September 25, 2020
Fall weather has finally arrived. Mornings are filled with crisp, cool air. This time of the year is perfect for morning walks to help clear my head. Projects at work and coursework in school have been filling up most of my time throughout the weeks. During these especially busy times, I’ve been finding new ways to make quick, healthy, and portable meals. One lunch staple I’ve been experimenting with has been building my own ramen noodle cups. Instant noodle cups were a staple in my household growing up. It always came in handy whenever my grandparents or parents needed to feed hungry kids fast. My grandma would prepare instant noodles for my brothers and I as a quick snack or light meal the moment we got back home from school. I often think back fondly to those moments of enjoying a cup of sizzling hot noodles served directly in a cup. Long after I moved away from Brooklyn to attend college in Ann Arbor, I still turned to cup noodles for a meal in a hurry. Throughout my college years and even into my early professional working years, I would stock up on instant noodle cups for a quick meal. I didn’t only purchase cup noodles, I also stocked up on packaged noodles in a variety of flavors. I used to go through tons of instant noodle cups back when I lived in a dorm in Ann Arbor. When I started working full-time in Chicago, I would prepare an instant cup noodle on long days of teaching and grad school. The process was always the same for preparing cup noodles. I would boil some water either on a stovetop or in the microwave, peel back the top cover of the first instant noodle cup I could grab from the cupboard, pour in the boiling water, use my fork to hold the top cover closed, and wait anxiously for a few minutes until the noodles were just tender enough for eating. Sometimes, I would even add in fresh cilantro or frozen peas and carrots to convince myself I was eating healthier. As I got older, I started to transition to eating healthier versions of cup noodles by making my own versions served in a jar. I always tried to incorporate healthier ingredients into the cup noodles as an alternative to the packaged cup noodles. My favorite versions of instant noodles always had a dried powder mixed into the noodles. When I started crafting my own version, I experimented with blending together different dried ingredients from my pantry as the dried ingredients portion of my homemade cup noodles. The series of test trials led me to my favorite combination featuring dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, kosher salt, granulated sugar, and white pepper powder. I balanced the dried ingredients with a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce as a way to pack even more flavor into the noodles. To build the noodle jars, I layer in the sauce, add a handful of crunchy vegetables, twirl in the slightly undercooked ramen noodles, and top the jars with fresh cilantro. Layering all of the ingredients in mason jars allowed Kevin and I to see exactly what was in the noodle jars. These noodle jars have been the perfect light lunch and dinner to refuel us throughout the busy weeks. Plus, I get the added benefit of not having to feel bad about what I’m eating because I know exactly what I put into these noodle jars.
For the ramen jars: (makes two noodle jars)
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon dried minced onion
· ½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
· ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
· ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
· 1 teaspoon soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon sesame oil
· 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
· 1-2 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced
· 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
· ¼ of a red onion, thinly sliced into half-moon shapes
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· 1-2 dried block(s) of ramen
· 6-8 sprigs fresh cilantro
· Boiled water, for serving
Directions:
1) Heat a pot filled with water at medium high heat. While the water is heating up, begin building the noodle jars. Divide the kosher salt, dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, granulated sugar, white pepper powder, soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce between two mason jars.
2) Divide the sliced scallions, julienned carrot, sliced red onion equally between the two mason jars. Set aside.
3) Once the water is boiling, add in the ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Gently add in the block or two of ramen into the water. Cook the ramen for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove. Drain the ramen. Divide the ramen evenly between the two mason jars. Top the ramen jars with fresh cilantro equally divided between the two jars.
4) To serve, fill the two mason jars with boiling water. Stir to mix up all of the ingredients. Serve immediately.
Takeaways: These ramen jars are very versatile and can be filled with any veggies of your choice. If I’m really craving cup noodles, I sometimes even add in frozen peas, carrots, and corn. I quickly blanch the peas, carrots, and corn ahead of time before adding them into the jars. The addition of the peas, carrots, and corn to the noodle jars definitely reminds me of the versions of cup noodles I ate growing up. I have even used vermicelli and spaghetti when I’ve run out of ramen.