TikTok Ramen

Source: Adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

5 packages ramen (discard the seasoning packet) (I just discovered you can buy a big bag of just the noodles at our local Ocean Mart, which is brilliant!)

3 1/2 Tablespoons butter

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 rounded Tablespoons brown sugar

5 Tablespoons soy sauce

5 Tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

2 green onions, sliced

6 eggs

Everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles for 2-3 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

Whisk together the ginger, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and chili sauce and set aside.

While the water is boiling and the noodles are cooking, melt the butter in a tiny saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbly, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the the soy sauce mixture. Cook until bubbly (about 1 minute). 

Add to the noodles and stir to coat completely. Add green onions.

In a large skillet or frying pan (or you could even just push the noodles to the side of the big pot and do it in there if you don't want to dirty another pan), fry or scramble the eggs the way you like them.

Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top with egg(s). Sprinkle with Everything seasoning or sesame seeds.

Notes:

This is the other Asian-inspired noodle recipe we love and make often (and my notes on a card in my binder are unreadable, thus my finally posting it here for posterity). No, I have no idea why it's called TikTok Ramen (I've never been on TikTok), but I do know it's easy, quick and delicious! It's definitely one that the kids request whenever I ask for ideas for the dinner plan. I have tweaked it above from the original recipe to make the amount that we like and will eat. (Sometimes we have a bit left over, but usually this is juuust right for the four of us - two kids, two adults.) But you can adapt it as you see fit!

Thai Peanut Noodles

Source: Adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup peanut butter (can use either creamy or crunchy)

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (I tend to go higher with Lee Kum Kee brand, and lower with Huy Fong brand)

1 1/2 Tablespoon honey

1/3 cup soy sauce (maybe a splash more if needed)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz linguine rice noodles

2-3 green onions, chopped

1/2 lime, wedged

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions.

As the noodles are cooking, chop garlic, green onions, cilantro and peanuts and set aside.

To prepare the sauce, in a saucepan mix broth, peanut butter, chili garlic sauce, honey, ginger and minced garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are combined. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. The sauce will thicken as it stands.

When the noodles are cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add sauce, green onions, cilantro and peanuts and gently toss with tongs to coat noodles and distribute toppings.

Serve with lime wedges. If it sits for a bit before serving and gets too thick, just add a splash of broth or hot water to loosen it up. (Also helpful when reheating the leftovers.)

Notes:

This has been a go-to recipe for our family for years. Sam even requested it for a birthday dinner with grandparents back in the day (I think back then we served it with cooked cubed chicken, but normally we keep it meatless, which I like to have in the dinner rotation). I've tweaked ingredients and amounts according to what I like, and I have those jotted down on a splashed and running scratch paper in my recipe binder. Today I decided it was high time to get it posted on the ol' blog so I can remember my version and someone else can make it, too. Wow, it's been a while, but I think I'll be back soon with another asian noodle recipe that is in the same state of hard-to-read-ness in my file as this. Stay tuned!