiments so Teriyaki was an available option. I skinned and marinated Italian Sausage in Teriyaki sauce for  minutes. After that, I simply place the sausage on crumbled ramen noodles, and baked them together in the oven. The sausage-rue cooked the ramen perfectly.

#30 Spinach and Ramen Salad

I tentatively say that I am a fan of chicken salad. It embodies the phrase: "hit or miss". I am not a fan of chicken salads with an overabundance of Mayo; especially ones that overcompensate for poor flavoring with heaps of fluffy lard. So when Dan brought home some Costco chicken salad, I decided to add some extra ingredients. I pretty easily transformed this sad-looking chicken salad into a gourmet ramen dish. Dill, onions, salad, and ramen were mixed in, and cooled for 20 minutes. Lastly, I sprinkled some sesame on top because... I can.

#29 Ramen Lo Mein

I guess I should start off by coming clean. This is not the most imaginative dish. I do have another one in mind, but work is keeping in a cage of laziness. Albeit, I still have a cash-related dependency on ramen; and so this meal was created. I hypothesize that Dan had ordered some chow mein last night. My observation of finely chopped onion, shoots, and water chestnuts would reject my null hypothesis, so let us agree to agree. Anyways, the leftovers consisted of some sauce and pathetic-looking mushrooms. I could not get any satisfaction with this. Naturally, I started adding things in my refrigerator. I sauteed some egg yolks with ground turkey; added some beans, cilantro and FRESH julienne mushrooms. And, cheers, a delicious meal in less than 10 minutes.

#28 Grilled Chikin Guacamole Taco

Sunday nights are Grill nights at the East End Thunder Shack (a.k.a Dan's house), which makes Monday afternoons intense clean-up sessions. This past Monday wasn't an exception to the rule, but it was a lot less dismal than usual. Everyone who over brought food, and left food. As a result, our kitchen counter was full of leftovers that I could use for yet another ramen creation.

This scrumptious taco features a random piece of grilled chicken, some sauteed onions, guacamole, ramen, and some leaves of cilantro.

#27 Kimchee Pork Ramen

I have had an extensive love affair with kimchee for quite some time now. This Korean staple first peaked my interest when I was a weight-obsessed teenager. For some god-forsaken reason, I became fixated on a cabbage diet. Cabbage. Cabbage. Cabbage. Cabbage was all that I would eat. Fortunately, I came up some creative ways to mask the blandness that is green cabbage, but my world was truly awakened when I stumbled across the complex dish that is kimchee. Well, those days of strict cabbage meals are over, but my love for kimchee remains intact and has even evolved.
This ramen dish includes some of the more traditional ramen ingredients: miso-based broth, enoki mushrooms, and tofu. However, it would have been a crime to not take it to the net level. I made my version of a tortilla soup, but chopping up a char-grilled pork quesadilla and adding it to the mix. The kimchee came last.

#26 Beer Battered Ramen

For those of you who have gone out with me to get a beer, you have learned by now that I have transcended the category "beer snob". I believe my unwarranted exclamations and histronic reactions have earned me the title, "beer douchebag". So when I stumble across the inevitable mediocre Saint Arnold in my fridge, my shriveled heart fills with dismay. Well... not anymore. Apparently, there is a use for beers that just do not make the taste bud cut. Pour it in a batter. I scored an excellent beer batter recipe off of allrecipes.com that took no skill and very little time to complete. This recipe called for beer, eggs, and flour. Check and CHECK. I've always been a fan of fish and chips, so I decided to try my luck at battering up some ramen/ Much to my surprise, it did not turn out awful. In fact, it was delicious. I boiled the ramen for about 2 minutes, and packed some into a dense ball with sauteed tuna and onions. The ball was dipped in a batter mixture and place in a saucer with oil. Ta da! Instant fried creation.

#25 Gouda Chili Ramen Bowl

So this ramen bowl is actually an old recipe. "Old" in the sense that I had actually made this a couple weeks back, not "old" in the implication that this dish is a classics dish. More importantly this meal was a collaborative effort. My good friend, Kevin Rivas, decided to cook chili for the house one night. And it was remarkable.

 I'd like to think that he artfully turned a cow's carcass into a delicacy. I can't fully enclose information about how he made his chili but I do know that he added Italian sausage, peppers, and dark chocolate powder. The chocolate really smoothed out the spicy bite of the peppers and resulted in a some heat gradient for the tongue. I, being the sacrilegious person that I am, took his fine chili and smashed it into a bowl of ramen. I added some carrots and corn to enhance the sweetness, and soaked the noodles in a chicken broth. Cheese didn't seem like a terrible idea, so I also melted and stirred in some peppered Gouda.

#24 Cotswold and Humbolt Fog Cheese Taco

I finally jumped on the cheese bandwagon. It's about time! My recent dish with Brie had motivated me to full investigate the world of cheese. I decided upon Humboldt Fog and Cotswold because I vaguely recollect serving it when I worked as a waitress at The Flying Saucer. They were the most recognizable of the cheeses because of their distinct appearance. Humboldt Cheese had an iconic layer of edible vegetable ash in the center. It is a goat cheese that is mold-ripened, forming a hardened outer-shell and soft cheesy center. Cotswold cheese is derived from Gloucester Cheese, a Gloucestershire classic. The hardened cheese is blended with chives and onions, giving it an alluring herb flavor.

I added a small amount of sausage and a wedge of lime to compliment the moldy flavors. 

#23 Sausage and Walnut Brie Ramen

I ended up going home for the holidays which means that I am in Hollywood, FL. Contrary to my past experiences and doubts, I managed to have a great experience. My prejudices about South Florida have nothing to do with visiting my family, but have everything to do with the impenetrable sense of morbidity that hangs in the air. South Florida is a manifestation of death. It seems like businesses never take off and opportunities never began. Anyways, this trip was actually refreshing. Seeing my folks reminded me of how awesome it is to be loved for doing nothing more than eating, walking and pooping. 

