Ramen Rehab

Ramen has a bad rap. Some of the criticism is deserved; some not so much. If you toss out the toxic flavor packet full of sodium and MSG and other nasty stuff, you're left with a decent serving size of ramen noodles. The price is right and a little creativity can make a great meal. Nothing wrong there!

1 package Ramen - noodles only
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup canned chicken broth (prefer Swanson: fat-free, lower sodium)

To jazz ramen up, take a saucepan and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn heat to medium high and when the oil begins to shimmer, place the solid square of ramen gently in oil. Use tongs for this, please! In a very short amount of time, peek at the bottom. When golden brown, turn the noodles over carefully (with tongs) and follow same quick golden brown approach. Turn heat off and slowly, very slowly, add the chicken broth to the saucepan. You will get a big whoosh of steam when you add the liquid. Turn heat back to medium and let chicken broth and noodles simmer for about 2 -3 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and noodles are tender.

You can eat this as is with a shaving of Parmesan or top with sauteed veggies. If you're holed up in your room for the afternoon, try some slow-roasted tomatoes on top. There are easy to do but you need to cook them for 4 hours at low heat.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes a la Molly Wizenberg
4 Roma tomatoes or as many as you want to eat!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Cut off stem ends of tomatoes and slice them in half lengthwise. Place in bowl and pour oil and salt over them. Gently move them about with your hands to cover evenly. Place them cut side down on a foil line baking sheet. Place in 200 degree oven for 4 hours. When finished remove and cut carefully into bite-sized pieces - you don't want to lose any of the delicious juices. Pour over cooked ramen or any pasta. Yum!