Miso Ramen with Chicken and Tofu - The good, the bad, and the history

7.8.10

Hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July and extended weekend. Mine was a 5-day weekend and it was awesome!  The only bad thing is I feel sick after the vacation. The positive thing is it happened after I got back! I guess this is even, yes?

Some of you may know that other than a salaried job I have volunteered my time to non-profit organizations in Seattle and I have enjoyed it. Luckily, the opportunity to write to this non-profit Asian Pacific newspaper called International Examiner came and I for sure didn't hesitate to grasp it.  Therefore, I'd like to make a quick sharing that my very first two articles are published in the July issue! I'm very excited because, oh my, I wouldn't have thought I would become a writer or write any articles! I'm so excited that I'm going to pick up a copy of the newspaper (it's free) , cut it, and keep it haha. You could say I'm crazy but I can't help it.  I am surprised myself that I'm still writing the blog and that have enjoyed it this much!

If you are bored and would like to know about what the Asian Pacific newspaper can offer, feel free to drop by their site. Here are my two articles for this issue:

History in the Baking - Why learning about the food pioneers ate reveals more about ourselves

What does ramen speak to you?-The good, the bad, and the history

Ramen is often referred to as instant ramen. That's what eaters tend to associate with. It's not always like that... Authentic and traditional ramen is time consuming. It's like a state-of-the-art kinda thing. If you have seen photos of Japanese kneading flour slowly and carefully to prepare noodles, you would know it requires skill to do so. It's a skill that has to be passed on from generation to generation.

The article will tell you all about it and I hope, and hope you like it. Before leaving this post (as my nose  is stuffed and I can't breath!), I'd like to share a miso ramen with chicken and tofu. I know it's hot  as heck in some cities but just in case you're craving a hot soup in summer like me, weirdo (smile)...

Miso Ramen with Chicken and Tofu

Serving: 2

Ingredients:

Chicken

1 skinless boneless chicken breast

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp white pepper

1 tsp chili oil

1 tsp vegetable oil

Tofu

8 firm tofu cubes, about 1 inch

1 TBS vegetable oil

Miso paste

4 TBS white miso paste

¼ cup sake

½ tsp sugar

1 tsp dashi no moto powder

½ tsp shichimi

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chili oil

Broth

1 carton plus 2 cups chicken stock, no salt added

8 fresh ginger slices

2 TBS julienne leek

miso paste from above (use all)

2 tsp dashi no moto powder

½ tsp white pepper

Toppings:

1 boiled egg cut in half lengthwise

2 TBS wakame (steep in hot water for 5 mins)

½ cup bean sprout

6 fish cake slices

1 tsp roasted white sesame seeds

1 tsp scallion (green and white part) cut in diagonal for garnish

Noodles:

9 oz ramen noodles

1 tsp Sesame oil, divide

Directions:

• Season chicken with salt, pepper, and oils. Set aside.
• Heat up a cast iron pan or a skillet with oil. Sear tofu both sides in a hot pan for about 2 mins on each side. After they’re done, set aside and cover with foil
• Heat up a grill to medium high heat or about 400 F; grill it for 7 mins on each side or to your desire of doneness. Let it sit for 10 mins. Cover with foil
• Make miso paste. Combine all the ingredients together. Wisk well. This can be done ahead of time
• Boil chicken stock in a medium saucepan, add ginger and leek. Let it simmer for 10 mins. In a meantime, cook noodle in boiled water for about 2 mins or follow the instruction on a package
• After the noodles are cooked, rinse and divide them into prepared bowl. Pour ½ tsp sesame oil over cooked noodle. Use your hand to coat noodle with oil
• Arrange all the toppings on top of noodle
• Add miso paste in soup pot. Wisk until it’s dissolved
• Add dashi no moto powder and white pepper to a soup
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop out ginger and leek
• Taste for correction
• The soup needs to be very hot. Pour the soup over prepared noodle
• Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions
• Enjoy!

Before:

After: I could finish it all. Yummy!