With just a few minutes and a similar number of additional ingredients, ramen style noodles can be changed into a substantial meal in a number of ways. In addition, they can be transformed into a breakfast dish or a dessert.

In some part of Asia, rice and noodles by the bowl appear at every meal, including breakfast, but they are not made from an instant pack and a packet of high-salt ingredients. Ramen style noodles are popular particularly in Japan, but also in China, where they reportedly began, and in Korea as well as nearby countries.

While often considered a joke-type of food or "toy food" by many people in the USA, these noodles are inexpensive and can be prepared with additional ingredients besides the inner pack of seasonings and the smaller pack of spicy oil that accompanies some flavors and brands. Ramen noodles are a staple in China and Japan, where egg noodles and flour noodles (wider and softer) are enjoyed at many meals and were fast food type ramen diners are popular. Moreover, there are the common diners and the boutique diners, which offer higher priced toppings.

In Japan particularly, we find the following flavors as well as many others:

• Ice Cream ramen (Vanilla, etc.),
• Chocolate ramen,
• Green Tea ramen - I like this one!
• Coffee ramen (kohii gyunyu ramen),
• White ramen (milk or yoghurt),
• Red ramen (tomato),
• Hot Cocoa ramen,
• Kimchi ramen - I like this one best!
• Black Bean ramen,
• Miso ramen.

Stock up on packages of ramen style noodles, any brand or flavor, when they are on sale. In our area, they go on sale about 3-4 times a year in packs of 6 for 50 cents or a case of 12 for $1.00 in the local grocery stores. Prices and flavors vary in Asian markets, but these are higher-quality and more expensive. Many American chains and Asian markets are offering larger packages of ramen noodles without seasonings and these are sometimes more economical, especially if you have your own favorite spices in your kitchen.

During non-Sale times, ramen packs sell for 10 cents to 39 cents each in my city. A variety of brands are available, some produced in America and some manufactured overseas. Try to stock up when they are on sale, otherwise they may be more expensive than purchasing a 1- or 2-pound box of pasta. You can also save unused packets of seasonings to use with boxed pasta; however, the packets contain salts and sometimes MSG, to which some people are allergic). If and when I do use ramen style noodles, I use only a third to a half of a seasoning packet.

Ramen style noodles in a single pack are convenient, because they do not require one to open a larger box of noodles and to keep bottles of several spices and seasoning salts on hand. However, when we use these noodle packs, it is best to recycle as much of the packing as possible. Increased convenience often leads to increased waste and packaging is one of the costliest wastes in American business. So, please recycle.

Ramen Noodles are on a par with Macaroni and Cheese for college students as an inexpensive and fast meal. However, since college students have begun gaining an average of 15 pounds during the freshmen year since the 1980s, all of these noodles, along with fast-food outlet meals, may have something to do with that weight gain. As far as ramen style noodles are considered. They can be prepared in healthier ways. Even the Food Network has discussed them in the 21^st century.

The following are a few of the different types of dishes that can be made quickly from ramen style noodles.

Ramen Bi Bim Bop

Serves 1 - for 4 people, quadruple the ingredients. [This is my favorite.]

Ingredients

• 1 pack of ramen style noodles, any flavor
• ¼ pound of chicken, beef or pork strips, stir-fried ahead of time; or use tofu.
• ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil
• ½ cup sliced bamboo shoots
• ¼ white or red onion, sliced thin
• ½ cup celery, chipped coarse
• ¼ cup green bell pepper strips, or a combination of green, red, and yellow.
• ½ cup bean sprouts
• ¼ cup carrot sticks
• Lite soy sauce
• 1 scallion or green onion, sliced thin, the white section and about ½ of the green tail.
• 1 large, extra large or jumbo egg; for fewer calories and cholesterol, use a medium egg or use just the egg white, saving the yolk for another dish.
• Your favorite seasonings to taste, or use the ramen seasoning packets.

