Make a Real Asian Meal From a Pack of Ramen Noodles...

Ramen noodles aren't really good for you, but I've tinkered around with variations on a regular old pack of them and this turned out pretty good. You need some additional ingredients but they are cheap and worth it. Also helps if you have a bottle of white wine in the house, something cheap for drinking that you can also use to cook with a bit. Try it out!

Step 1: Ingredients Required (FOR 2)

2 bags of Ramen Noodles (not in a cup, in a plastic bag, any flavor but I like Shrimp) 
Small package of pork ribs, the short kind from the supermarket butcher, without bones 
Scallions
Grated Ginger
Chopped herbs, such as thai basil or cilantro 
Small amount of white wine, doesn't have to be good quality
Pickled vegetables, like radish or even kimchee would work 
Sliced tomatoes (optional) 

Step 2: Roast Pork Ribs

Take any kind of oven-safe dish and line with foil and coat with olive oil. Season little pork ribs according to taste and roast them in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until they are browning and roasting nicely. After they are done, take them out and let them turn to room temperature. After they have cooled, cut them into slices, cartilage and all (the best part for me). 

Step 3: Cook Ramen Noodles and Noodle Base Separately!

This might seem like an unnecessary step, but the noodles make water cloudy and we are treating the seasoning packet like a true soup base for a clear soup to be eaten separately so we don't want the noodles clouding it up.

Boil 3 cups of water and add both seasoning packets, diced scallions, and some shredded ginger. Add a few slugs of white wine to this broth. Keep warm and set aside. 

Cook separately in plain water the ramen noodles, undercooking them so they remain firm. Remove them from water and set aside in a bowl to chill. 

Step 4: Arrange Noodles!

On a plate, organize chopped pickled veggies, cold noodles, some chopped herbs (any kind would do, cilantro, thai basil, etc) and slices of the cold pork. I like to have these all in separate lines, it looks cool. You could also add some chopped fresh tomatoes to this part. 

Ladle the broth into bowls or mugs and eat in addition to your cold noodle/salad dish. It is absolutely delicious and even though it requires a few steps it makes you look at your ramen packets differently! 

Enjoy!