Ramen Recipes for School-Day Revelries
Hollow stomachs, empty wallets, and time steadily ticking, ticking away – such is the crisis of every university student. Half of a semester has gone by, and in between the early mornings rushing for class, and the late nights spent mugging, quick and yummy meals start to become a rare occurrence. Instead of spending ages and ages queueing for food at the usual haunts around school, why not try cooking your own meals? These 5 minute recipes present a solution to your daily conundrums, using inexpensive ingredients that you can readily find in your own home.
Avocado Ramen:
Think Avocados are clichéd? There’s good reason for that: when paired with the right ingredients, this super food fits snugly into almost any dish. For anyone looking to rock out with your guac out, this recipe provides the fuel you need for a long day in school.
Ingredients:
1 packet of Instant noodles
1 ripe avocado
Juice of 1 Lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Does anyone else love the green gradient along the flesh of the fruit?
To make the avocado dressing for your ramen, combine 1 avocado, the juice of 1 squeezed lime, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper.
Take a fork, and mash it all up! Do note that your avocado should preferably be soft and at room temperature as refrigerated avocadoes are harder to mash.
This recipe also doubles up as a great way to de-stress
Scoop your avocado dressing onto the noodles and give it a good mix! Throw in some cherry tomatoes for a vibrant pop of colour.
If there was ever a time to be #teamavocado, the time is now.
Smooth and creamy Avocado Ramen with a faint tinge of nuttiness. Coupled with the hint of tanginess from the lime, this dish is bound to satiate any rumbling tummies!
Pad Thai Ramen:
Bogged down by the dreary repertoire of school? Here’s a sweet and salty combination that will reinvigorate your taste buds and lift your spirits!
Ingredients:
1 packet of instant noodles
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Garlic chili (or Sriracha sauce, if you’re feeling brave)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix your soy sauce, garlic chili, lime juice and olive oil together. Adjust the quantities of each condiment to your liking.
After mixing in your pad thai dressing, add a dollop of peanut butter to your noodles. I know what you’re thinking: peanut butter and…noodles? Yes! Peanut butter adds a sweet and velvety flavor to the dish and is in fact the star ingredient of the Pad Thai Ramen.
Add some cherry tomatoes for a quick fix of vitamins—
And we’re good to go! The Pad Thai Ramen is now ready. Slurp up the sweet, sticky noodles, letting the sting of the chili and the burst of refreshing juice from the tomatoes mingle in your mouth. Now you can kiss goodbye to the long queues at Kou fu and The Tea Party, because, hey – ain’t nobody got thai-m for that!
Ramen-wich:
Who said you can’t make a statement over lunch? A true hybrid of food cultures, the Ramen-wich combines the beasts of the east and the best of the west into one heavenly delight. The perfect meal for connoisseurs craving fusion cuisine, or those who are simply too lazy to pack cutlery.
Ingredients:
1 packet of instant noodles
Noodle seasoning
1 egg
Aluminum foil
Sliced cheese
Leftovers from last night’s dinner
Crack one egg and whisk it with the seasoning that comes with your noodles. Mix the cooked noodles with the egg mixture and separate onto two pieces of aluminum foil.
Wrap the soaked noodles in the aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You may want to consider prepping and refrigerating your noodles the night before!
After refrigerating your noodles for at least 2 hours, unwrap your noodles and place them on a frying pan. Remember to contain your excitement and refrain from prodding your noodles too much.
Unleash your creativity and shape your Ramen-wich however you like! A heart shape for a special someone, perhaps?
Let each side sizzle on the pan for about 3 minutes before flipping them over. If done correctly, the top layer your Ramen-wich will turn a lovely golden brown.
Lastly, layer on some sliced cheese and top it up with leftover meat from the dishes you had the night before! Add salt and pepper to taste.
The Ramen-wich’s unique cooking procedure creates a springy and flavorful texture. Don’t be afraid to pile on your dishes to your Ramen-wich— like any good sandwich, you can add practically anything to it! The versatility of this dish also means that every Ramen-wich is one-of-a-kind.
As we step into the second half of the school semester, project deadlines and the pile of readings are bound to intensify. Time is a choice: when we skip out on certain things, it’s easy to justify our actions through the excuse of being busy. But deep down, being “too busy” for something just means that we don’t view it as a priority – when we say “I can’t be home for dinner tonight because I’m too busy”, we actually mean, “I can’t be home for dinner tonight because eating with my family is not a priority for me.” Similarly, the statement “I’m skipping lunch because I’m too busy” is another way of saying “I’m skipping lunch because my health is not a priority.” If you find that these sentences hit too close to home, it may be time to rethink how you schedule your time. After all, the days you spend are defined by the choices you make.
I hope your recess week has been filled, as mine has been, with sleep and respite. If they haven’t, these recipes will hopefully be your saving grace, providing the extra time you need to make the decisions that really matter. Come what may, when the going gets rough, all you will need … is ramen.