Back to the ramen.... For my birthday I made my folks a crab and sausage pizza. There was so much sausage left over and I was motivated to create a high-end ramen dish. The sausage and walnuts were simmered in duck broth, and the brie was melted in. You can not see the ramen that well. but it is there. I promise.

#22: Poor Man's Meal: Beans N Toast

According to an old friend of mine, Heinz beans and toast were the English equivalent to ramen; at least when he was attending university. He has been in the "successful" stage of his life of his life for at least a decade; where as, I have been bobbing about for a good year. Because, I've found myself decrepit more of than once; he satirically makes for me a plate of beans and toast. Fortunately, the humor is not lost on me AND Heinz beans are delicious. I decided to give this meager yet classic meal an update by adding ramen.

The bread was toasted with a toaster (much surprised) and fried on a pan for 1-2 minutes. I've found that gives wheat baguettes some extra crunch. I, also, added parsley to the ramen and topped the beans with Muenster cheese and a fried egg. Yummy

# 21 Burger Bahn Mi + Kevin's Masterpiece

Bahn Mi is amazing! Long story short. I believe that I had previously gone on a digression about the joys of the Vietnamese sandwich; but it deserves constant praise. According to the internet, "Bahn Mi" is the Vietnamese term for "bread"; and this includes bread of all varieties. When the baguette was introduced to the tropical land via the French, the po-boy really took off. I guess French Imperialism had one benefit. Anyways, my meat-stuffed sandwich is packed with burger, cheese, ramen, and parsley AND topped with maple syrup. I can feel the heart palpitations just looking at it.

Also, Kevin managed to top himself this Thanksgiving. Somehow, he turned mere vegetables and Wonderbread into this piece of artistry. Looks like a Klimt, no?

#20 Jamazian Curry Chkn

In celebration of Asian-fusion cuisine and the many fine food trucks they have inspired, I made a Caribbean ramen dish: Jamaican curry chicken.
So what makes Jamaican curry, Jamaican?
Good question. Fortunately, the internet has the answer. Jamaican curries tend to combine the tastes of sweet and spicy; where as, Indian and Thai curries are traditionally tangy and sour. In addition, Jamaican curries have allspice which adds a clove and nut taste.
On a side note, I added pineapple to the dish. It's acidity actually works well with the broth.

#19 Grilled Ramen Cheese Sandwich

Tonight, Houston celebrated it's first major craft beer festival. There were over 40 breweries and (supposedly) 700 beers. I died and went to beer snob heaven. Daniel and I bought "beer/show" tickets which meant that we were able to sample 2 oz of 12 beers. Fortunately, stringency and beer do NOT get along well, so we ended up sampling a crazy amount of potent beverage. Naturally, ramen, cheese, and butter are the best preventative measures to a avoid hangover. Here lies the creation of a bacon grilled cheese sandwich with a ramen layer.

#18 Crunchy Ramen Bowl/ Kevin's Chikn'

It's a gorgeous cool day in Houston. What a rare find! And there isn't a better way to celebrate this coming of "Houston fall" than with a Ramen Bowl. Ramen often embraces the full spectrum of the texture "soft". A fine bowl can gluttonously combine the elements of mushy, soft, smooth, and chymal. However, it is quite a feat to find a Ramen Bowl with bite of "crunch"; and after experiencing the tongue throttle of fried ramen, I am in constant pursuit of a crunchy Ramen meal.

In order to achieve some semblance of crunch, I coated my ramen meal with fresh parsley, pretzels, and black sesame seeds. There's nothing like an audible mouthful. 

On a side note... Kevin made Chicken Parmesan the other day. What a fantastic roomie!! You can even see the love melted on top.

# 17 Burrito Disguised Spring Roll

After a long haitus, Ramen is back. So this creation started off as a spring roll and fortunately turned into something far more filling. Apparently, the difference between a spring roll and a burrito is portion control. Something that wrapped items should not have to suffer with. Because of this meals oriental origins, I'm going to label the dish as an Asian Burrito;. made with spring roll wrapper, curry ground turkey, onions and bell pepper.

#16 Sesame Pancake Brunch

Today's feast is a celebration! "A celebration for what?" might you ask. My first half-day in the new lab. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than making the breakfast that I skipped out on. Pancakes it is! I still have some sesame seeds on my pantry so I sprinkled some of those into the batter to get a whole-grain sort of look and texture. And, hey, not bad.

Recipe? Erm... make some pancakes and then add a splash of awesome (aka fried ramen and whiskey). Presto!

#15 Scrabbled Spring Ramen

Ouch! I haven't made a post in awhile. Sorry about that guys. It seems like my free time went from 100% to 0% in a week; which I am perfectly content with. Anyways, it's wonderful Sunday for ramen! Last Monday I made a visit to a local Asian Supermarket. I was pretty excited about this and had intricate fantasies of strolling down aisles full of Bento flakes, Kimchi, and fish cakes. Not suprisingly, the reality was a cold slap in the face. This place looked like they hadn't updated their stock in 5+ years and I was lucky enough to find sesame seeds. It make matters worse, I discovered that instant noodles can expire. Intensely. I did however, pick a pack of semi-expired spring roll sheets for 20 cents. They don't have the best structural integrity anymore, so I decided to soak them and fry them up. Which segweys into my lasted deconstruction: an egg spring roll.

This bad boy is a polygamous marriage between ramen, an omelete, and a spring roll. And do take note of the sesame seed topping. Mmmmmm....