Uses for Ramen Noodles in College
Generations of college students have slurped ramen noodles because they are cheap and easy to prepare. Ramen, which was invented in Japan in 1958, came to the United States 24 years later--it may not be very healthful, but it provides one of the cheapest meals around, with a package costing as little as 10 cents. Ramen is also versatile. You can make many different dishes depending upon what you add.
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Soup
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Making soup is the most basic thing you can do with a package of ramen, but you can add extra nutrition, flavor and variety by tossing in more ingredients. Use up leftover cooked vegetables, meat, chicken or fish. You can also use frozen vegetables by cooking them halfway before adding them to the pot. For a refined soup worthy of serving to company, add sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic along with a cup of light cream.
Salads
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You can make salads using noodles that are boiled, fried or raw. For boiled noodles, cook according to the package directions, but drain noodles and omit the flavor packet. For fried noodles, break the noodles into pieces and brown in 1/3 cup of canola oil. For raw, simply break the noodles into small pieces. Cabbage, carrots and chicken make good additions to ramen noodle salads, but you can use any combination of vegetables and/or meat. Finish with your favorite store-bought or homemade dressing.
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Dessert
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Ramen noodles are so versatile you can even use them for dessert. Make a ramen sundae with a scoop of ice cream, a handful of hot, fried ramen noodles and hot caramel or fudge. Or make chocolate ramen by cutting two chocolate candy bars in half lengthwise, placing the chocolate on top of a block of ramen, putting the whole thing on a sheet of waxed paper on a plate, and microwaving for about one minute until the chocolate has melted. Then put it in the refrigerator until it is cool.
Noodles with Flavor Packet Substitutions
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A quick way to add variety is to use your own sauce instead of the enclosed flavor packet. Start by boiling the noodles according to package directions and draining. Then add pesto, Parmesan cheese or tomato sauce. For a heartier meal, add a can of tuna and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Or try adding a can of chili.
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References
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