Cookin' & Cussin'

Thai Ramen

IDK where y’all are in the world, but here in Southeastern VA it’s been damp & dreary as SHIT this week. Like everyday. For the entire week. UGH like I’m down for fall weather, but this is just mooooody weather. Which now that I’m writing it out, I kinda like it.

Although I haven’t seen the sun since like, Wednesday September 20, I’m still very excited to not be sweating all the time. Taking walks outside in the damp but crisp & slightly chilly air is my love language. For myself. Solo Walks. And this week really let me think through some fall-inspired food options too!

Soup SZN

Foggy, dense & grey skies make me want soup. And not just any soup, but RAMEN. I love the total acceptance of Ramen. Like, anything goes. All is well within the Ramen Realm. It is its own vibe. It doesn’t boast like Pho with its precise recipe or intense depth of flavors and it isn’t grandma’s chili that requires fifty-leven ingredients or takes 4 hours on the stove…..although there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Pho or Chili, that just ain’t what we’re here for today.

from the archives

I made this recipe up earlier this year (think back to February 2023) and just never got around to truly taking the time to write out the recipe or remake it – spring comes atcha fast, amirite? So, I knew I wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity to remake this DEEEEELICIOUS meal again to give it the tweaks and righteousness it so-deserves.

I’m also on a peanut butter kick – actually, like all the time. So I knew I wanted to re-try this recipe with our powdered PBFit since we’ve been slowly but surely incorporating ingredients that are healthier for our lifestyle change and I’ll tell ya…..the powdered PBFit won over the creamy PB you’ll see pictured here. I knew I had the methods & other ingredients down pat so I didn’t feel the need to re-photograph the process, just wanted to do my own swaps and report back with utter honesty and no misery! *wink*

Seriously though, if you’ve ever put traditional peanut butter into soup, you might know that it takes FOREVER to dissolve & breakdown….aint nobody got time fo dat! Its annoying and I personally feel like traditional peanut butter needs SO MUCH of itself to make the flavor shine thru with certain recipes whereas the powdered PBFit is a true punch of flavor and doesn’t compete either.

the base is the ace

I decided to play it “safe” with the broth because I didn’t want it to be over-complicated but wanted it to be crave-worthy. Not knocking establishments, but I’ve noticed that most Ramen places are *like* Pho in the sense that their broth base is all the same – you choose your protein & build from there. Whereas I wanted to be the opposite, I wanted a diverse broth AND the option for diverse protein and topping choices.

Coconut Milk is also a low-key overlooked delicious base for SO MANY THINGS. I knew I had to make it work in this dish. The Red Curry Paste & Chili Sesame Oil played SO WELL together with the richness of the coconut milk. Don’t get me started on the added spice factors as well. Not too bold to drown each other out and just the right amount of dilution with the Vegetable Broth and water made this ramen base one for the books!

Silky smooth with a hit of spice is the broth, with sweet plump shrimp, chewy Ramen noodles, a soft-boiled egg and a fanned-out display of Baby Bok Choy sends this dish into another world – I mean just LOOK at the pictures! I had also debuted this with a Reel if you want to see all of this in action – so without futher ado, Let’s Get To It!

Ingredients

• Vegetable Broth, Low Sodium 15 Oz can

• Coconut Milk, Reduced Fat 15 Oz can

• Water, 1 Cup

• Ramen, 1 Package – your favorite brand, 2 servings

• Red Curry Paste, 1 TBS

• Spicy Sesame Chili Oil, 1 TBS

• Garlic, Ginger, Lemongrass paste, 1 TBS each

• 2 TBS Powdered PBFit (or 3 TBS Creamy PB)

• 2 stalks Green Onions, whites & greens divided

• 1 Cup Broccoli, chopped

• ½ cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped

• Juice of 2 limes, Zest of 1

• ½ LB medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

• 2 eggs, boiled for 6 minutes

• 1 bunch Baby Bok Choy

• ¼ cup Trader Joe’s Chili Thai Crisp Peanuts (or regular) chopped, for garnish

Instructions, 1

Mis En Place. This recipe isn’t rapid-fire-quick but the POINT of Ramen is to BE quick, does that make sense?

Basically, this doesn’t have to be hard – get your shit together, throw it into a pot at different intervals & then throw it all into a bowl to slurp & enjoy. Got it? GOOD.

Firstly I would clean & chop all the veggies and have them at the ready – they will more or less all go into the pot together.

The base of this Ramen broth is the Vegetable Broth, Light Coconut Milk & Water – combine all 3 liquids into a medium stockpot & set on Medium heat to start simmering.

INSTANTLY TRANSFORMED. All those sharp, spicy, aromatic flavors will mingle together & you will instantly be transported to the grungiest, hole-in-the-wall Ramen place and you will feel superior. Its gonna taste that good, TRUST.

The Baby Bella Mushroom pieces, Whites of the Green Onions & Broccoli can all be chopped together in a bowl & set aside.

The Baby Bok Choy will be wilted quickly in the oven on Broil so the whole bunch can be cleaned and laid out on a sheetpan for later.

Once your broth has begun to simmer, measure out and pour in the Red Curry Paste, Chili Sesame Oil, Peanut Butter (whichever kind you chose) and the 3 pastes – Lemongrass, Ginger & Garlic.

Stir well to combine. Give it a taste if you dare! You haven’t added in the acid of the lime juice & zest yet, so be patient & remember that.

Allow the broth to come to an easy simmer once again and drop in your broccoli, mushrooms & whites from the green onion.

