Reduced-Guilt Ramen Noodles

I craved ramen incessantly during my first trimester of pregnancy, but I couldn’t shake the guilt that came from knowing how nutritionally useless ramen was for me and my growing child.  So, I read the ingredients list and tried a few things until I got something that came out right most of the time.

At first I would just add my own seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper) to the packaged ramen noodles as they boiled and just not use the flavor packet (which is the really unhealthy part of the whole experience).  Later, I would add an egg or frozen broccoli to the mix so it looked and felt a little more like food.  Now, since I’ve gotten better at feeding my hunger before I’m ready to eat my own fingers, I can put a little bit more time into it and make something with some actual nutritional value.

So, this is how I did it yesterday (it’s a little different every time):

Boil water in a medium-sized pot – about half full.

Add about a pound of pasta noodles.  I used half white elbows and half wheat elbows.  Set timer for “al dente” time on the box.

·         Short kinds (rigatoni, elbows, bows, etc.) work the best.  Spaghetti broken up could be good too.

Add two generous tablespoons full of “Better Than Bouillon” brand chicken base.

·         Forgive the plug for this brand, it really is the best.

·         Chicken, or beef, or whatever kind of bouillon you like the best is the most important ingredient in this recipe, so don’t be stingy when deciding how much to put in.

Add the other spices quickly-ish, stirring them in occasionally, so there’s time for all the flavors to blend.  I don’t measure, and you’re tastes will be different anyway:

·         Seasoning salt (mine has chili powder in it, so I don’t add chili powder when I use this).

·         Oregano (for Italian flavor.  Don’t add too much; it’s a strong flavor and hard to reverse.)

·         Pepper (mine is coarse ground)

·         Garlic powder

·         Parsley – just a dash

Let it all boil together until the pasta is done.

It would probably be a good idea to taste the broth to see if it needs to be adjusted before it’s done, but I’m a wimp when it comes to hot stuff so I usually don’t.  

When the timer goes off, lunch is ready.  Don’t drain it – just spoon out into bowls and enjoy!

I ended up adding a little water to my first bowl of it so it wasn’t as strong, but my daughter liked it as-is.  If you want to hit another food group, you can add frozen veggies when you add the spices or (especially if carrots are involved) when you first turn on the burner to boil the water, and adjust the amount of water and spices accordingly.  Or you can just steam some to serve on the side.  Experiment and have fun!  Good luck!