Preparation

• Boil 2 cups of water and add the ramen noodles to cook for 3 minutes (or cook in microwave oven for about 90 seconds.
• In a shallow frying pan or wok, heat the oil and stir-fry the vegetables, all except the green onion) to tender-crisp stage.
• Add meat strips and toss together until heated through. Remove from heat.
• Drain noodles, keeping about ½ cup of the cooking water and place both into a deep soup bowl. Sprinkle half of the seasoning packet (or your favorite spices) into the noodles and toss with a fork.
• Place heated vegetables and meat on top of noodles.
• Sprinkle half of the green onion slices over the mixture.
• Sprinkle Lite soy sauce over all.
• Return the frying pan to the heat, fry the egg or egg white to the soft cooked stage (sunny side up) and place egg on top of the other ingredients in the bowl.
• Sprinkle with remaining green onion slices and enjoy.
• Alternatively, hard boil an egg and slice it over the top of the dish.

Overnight Chicken Ramen

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)

• 1 pound white chicken meat, chunked - canned or fresh-cooked
• 2 packs of ramen style noodles, any flavor
• ½ teaspoon vinegar
• ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup celery, chipped coarse
• ¼ cup baby corn (optional)
• Your favorite seasonings to taste (curry is nice), or use the 1 of the ramen seasoning packets.

Preparation

• In a large mixing bowl, break up the two blocks of ramen noodles. Reserve seasoning packets for later.
• Add chicken, cashews, and sunflower seeds and mix thoroughly.
• Add seasoning from both seasoning packets or use your own favorites.
• Place the mixture, covered, in the refrigerator overnight and the ramen will soak up moisture from the chicken and produce a nice salad with a tender noodle.
• If the chicken is cooked too dry, the salad will not be as moist. In this case, you may want to add a small amount of mayonnaise or salad dressing.

Haystax

Ingredients

• 1 pack of ramen style noodles, any flavor
• 2 cups butterscotch chips (or any flavor you enjoy)
• 1 T butter or margarine
• 1 T whole milk or evaporated milk

Preparation

• Heat the butterscotch chips with the milk and butter over a low heat in a large cooking pan, stirring constantly until melted together and smooth.
• Add crumbled up ramen noodles, crumbling and breaking them as you add them to the pot.
• Mix well and remove form heat.
• Using a tablespoon, or a teaspoon for smaller haystax, spoon balls of the mixture onto waxed paper or a Teflon backing pan.
• Refrigerate the dessert until cold.

Ramen Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 packages of ramen style noodles (keep the seasoning packets for another dish)
• 3 cups of chocolate chips (or any flavor you like)
• 2 cups of tiny marshmallows
• ½ cup coconut
• ½ cup walnuts or almonds, broken

Preparation

• Place the WHLE blocks of ramen side-bi-side in a square 8" by 8" cake pan.
• Cover them with layers of marshmallows and chocolate chips.
• Place the cake pan in the oven on low heat (250 degrees F) only until the chocolate melts.
• Remove pan from oven.
• Top the dessert in the pan with coconut and nuts.
• Refrigerate until cold and then cut into bars.

Peach Ramen Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 pack of ramen style noodles, any flavor
• 1 #10 can of peaches (14 to 16 oz.)
• 1 cup evaporated milk (use the rest for coffee creamer or salad dressing) or 1 cup cream
• ½ cup of peach juice from the can of peaches
• ¼ cup brown sugar or honey
• ½ cup crushed corn flakes or frosted flakes

Preparation

• In a baking dish, mix the milk or cream, peaches, peach juice, and brown sugar or honey together well.
• Add the crushed noodles and mix them so that they are all covered in the wet ingredients.
• Place the dish in a 350 degree F oven for just 5 minutes.
• Open the oven and sprinkle cereal flakes over the top of the dessert and bake an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve hot with ice cream.

Ramen Salad

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 1 pack ramen noodles
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon mustard
• 1 large celery rib, chopped coarse
• ½ cup mild cheddar or Colby jack cheese, cubed
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped. (use only one, if desired.)

Preparation

• For this dish, go ahead and cook the ramen noodles in 2 cups of water and drain the water. Set aside.
• Mix mayo, mustard, honey, and half of the contents of the seasoning packet in a deep soup bowl.
• Add the cooked ramen noodles, celery, cheese, and eggs.
• Mix well.
• Refrigerate until cold if desired, or enjoy at room temperature. Add any additional garnishes you like.

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