The thing I REALLY like about this recipe is that it can be slowed down or sped up to keep up with your method – if you’re worried about your eggs / ramen boiling separately then simply turn down your broth pot to low – it is fine to hang out for an extra 10-15 minutes while you get your other shit together.

That’s the beauty of my Thai Ramen is that it doesn’t have to be a rush to the finish line. This can be a leisurely meal because that’s what I personally think of when I eat Ramen. That it is a quick noodle, but so many other moving parts under the surface that make it so delicious!

In a separate pot, place 2 eggs in the water & boil for 6 minutes – THIS SHIT ALWAYS CONFUSES ME. I looked it up numerous times (I guess Google thinks the way my questions are worded are confusing?) “a 6 minute egg has a firm white and softly gooey but contained yolk” – ok, as cool as that is…HOW DO I DO THAT? I get confused on when the 6 minute mark begins / ends.

The easiest way I can explain this is to WATCH THE WATER. A 6 minute egg is 6 minutes FROM THE START OF BOIL. I try to think and treat this like a softer deviled egg in the making. I splash in some white vinegar (helps with ease of peeling) and allow it to boil for exactly 6 minutes. I then rinse in cool water and “shock” the egg with a few ice cubes. I don’t want the egg inside to harden but I want the shell to stop cooking and cool off for the ease of peeling.

Once you have boiled your eggs for 6 minutes, follow the above & allow the egg to soak in the ice bath for 3 minutes – this will “shock” the egg as mentioned above but not completely change the temperature INSIDE the egg – we will want that velvety and *slightly* runny yolk inside.

Place the cooled eggs on a paper towel at room temp & set aside.

Instructions, 2

COOL. So, this is where shit starts to pick up so pay attention & have all your other ingredients closeby!

Using the same pot, reboil the water & drop in your ramen bricks. I know this isn’t the easiest of ways to do this, but I also don’t want the ramen to soak up all of our delicious broth as it boils….because that’s the mistake I made the first time AND what will we have left to slurp? And also, not the point.

The shrimp will also cook themselves in the broth – simply bring to a boil and drop the shrimp in at a rolling boil for 3-4 minutes.

Reduce heat to Low & zest and juice the limes. Now is the time to give it another taste because we are nearing the end & your broth is what will be!

I then boil my ramen for half the time stated on the packaging and THEN transfer to my broth pot so it can finish cooking.

I also go ahead & Broil my Bok Choy at this point – this is one of the final steps in your Ramen journey! You’re almost there!

Simply spray the Bok Choy with Olive Oil spray (I used coconut spray) and sprinkle with S+P and garlic powder.

Broil on Medium for 3-5 minutes – keep an eye on it! You want it wilted & slightly charred but not to the point of total limpness because, gross.

Lightly tap your eggs and give them a gentle peel. The back of a spoon works wonders on these delicate, 6 minute eggs! Cut lengthwise once they are fully peeled. They will be a star topper for your Ramen!

SHIT. Be sure you’re checking on your Bok Choy! I sure hope you set a timer!

Your Ramen broth should still be slightly simmering away. With plenty of broth & noodles galore!

The shrimp should be pink & cooked thru and the other veggies beautifully soft.

Get your favorite “big bowl” – in our house we don’t have soup bowls, we have “big bowls” because I like to have plenty of room to stir my ingredients around & eat!

Serve yourself with a huge ladle of broth & tongs usually work best / easier for scooping out the ramen noodles.

Make sure you get plenty of shrimps & veggies!

Finish by placing your Bok Choy leaning against the back of your bowl for full display, ladling the soul & noodles all around.

Place your 6 minute egg directly on top and garnish with a lime wedge and chopped green onions.

The Piece de Resistance will be the smashed, spicy Thai Chili peanuts. Simply place them in a bag & give them a good smash with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Sprinkling those on top to get a crunch with your velvety broth and chewy noodles will be a surprise that will be unsurpassed.

LOOK AT YOU & LOOK AT THAT BOWL.

So simple yet so delicious. I will never get over all the layers of flavor this simple ramen provides. The acid & zest from the lime is such a good cut thru the fatty coconut milk and the (sometimes) heaviness from the peanut butter.

The chew of that 6 minute egg will be a delicious and simple flavor that doesn’t compete with the rest of the bowl. Such a necessary component!

If you’re feeling ultra-adventurous, drizzle some Sriracha if you’re feeling up to it! There is no wrong way to dress up my Thai Ramen. Enjoy & be sure to go back for seconds!

Spice Up Your Life

The ease & versatility of this dish can’t be beat. I love that the base starts off both vegan & vegetarian and CAN CONTINUE that way if you wanted to use Tofu instead of Shrimp – or skip that step altogether!

I used brown rice ramen for the health benefits as well as I wanted the true zig-zag effect that most ramen noodles have – no straight noodles up in here!

Peanut Butter & the Thai Chili Crisp Peanuts are the 2 unexpected stars of this show, in my opinion. They add that depth of flavor that is immediately identifiable but wasn’t difficult to achieve. I don’t call myself a Ramen Master or anything of the sort, but figuring out how to get delicious flavors to mix unexpectedly is kind of in my wheelhouse.

Now that we are in full fall-mode and the weather is getting colder, I just wanted to introduce something different than “Butternut Squash Soup” or “Pumpkin Bisque” – I am in NO WAY saying they are overdone, I just want a break on my own TL from the Basic Bitch-ness *wink*

Let me know what additions you’d make to this soup or what you’d even want to take away – but maybe not? Because then it wouldn’t be as delicious. Whatever. I’m down for additions, but just make this as it is & let me know!

Happy Soup SZN!