Kick-Off: Ramen Stir-Fry

Okay, so it's time to put a recipe here already, hmm? We'll begin with a Chinese-inspired recipe involving ramen noodles. Okay, not very impressive on the exotic scale - at all - but you may still enjoy it.

RAMEN STIR-FRY

• 1 packet instant ramen noodles
• 1 cup frozen stir-fry vegetables
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce or plum sauce

1. Boil the ramen noodles in 2 cups of water a saucepan. Don't use the seasoning packet that comes with the noodles.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the veggies and stir-fry them until they're crisp-tender.
3. Add the vegetables to the cooked noodles and reduce the heat on the noodles to medium-high. Cook until most of the water evaporates, but do leave some water. Add the hoisin or plum sauce and stir well.

Serves 2 or 4, depending on how big their appetites are.

NOTES

• Hoisin or plum sauce? It depends on what kind of taste you prefer. Hoisin sauce will give you a bold, savory flavor, while plum sauce will tend more toward the delicate, sweet-and-sour side. Experiment!
• Use fresh vegetables if you prefer - broccoli, bell peppers, etc. I like using the frozen veggies because they help to cut back on cost (at my Wal-Mart, they're $1.68 for a one-pound bag) and preparation time.
• Hoisin sauce and plum sauce can be found in the Asian or ethnic food section of many supermarkets. (Aisle 5 at my Wal-Mart.)
• This is a great meal for when you have little time or money. Mind, it's not terribly healthy, since it contains ramen noodles and some sugar from the sauce. But it's a quick, satisfying, comfortable meal for a long, busy day.