Gourmet Ramen Noodle recipes for college students & the rest of us
Pop quiz!
Ramen Noodles are a quintessential college diet staple because:
A. They’re cheap!
B. They’re super-easy to prepare
C. They’re delicious. We’re still craving them after college.
D. All of the above.
The correct answer — of course — is “D.”
For all of you college-bound students, we’ve got four ways that you can turn your dime-a-pack Ramen Noodles into a gourmet dinner. And for all of you who aren’t in college anymore — and swore you’d stop eating Ramen after you graduated — you’ll love these recipes that add a healthy twist to the college classic.
Here are four Ramen recipes that pack more of a nutritious punch than the noodles alone.
Asian Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad: Gabby over at Essentially Eclectic shares her cooking adventures and dishes us a family recipe that she’s been eating since she was at least 4. She suggests prepping this noodle cabbage salad to serve at your next barbecue. For her healthy twist on Ramen, she dresses the noodles up with a head of cabbage, green onions, sesame seeds and sliced almonds as well as some spices. Check out the full recipe here.
Crunchy Ramen Snack Mix: Gina — who blogs at the Candid RD — says it’s her goal to make nutrition simple, delicious and fun. We’re all ears. Gina shares a healthy snack recipe that is perfect for road trips (because it’s hard to find healthy snacks at gas stations). Listen up college kids, because this snack mix is one you’ll want to keep in your kitchenette for any of those late-night snack attacks. Gina, for her snack mix, mixes Ramen with cashews, peanuts, curry powder, freeze-dried wasabi peas and other yummy ingredients. Find the full set of ingredients and directions here.
Ramen lettuce wraps: Tonya knows how to feed a crowd. The mom of four runs the blog 4LittleFergusons — a blog about Faith, Family, Food and Fun. She reinvented Ramen Noodles in the form of delicious lettuce wraps — made nutritious (and colorful!) with peppers, carrots, cucumbers and chicken. She also gave the creation some flavor with ginger root, garlic and a little cayenne pepper. For the full recipe, visit Tonya’s blog.
Vegetable Lo Mein with Ramen: Run out of ideas of what to make your family for dinner? Laura — from The Salty Kitchen — is to the rescue. Her blog is full of easy recipes for busy families. She tosses the seasoning packets and replaces it with her own sauce, combining soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, black pepper and some crushed red pepper to give it a kick. Then, she loads the dish with veggies. Check out the full recipe for Ramen Lo Mein at Laura’s blog.
For more ideas, check out the Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook. ($8 at Wal-Mart)
Have a kid heading off to college? In some cases, it’s easier to ship some of their dorm-room supplies to their college. Check out free shipping coupons from ShopAtHome.com.
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