This was intended for the Culinary Challenge. But I cooked this outdoors and didn't get back home in time to post by the deadline. Oh well - at least I had a fun day and a great meal! Yes, I said that -- I had a great meal from cheap packaged Ramen noodles!
This week's Culinary Challenge category was Asian noodles. Cheap Ramen noodles have been a staple for camping and backpacking for decades. They are light and fast to cook. On an extended trip, Ramen noodles are good because they are so cheap and sold at every little store. But Ramen noodles are boring - so boring! Just the noodles and a flavor packet.
But Ramen noodles can be made a lot better - even on the road or trail. There are three tactics for making them better -
- Add cheap ingredients from any little gas station or quick-mart on the road
- Add dehydrated vegetables from home
- Add weeds and other wild plants foraged outdoors
For the Culinary Challenge, I decided to head outdoors and do all three for some Super Outdoor Ramen Noodles. When I wanted to eat, I set up my little wood-fired backpacking stove.
Of course, wild plants make Ramen noodles better! Nearby, I found both dandelions and wild chives growing in deep leaves. The soil under the leaves was so loose, I could just use my hands to pull up the roots of both plants. Wild chives have small bulbs with a mild onion flavor.
I bought my Ramen noodles for 30 cents from a little Quick-Mart on my way. I also got a little pack of peanuts and a Teriyaki jerky stick. From home, I brought a mix of dehydrated cherry tomatoes and green peppers that I grew this summer, and dried wild Slippery Jack mushrooms. You can read more about foraging and using Slippery jacks (Suillus luteus) here and here.
Before I fire up my stove, I get my ingredients all ready. I use three parts of the dandelion: the peeled and chopped root (1), the leaves (3), and the heart of the plant just above the root (5), including the young flowerbuds still down in the plant's base. I use both the bulb (2) and the stems (4) of the wild chives. I lay out my dried vegetables (7, 8) and wild Slippery Jacks (6). And I slice the Teriyaki stick (9).
I put everything, except the dandelion leaves, in my little cookpot on the fire. I let it sizzle a little, then cover with water to start rehydrating the dried things. After a few minutes of simmering, I add water until the pot is about 3/4 full, and bring it all to a boil. When it's boiling, I add the dandelion greens. And I break up my Ramen noodles and add them to the cookpot. They only need to cook about three minutes. I stir in the little Ramen seasoning packet. And it's done!
Normally, I would just eat right out of the cookpot. But that's not so photogenic. So I brought a bowl, just so you can see my final Ramen noodles better. I top my Ramen noodles with roasted peanuts and that's it! It's time to eat! I've been outdoors all day, so I'm hungry! And these Ramen Noodles are not boring - they are great! This is a real meal, not just filler.
I let the wood in the stove burn all down while I eat. When the embers are burnt out, I dump the ashes and pack up my stove. You can see that there's not much left of the wood chunks and pinecones burned in the stove. I scatter the cold ashes and I'm outta there. I didn't make it home in time to post for the Culinary Challenge, but at least I had a nice day outdoors and I had a great meal. Cheap Ramen noodles don't have to be boring!
What Do You Think?
Do you use Ramen noodles when you are camping or hiking? Do you add other things to them? Do you add any weeds or other wild plants that you forage? I want to hear from you!
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