Ramen

Midnight Ramen: a quick meal for those who don't care if they turn into gremlins. It's late at night. You've just returned home from a long hard day of strenuous labor - day in which you had no time to stop for a proper meal. What to do? You've used up the leftover rice and beef from the other night. Hmm...there's some leftover chicken, but what to eat it with? It's time for another entry in the continuing "Ramen" series.

Ingredients:
1 pack instant Ramen Noodles (not in a cup)
1 leftover chicken breast (sliced or whole, preferably sliced)
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Amateur Chef's Steak Sauce
2-3 teaspoons Amateur Chef's Asian Spice
1 teaspoon Amateur Chef's Original Spice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 - 1 teaspoon peppercorn medley

Steak Sauce will be covered in a later post. For now you may substitute the same sauce from previous entry:
Teriyaki Sauce
Soy Sauce
Tabasco Sweet Asian Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Amateur Chef's Original Spice

Leftover chicken should be plain or lightly seasoned.

Process:
If leftover chicken is not already thinly sliced, do so.
In a large pot or medium sautée pan, add olive oil and stir diced onion over medium heat. Once onions begin to take color, add the chicken. Drizzle the steak sauce (or the replacement sauce) and stir. Add 1 teaspoon of AC's Asian Spice, 1/2 of the garlic and 1/4 of the peppercorn medley. Stir until onions have taken the color of the sauce, and chicken has warmed. Remove from heat and set aside.
In medium pot, add enough water to cover noodles. Add a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of AC's Original, and another of AC's Asian Spice. Add half of the peppercorn medley using a grinder or pre-ground pepper. (The fresher, the better) Cook Ramen as per instructions. For this recipe, I used chicken flavored, but you may use you favorite. Once noodles are ready, strain the water. To ensure the tenacity of the flavor, I like to add after noodles are strained. Add another 1/2 teaspoon of AC's Asian Spice, along with the garlic, and peppercorn medley. For a little added flavor, add a touch of the steak sauce. Stir to fully integrate spices.
In a large bowl, combine noodles, chicken and onion. Serve immediately.

Serves 1 or 2 people.

A better midnight ramen, you will be hard pressed to find - savory, tangy, sweet, spicy, and comfortingly warm. It is how a midnight snack should be.

Ramen

I'm always looking for ways to improve upon the ordinary ramen meal. Here's a simple one that is sure to become a favorite.

Ingredients:
1 Teriyaki Chicken breast
1 packet Ramen Instant Noodle Soup
1 cup sliced Onion
2-3 tablespoons Teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon Eric's Original Asian Spice

Procedure:
For this recipe I used a leftover Teriyaki Chicken breast. Slice the chicken widthwise into thin pieces and set aside in a bowl marinating in 1/3 of the teriyaki sauce for five minutes.
In a small pot, boil noodles in water for three minutes. Drain the water and then add the flavor packet. You may use whatever flavor you want; I chose the chicken flavor. Add a small amount of teriyaki and a pinch of the Asian Spice.
In another pot, cook the onion in 1/3 of the teriyaki sauce until the slices become translucent. Add the chicken, Asian Spice and any remaining teriyaki sauce. Stir until chicken is hot.
Serves 2. Serve either in one large bowl all mixed together or in two separate bowls.

This is a delicious way to enhance the ordinary ramen meal. I know you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

Chicken and Penne in Homemade Alfredo

Tonight I dazzled my fiancee's family with one of my signature dishes. I decided to share my dish with the internet as part of the Amateur Chef blog. As my first recipe post, I wanted to share one of my favorites. This dish is a favorite at my table and it could be one at yours as well. I have been working on this one for the last few years, and each time it keeps getting better. It is my take on a classic Italian dish. Chicken and Penne pasta served in my homemade Alfredo sauce.

Ingredients:
3 medium boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pound penne pasta
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 2 1/2 cups milk (your choice, I use 2%)
3 cups mixed Italian cheese (low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, provalone, romano, asiago, and parmesan. I used Kraft brand)
2 tablespoons Tuscany Blend (pepper, garlic, basil, onion, rosemary, tomato powder, sea salt, spices. from The Spice and Tea Exchange of Sarasota Florida)
1 to 2 teaspoon Emeril's Chicken Rub
2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground peppercorn medley (black, white, green, pink)

Instructions:
-Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and rub with 1/6 to 1/4 of the seasonings. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Add half of the olive oil into large saucepan and heat on medium high. Cook chicken and add more seasoning if needed. Remove chicken from pan, but do not drain. The liquid will be used in the alfredo sauce.
-Cook noodles as per instructions, and drain. Return noodles into the drained pot and add chicken.
-In the saucepan, add the remaining olive oil and return to medium high heat. Add the cheese in 1/4s and continually stir to prevent burning. Once half of the cheese is semi-melted (it wont melt entirely) add half of the milk and continue to stir. Add 1/3 of the seasoning. Repeat until all of the milk and cheese has been added. Once the sauce is the correct consistency (melty cheesy), pour into the pot and stir to evenly coat the noodles and chicken. Add the remaining seasoning and stir.
-Serve immediately. (serves 8)

Served with a side of broccoli and tuscan bread.
-steam broccoli, sprinkle any remaining cheese and serve
-Slice a loaf of Italian bread into 2/3 inch slices. Lightly coat with olive oil, lightly sprinkle the mixed cheese on top and a pinch of the tuscan seasoning. Toast at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

While I am neither sponsored or endorsed by Pepsicola, I enjoyed this meal with Sunkist Solar Fusion soda. It is a delightful tropical mandarin flavor and full of vitamins of all things. Whatever your preference of libation, if you prepare this dish for your friends and family they will definitely warm your table more often. Try it just once and you'll find out what I mean. This is a perfect dish for a date night as well. Just cut the recipe down to 1/4th of this, and you can have a nice candlelight dinner with your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner. With a glass of white wine at hand, it'll bring a little taste of Tuscany to your table.
Whether you're cooking for one, two, or even a dozen; have fun in the kitchen. Without enjoyment, food is just food. With the right attitude in the kitchen, you can make your dinner an experience never to forget. Take it from the amateur chef, your stomach will thank you for it.