My Three Favorite Ramen Noodle Recipes

by A.L. Woods, Staff Writer

For years I've heard of how college students subsisted on Ramen noodles in order to stay within tight budgets. I was fortunate enough to live at home during my college years, so I ate well without having to give thought to a food budget. A couple of years ago, though, my husband introduced me to Ramen noodles, and I've been hooked ever since. I'd like to share my three favorite Ramen noodle recipes with you.

Noodle soup has never appealed so me, so we got creative and made up our own recipes. They are all fast, easy, and only require a few inexpensive ingredients.

Ramen and Meat Sauce

Serving size: For one person

This one is great for whenever we have a taste for spaghetti. Most of the time we make it this way -- with the meat sauce; other times we use meatballs.

What's needed:
1 pack Ramen noodles
1 pound ground beef
Tomato sauce
Chili powder
Seasoned salt
Garlic powder
Pepper
Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef over medium heat. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste.

Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

Boil Ramen noodles for three minutes. Strain.

Put strained Ramen noodles on plate.

Ladle chili mixture over the top.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!


Ramen Fettuccine

Serving size: For one person

This is my favorite Ramen recipe. I could eat it every day and not get tired of it. It's rich and creamy and satisfying to the palate.

What's needed:
2 tablespoons real butter
1/2 cup canned milk
1/4 cup water
Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder

In a nonstick sauce pan combine the butter, canned milk, and water.

Cover and simmer on medium-high heat until it begins to thicken (about 20 minutes or so). Stir frequently.

Add garlic powder to taste and blend in.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Boil one pack of Ramen noodles for three minutes. Strain.

Add Ramen noodles to plate.

Cover with fettuccine sauce.

Eat and enjoy.

This recipe is also delicious as a side dish to grilled chicken breasts.


Ramen and Veggies

Serving size: For one person

A great recipe for meatless day. Tasty, medium caloric value, and filling.

What's needed:
2 tablespoons chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped yellow pepper
A handful of washed torn kale pieces
Olive oil
Canola oil
Butter
Seasoned salt
Garlic powder
Pepper
1 Ramen seasoning packet
Parmesan cheese

Add enough olive oil, canola oil, and butter to cover the bottom of a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the peppers and kale to the oil. Saute for 10 to 15 minutes or until peppers caramelize slightly.
Add all seasonings to taste.

Cover and let sit for five minutes on low heat.

Boil one pack of Ramen noodles for three minutes. Strain.

Add noodles to sautéed mixture and toss.

Cover and let sit for 10 minutes on low heat. Stir frequently.

Add meal to dish.

Bon appetit!
 

Sources:
Maruchan.com
Personal experience

*Photo: yoppy via Flickr

[Originally published on Yahoo! Voices (no longer published there).]

An Infused Water Recipe That Everyone Will Love

by A.L. Woods, Staff Writer

Infused water continues to be a popular choice for health enthusiasts right now because of its many nutritive benefits, ease of preparation, and taste. It's also a wonderful substitute for the commercially prepared, sugar-laden vitamin waters that are available in the grocery stores. Infused water is great for hydration, helping with weight loss, and increasing your energy level. It also tends to promote increased water intake, always a major value add.

 

Here's my own personal recipe for my favorite mix that gets rave reviews every time it's served.

 

What You'll Need

 

A 3-quart glass pitcher (either an infusion pitcher or a plain one)

Purified water (either bottled or filtered)

3 large lemons

1 large cucumber

1 medium lime (optional)

3 sprigs of mint

3-5 large strawberries

1 large apple

How to Prepare

 

Wash all produce thoroughly and slice.

 

Rinse mint sprigs well.

 

Drop all produce in pitcher starting with the softest first (in this order: Lemons, cucumbers, limes, strawberries, apple, and mint).

 

Fill pitcher with water, cover, and allow to sit overnight.

 

Final Results

 

The resulting infusion is both delicious and beautiful, and the strawberries lend a lovely pink blush to the water.

 

Sip on this all day. Most people find that it encourages restroom runs due to its detox effect, so take this into account as you go about your day. If you tend to suffer from stomach bloat, the increased tinkling will help with that.

 

With your increased water intake, you'll be better hydrated. I'd always heard that the better hydrated you are, the better you sleep and the more energy that you have. I've found this to be true with my own experimentation with infused water.

 

Since I've started drinking infused water I've lost my taste for sodas and sugary drinks. Seriously, even without any sweetener (either natural or artificial) I've found this recipe to be absolutely delicious-and that's a lot to say coming from a self-avowed sugar addict.

 

Tips

• Use a natural veggie wash. You can find a variety of these either online or in the store.
• Buy organic whenever possible. Yes, it will increase your preparation costs a bit, but the health benefits are well worth the increase in price.
• Always be careful to choose the freshest produce that you can. Be sure that there are no blemishes or spots.
• Add a little ginger to the water for added digestive effect.
• Buy a pretty glass to use to drink your infused water throughout the day. I even use a glass straw to sip mine with. They add to the beauty of the presentation and the water tastes really clean going through it.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and that it adds an added boost to your health and fitness journey.

Drink up!

Source:
Personal experience

*Photo: (c) A.L. Woods

[Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on 05/20/2014 (no longer published there).]