Ramen and a 40 - Garlic and Herb Ramen

Lately, me and Vanessa have been discussing adding a feature to the site that would be like punk rock Martha Stewart advice. It would include recipes, sewing tips, and everything else punk rockers should know to get by.

I want submissions from everyone! If you know a good cheap recipe, the best way to sew a patch on, the best way to make a stencil, or whatever - send it in to me at crystalsecretin@gmail.com

We'll start this week with a super cheap and tasty recipe that can be made vegan, vegetarian, or regular. I made this recipe up when I first moved out and was cooking for me and Mickie on a REALLY tight budget. It only take about ten minutes to make and is way superior to the plain ol' top ramen.


GARLIC AND HERB RAMEN (VEGAN AND REGULAR)
By Crystal Case

INGREDIENTS

1 Top Ramen packet of any flavor
1/2 cup of frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, etc)
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder

OPTIONAL

Basil, Thyme, etc. (any seasonings you like)
Minced Garlic
Minced Onions
Lime Juice
Dried Bell Pepper
Leftover Meat (chicken, steak, etc)
Tofu or Other Fake Meat Products

DIRECTIONS

Put 2 1/2 or 3 cups of water in a small pan. Use more or less water depending on how much broth you want in your soup. Place the pan on the burner on HIGH and add the mixed vegetables. While it is heating up, take the STILL SEALED ramen package and break the noodles into smaller chunks. I do this because I eat my ramen like soup with a spoon and long noodles are damn near impossible to manage. If you like long noodles, or eat your ramen with a fork, you might want to leave them unbroken. Add the noodles to the water and wait for it to come to a full boil. Let it fully boil for no more than thirty seconds to a minute. Any longer than that and the noodles will become soggy and overcooked. Remove the pan from the burner and pour the contents into a bowl.

Stir in the seasoning packet that is included with the ramen. I find this recipe works best with the pork and beef flavored ramen, but it works with everything else too. If you want to make this recipe vegan, simply throw the packet away. Even the vegetable flavor now contains chicken broth and MSG. Now, add dashes of pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. It doesn't take much to totally change the taste of the soup. If you are making this vegan you will need to add more than a dash of each ingredient to make up for the lack of seasoning. Add any other ingredients you wish to try at this time. If you have minced garlic, add a spoonful.

Now enjoy! You'll find that it totally changes the taste of the ramen and the added vegetables make it a lot more filling.

NOTE - if you're hungry as fuck and don't want to wait for it to cool down, try tossing a couple of ice cubes in it.