Hopkins Family Cookbook

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Style

Fancier Chicken Ramen with Mushroom Tempura and Summer Veggies by Hunter Dean

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts, Boneless and Skinless
5 Ounces Shiitake (or favorite) Mushrooms
2 Packages Ramen Noodles
4 Ounces Green Beans
2 Scallions
1 Cucumber
1 Tomato
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Flour (Rice flour works best)

Notes

"Don't let dinner be just for subsistence. You can always cook something easy or find free pizza at a club meeting for a few days each week, but my favorite meals are the ones you plan out with friends. You save time and money - and the food tastes better in general - when you make a day of it!" -Hunter

Always remember that the written parts are just suggestions, you can always switch out ingredients for whatever someone has in the fridge that day. The techniques (steam fried meat, tempura fried and vinegared veggies, etc.) are what are important. Feel free to try sweet potatoes instead of mushrooms, shredded carrots in place of cucumbers, add a fresh fruit or veggie of your choice, whatever you like Just have fun making Ramen less boring (preferably with friends).

Yields

2 (but easily multiplied for larger parties)

Directions

Prepare the ingredients and make the dressing: Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Snap off and discard the stem ends of the beans; halve on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut the tomato into 1-inch-wide wedges. In a bowl, combine the sugar, sesame oil, ¾ of the vinegar, half the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of water; stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cut the cucumber into ¼-inch-thick rounds; transfer to a bowl and toss with half the remaining vinegar.
Cook the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned. Flip the chicken and add ½ cup of water to the pan. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the water has cooked off. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside to cool.
Mushroom tempura: While the chicken continues to cook, in a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour and ¼ cup of water until smooth; season with salt and pepper. In the pan used to cook the chicken, heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Once the oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles immediately when added, working in batches, dip the mushrooms in the batter (letting any excess drip off). Carefully add the coated mushrooms to the pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt and pepper
Blanch the beans: While the chicken cooks, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Add the beans to the pot of boiling water and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked beans to the bowl of ice water, leaving the pot of water boiling. Let the beans stand until completely cool. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Shred and coat the chicken: Using 2 forks, shred the cooked chicken into large pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the white bottoms of the scallions, remaining soy sauce, and remaining vinegar. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Cook the noodles: Add the noodles to the same pot of boiling water, stirring gently to separate. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly; rinse under cold water for 20 to 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Divide between 2 bowls.
Dress the noodles and plate your dish: Season the tomato and blanched beans with salt and pepper. Top the bowls of cooked noodles with the dressing, coated chicken, marinated cucumber and seasoned tomato and beans. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!