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 By Sun Patel July 30, 2007 Some of my friends have asked me for reasonably quick recipes that include ramen noodles. They are an inexpensive purchase—good to eat on their own; yet, there are many delicious things we can do to make them even tastier and more nutritious! The recipe below I created one afternoon for a late lunch for my wife, Yasmin, and I. Now that we are both retired, we can sit down together and have a proper lunch! Something, I am sad to say, we did not do for the majority of the years I worked. I could never make it home in time for lunch. The commute alone would have taken double the lunchtime permitted by the hospital. Nowadays, with our children fully grown, out of the nest, and supporting themselves, we enjoy the mid-day meal, even having a glass or two of wine to complement the food! This recipe serves four people using standard portions; or, three generously over-sized portions. I highly recommend a Cooking Time Total: approximately 29 minutes Ingredients: 1 package of extra firm tofu, cut into one-inch cubes (use extra firm as the others may crumble)1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes 1 package of small white mushrooms, sliced in half 1 stalk of celery, chopped ½ onion, chopped 2 tablespoons of minced garlic (I buy it like this sometimes for easy preparation) 1 can condensed milk ¼ cup of water ½ teaspoon of black pepper 1 teaspoon of dried basil ½ teaspoon of oregano non-stick cooking spray 1 tablespoon of olive oil ½ cup shredded skimmed mozzarella 1 skillet (medium sized is fine) 1 large cooking spoon For ramen noodles: 2 packages of ramen noodles 2 1/2 cups of water 1 flavor packet (no need to use both flavor packets. One gives the dish enough flavor. Save yourself the sodium overload. Please also save the extra flavor packet and use it to flavor another dish at another time. They come in handy, believe me!) 1 saucepan 1 slotted stirring spoon Directions: Spray the skillet with the non-stick spray. Because you are using this spray, you will only need to add one tablespoon of olive oil. (This saves on calories and fat.) Heat the skillet on medium to high heat. Once you hear crackling, add the garlic. Stir and lightly brown. Add the onions and do the same. Follow with the tofu. Let it brown lightly on each side for about three minutes: 1.5 minutes per side. (You may add an additional spray of non-fat oil to the tofu to get it to brown quicker.) Slowly add the mushrooms and celery, stirring them periodically. Let them brown for approximately five minutes. Now add the diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, and pepper. Let them cook uncovered for five minutes. Add the condensed milk, and 1/4 cup of water. Give it a good stir, and reduce heat. Cover. Simmer for 6 minutes. (You may simmer it for an additional two minutes, depending on the time you have to spare.) While waiting for the veggies to cook, follow the instructions on your ramen noodles package. Remember to use only one pack of flavoring! To serve: Using a slotted spoon, place ramen noodles on the plate. Add the vegetable mixture on top, using a slotted spoon to select the veggies and tofu. Then use a regular serving spoon to retrieve some of the juice from the dish and place on top of the food. (You can also use the soup from the noodles, if more liquid is preferred.) Garnish lightly with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. This recipe is copyrighted by Sun Patel. All rights reserved.
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