Cooking for a crowd – especially if they all have different culinary appetites can be quite daunting. Our Church is no different – we have the vegetarian, the weight conscience, the red meat die-hard’s, the coeliac, the diabetic, and everyone in-between. I was excited when I found this recipe, for it can be easily added to or altered to suit so many people’s tastes, and easy to make from one to 100 (or more) people. It’s also cost effective, which is something we all consider when cooking for a crowd. Below is the basic recipe, but I add so much more to it, ranging from vegetables to red or white meats. There are no limits to the possibilities with this basic recipe, it is so easy to adapt to your situation. Those who have tried this meal have usually gone back for seconds.
VEGETABLE RAMEN
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
You’ll need:
2 packages instant noodles (or any noodle you prefer)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce (optional for vegetarians)
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Fresh ground white pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ cup sweet red bell peppers or Holland chilies, julienned
5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or your favorite)
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 ½ cups shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or any Chinese rice wine – or omit it)
1 cup snow peas, cut in half at an angle
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
2 scallions, split and cut into 2-inch pieces
Open the instant ramen and discard the flavour packet. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 45 seconds to a minute, using chopsticks or a fork to stir occasionally. You want to just rehydrate the ramen until it breaks up from its rectangular form. It’s important not to cook the ramen fully in this step! Once the ramen is rehydrated, immediately drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and get rid of the excess starch.
Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl and set aside. Heat your wok over high heat, and add oil and garlic. Immediately add the peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage, and stir fry for 1 minute. Next, add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 15 seconds.
Next, add in the cooked noodles, pulling them apart if they are stuck together. Pour the soy sauce mixture evenly over the noodles.
Stir-fry for about 20 seconds using a scooping motion until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another minute and serve!
Bon Appetite!! Or should I say: “chi hao he hao”
Recipe from The Woks of Life.com