Page 69 - Spring2018

side, topped with a dollop of sauerkraut and or summer squash.
homemade dressing, and you can’t miss. Regardless of the noodles used, one only need add some diced veg-
etables, minced cooked pork or seafood, herbs, garlic, shoyu or tamari
THE COLLEGE STUDENT’S STAPLE and a drizzle of sesame oil to have a nutritious, easy-to-make and satisfy-
I remember being young (and rather fool- ing meal that is also inexpensive. In our home, this is a favorite with our
ish), on a very tight budget and hungry back in kids, who prepare it very often on busy days when mom isn’t available
the early 1980s. There before me in the grocery to make their lunch.
store aisle were row upon row of cheap, flavored Like ramen, everyone loves spaghetti with meatballs in tomato
ramen noodles—the answer to the stomach’s sauce, right? Making a homemade sauce is not a big problem for most
need to be filled! Or was it? people—homemade sauce is easy, tastes better and can be made with
For a short time I enjoyed indulging in homegrown or other organic tomatoes. On the other hand, considering the
package after package of those strange, easy aforementioned problems with conventional grains, the more important
and somewhat filling “meals.” My mother was choice may be to use sourdough bread crumbs or ground pork rinds in
no great cook, and I already was quite familiar your meatballs instead of purchased bread crumbs or panko. In addition,
with those little cubes called “bouillon” that organic and grass-fed ground beef will provide not only wonderful flavor
provided so much flavor to the meals she made. but better nutrition.
Ramen noodles seemed similar and were not a A spiralizer can make fast work of zucchini or summer squash,
big deal to me initially, because I had no idea turning them into delicious “pasta” to carry all that goodness into your
there was such a thing as real bone broth. One mouth. (Grocery stores now carry these freshly prepared vegetable
day, however, I read the ramen package and “noodles” in the produce section.) Or, for excellent flavor and added nu-
knew with certainty that I could not continue to trients, try making lasagna with thinly sliced, steamed zucchini instead
eat them. Even though I hadn’t a clue about real of traditional lasagna noodles. Topping the lasagna off with real aged
nutrition at that time, I knew very well that if Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated, will lift the flavor
I couldn’t pronounce an ingredient, it probably to the sublime!
didn’t belong in my body. And besides, there
were those migraine headaches I was getting REAL ICE CREAM
from MSG in its many forms (see sidebar be- Most people have come to expect cake from a box (at best) or the
low). In short, I was beginning to understand typical, overly sweet birthday cake purchased from the local grocery store
(as I hope my readers do as well). bakery, smothered in brightly colored icing made with shortening, sugar
These days, a wide variety of soups, includ- and neurotoxic food coloring. People top that off with ice cream contain-
ing a more traditional, healthy and delicious ing the same fake colors and flavors, along with high fructose corn syrup
version of ramen noodles, grace our table and even antifreeze (propylene glycol), which is a standard ingredient in
frequently. I make them using that wonderful, nearly all commercial ice creams. Although some might say, “If the U.S.
health-giving food we all have learned to know Food and Drug Administration says it’s safe for us to ingest, who are we
and love—real meat stock and bone broth. For to question it?” But this is not okay! So what is a concerned parent to do?
the noodle component, I may use “glass” noo- Our family has made many cakes with sourdough, sprouted grains
dles (made from a type of sweet potato starch or alternative non-grain flours. Last year for one child’s birthday I even
or mung beans), soaked rice or occasionally took a sourdough bundt cake to a church gathering where almost no one
brown-rice-and-millet dried ramen noodles, is interested in “health food.” My expectation was that most people would
available at Costco and Asian markets. When pass by such a creation and that my family would eat the cake and have
it is just my husband and myself, we prefer a leftovers for home. In fact, nearly everyone at the gathering had a piece
simple but lovely “ramen” of spiralized zucchini and devoured it. Several people even begged for the recipe!

WHAT IS IT?

Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, salt, contains less
than 2% of: autolyzed yeast extract, calcium silicate, citric acid, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, dried leek flake,
garlic powder, hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate, natural and artificial
flavor, onion powder, potassium carbonate, powdered chicken, rendered chicken fat, sodium alginate, sodium carbonate,
sodium tripolyphosphate, soybean, spice and color, sugar, TBHQ (preservative), wheat.
Answer: Store-bought ramen noodles.

SPRING 2018 Wise Traditions 67