Miles Of Melodies

There are days when I come home from work, having loosely planned dinner on the drive home, only to realize that none of the meat defrosted in the fridge. Today was one of those days. My 48 oz of ground beef sat mockingly in my fridge shelf, making it clear that spaghetti was not happening. I knew I had to think fast while my toddler was still occupied with his toys. After a quick (and slightly panicked) glance around my kitchen, I settle on ramen. What I love about this dish is that it’s truly endlessly customizable. Just toss together whatever you have at hand, and it’s good to go!

Welcome to Purge Our Pantry, a fun little series where we make the most of what’s already in our kitchens. The purpose is to stretch meals, minimize waste, and turn everyday staples into something a little special.

And because I personally can’t stand scrolling for 10 paragraphs just to get to a recipe, I’ll get right to it. The story and tips come after for those of you who want a little more context or connection.

Ingredients

• 19 oz Pork Gyoza Potstickers frozen bag
• Frozen Raw Medium Shrimp (Tail off, Peeled and Deveined)
• 12 count box of Maruchan Chicken Flavor Ramen
• 4 ish cups water
• Avocado (or any other neutral oil)
• Optional Add-Ins (Use what you have at your disposal!)
  • Garlic
  • Onion Powder
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Mushrooms
  • Scallions
  • Seaweed
  • Bok Choy
  • Boiled Egg
  • Sliced carrots
  • Snap Peas
  • Chili Flakes

Steps

1. Oil your pan and in a medium heat, fry your (frozen) potstickers and shrimp until cooked. Use as many as you’d want to eat. I trust your gut!
2. Boil 4 cups of water in high heat. Add more if you’d like it brothier as I swear the noodles get to drinking up the soup before I do.
3. Once the water starts boiling, cook the dried ramen noodles while setting the seasoning packets aside. I used two ramen packets for my family’s dinner, but you do you.
4. When the noodles are cooked, I like to pour the seasoning packets in the ramen pot, or you can make your own blend. This is your Remy from Ratatouille moment!
5. When I am serving these up, I just scoop out the ramen and broth, and top it with the potstickers and shrimp. For my toddler, I cut everything up into smaller pieces using a kitchen scissors; it’s much quicker that way.

And there you have it! A humble, hearty, no-thaw-needed dinner that can come together in as little as five minutes or fifteen if you want that extra razzle dazzle.

You’ll notice that I don’t do hard measurements, serving sizes, or even timers. That’s intentional. I cook with my heart, not with tablespoons and measuring cups. I want you to feel free to tailor your meals to your own taste, budget, and time. I don’t want anyone bogged down by my way of doing this. This recipe can be adjusted to whatever your tastebuds and wallet desire.

If you do choose to make your own version, I’d love to hear what you went with. Here’s to reducing our food waste and actually eating what we buy!