Ramen Noodles for Grown-Ups

Mark Bittman inspired me today.  His Yakisoba (“YAKISOBA!!”) noodle recipe left me thinking of the leftovers in my fridge just waiting for me at home. I also remembered I happened to have two packages of ramen noodles in my “pantry”.  I know, I know, I’ve been out of college way too long to be eating ramen, but how do you resist those 99 cent packs of goodness?  Either way, this recipe was delicious, simple, and of course, thrifty.  As Bittman tells us, there’s really no way to go wrong with the flavor profile – I just happened to have a leftover pork chop in the fridge, but this would be wonderful with chicken, tofu, or just an egg.  Instead of napa cabage, I used thinly sliced brussels sprouts—you may be tired of seeing them here, but I just can’t get enough of those bundles of cruciferous perfection—and added garlic and shredded carrot to complete the meal.  With a slight variation on Bitman’s sweet and spicy sauce, this quick meal was perfect for a Wednesday night.  Oh, and there were no leftovers on this one!

Ramen with Pork and Brussels Sprouts

Serves 2-3

2 packs of ramen noodles (3 oz. each)

1 pork chop, thinly sliced

½ small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 carrot, grated

5 brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced

3 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. sugar

salt & pepper

4 scallions, chopped

Boil 4 c. water and cook the ramen for 3 minutes (throw the seasoning packet away).  Drain and run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking.  Drizzle with sesame oil so they don’t stick to each other.  In a wok, or large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. sesame oil.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Add the pork and cook for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Season with salt & pepper and reserve the pork in a bowl.  Heat another tablespoon of sesame oil in the wok and add the onions.  Sauté until just tender and add the carrots and sprouts.  Season with salt & pepper and drizzle with soy sauce.  Sauté until the vergetables are just tender then add to the bowl with the pork.  In a small bowl, combine the third tbsp. of sesame oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar.  Add the noodles back to the wok, pour the pork and vegetables over the noodles and drizzle it all with the sauce.  Toss to combine then serve with scallions.