Modern Ramen done right

They offer a variety of flavors and come in packs of 10. For a dinner portion, I suggest 2 packets. Follow instructions.

This has sous vide pork tenderloin that was marinated in ginger, tamari, garlic and white pepper.  141f for 90min, then seared to finish.  Of course, you can use any grilled protein of your choice, prepared how you like it.

For Sides & Service

Easy to Make!

It comes together quick, and the dough for the crust can be made a couple of days in advance.

Recipe is featured below for easy saving.

For Sides & Service

The Bird

Crushed garlic, grated ginger, lime juice, soy, cilantro, cumin,
Madras curry powder, olive oil a dash or two of mirin. Massage into chicken and marinate 8 hours, preferably
overnight.

SAUCE:                                                                                  28oz can of par peeled San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
1 yellow onion, pureed
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1T Cumin
1T Coriander
1T Ginger, fresh grated
Half a stick of butter
1 cup heavy cream
Sweat onion puree over medium heat until translucent, add crushed garlic and brown.  Add ginger and dry spices and cook until fragrant.  Add tomato, bring to simmer, remove from heat, add cream, return to simmer, kill heat and finish with butter.

CHICKEN:                                                                             Brown chicken, low and slow, skin side down in a heavy
bottomed, oven safe pan to render as much fat from skin as
possible (If you are not using skin on bird, omit this step). While browning, preheat oven to 350f.  Once chicken is rendered (about 30min) turn over and place whole pan in oven.  Cook for an additional 20-30min.
Juices should run clear, or an internal temp of 165f.

Service

Plate how you see fit. Garnish with slivered ginger, sliced chilis, cilantro and lime segments. Serve over rice, or with coriander turmeric roasted potatoes with spring peas.

How do you like yours?

Good steak doesn't need much adulteration. NY Strip, again with the sous vide 131f for 90min, pat dry, seasoned with sea salt and pan seared then finished with cracked black pepper.

The Eggs: The perfect soft boiled egg can be a bit finicky, but I promise this takes a lot of the guess work out of it and they come out great.

Get a pot on the stove with just enough water to cover, bring to a medium boil.  Set timer for 6min. Cold large eggs straight from the fridge into the steady boil, start timer. While the eggs are working, prepare an ice bath.  6min done, eggs go straight into ice water until you can't feel it radiating any heat when you hold it in your hand for a min. that way it's not cold through, but has stopped all cooking and cooled it just enough.  The hot broth will warm it a bit.

*Pro-Tip* Not necessary, BUT, if you take a thumbtack, and pierce the shell at the bottom of the egg, you won't get the little air bubble dent in the white, and if you keep the eggs moving in the pot for the first couple min the yolks will stay in the center.

Toppings, so many toppings.

There is no right or wrong to this, if you enjoy it that is all that matters.  For this one, I went with quick pickled carrot & ginger, green onions (tips and tails), crispy garlic chips, 6min eggs, chili oil, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

This one is a keeper.

To make this super simple, I'll suggest store bought yellow cake mix as the base.  If you have a yellow cake base recipe that you prefer, go for it, just sub out the wet for what I'm doing.
1 box yellow cake mix.  1 cup apple cider.  1/2 cup applesauce.  2T brown sugar.  1T cinnamon.  1t vanilla extract.  3 eggs. That's it. A dd the wet to the dry, mix and either pan into cupcake molds, a loaf pan or 10inch bundt pan.

Icing...or not?

You can really just dust these with a mix of granulated sugar and cinnamon, a la cinnamon toast style, OR, you can make a butter cream with unsalted butter, powdered sugar, a little heavy cream and vanilla extract.   Mix in some cinnamon for a little more spice, and top with raw sugar.

Gotta' Go Soup

Like a lot of great soups, this is the result of ingredients that had to go.
Start by sweating down 3 large leeks and 4 cloves of minced garlic over medium heat in about 1T of butter, and 1T of olive oil...salt and pepper to taste.  Should take about 10min, you want them very tender. Add a Bay Leaf here if you've got it, if not, no big whoop.
Into this add about 2lbs of potatoes, large diced.  I used Russet Potatoes.  Cover with low sodium veggie (for a vegetarian option) OR low sodium chicken stock.  Bring to simmer and let go until potatoes are tender, about 12min or so.  Remove from heat.
Using an immersion blender, zip up the mix until nice and smooth.  Put back on heat, bring to simmer and add about 3 sprigs worth of fresh thyme, then finish with about 1c of heavy cream and blend thoroughly.

To Top or Not

There are few thing that bacon can't make better.  So I opt for bacon. Crispy, well rendered, coarsely chopped bacon. A little drizzle of heavy cream or good quality olive oil is also a nice touch to finish if you'd like to keep it vegetarian.