Taking Ramen to The Next Level!

Ramen has been enriching people’s lives since the mid 1900’s. When instant ramen was invented the world of noodles would be forever changed. It is so easy for anyone to be able to make these noodles, just boil them and add the flavor packet and you’ve got yourself some Japanese ramen! Most people just eat the ramen plain which is okay, but people need to really get creative and tap into their imagination to see what magical creations can become. This week I was going through my pantry and I found an old chicken ramen square. I remember some diced chicken that I had cooked earlier but didn’t know what to use it with, and after seeing the ramen my mind started to fill with soup ideas. So I chopped up some onions, jalapenos, cilantro and garlic and threw it in my pot on a medium-low fire. I also added some soy sauce and paprika. Letting these ingredient simmer before adding water really brings out an added flavor because of the light browning. Then I added only about a cup and a half of water and the seasoning packet and when that reached a boil I added my ramen square. While the ramen cooks in the broth add another cup of water, and egg and your precooked chicken and let it boil for another five minutes. Your finished product should be ready to enjoy. If you have any jalapenos or cilantro add them on top of your soup to make it more appealing. Your friends will think you ordered ramen from a Japanese restaurant! The best part is the money you save making it from home!

My pizza. Your Pie.

Being in school for a few years I have been in debates about what the ultimate college food is. We never seemed to reach an exact answer, but without fail pizza is listed very highly every single time. Around college areas there are many pizza places. One that is newer and caught my attention is Your Pie. Imagine a pizza restaurant that is similar to a Chipotle where you choose everything from the type of dough, meats, cheese and veggies! They also have salads and paninis, but I went for the pizza of course. I started with a wheat crust and then mixed classic red sauce with barbecue and hot sauce. I topped that with shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, bacon, sausage, and of course pineapple! Your Pie then takes your uncooked creation and sets it on fire in their wood-fired ovens. While waiting for my pie to finish baking I ordered some of their gelato in two flavors; butterfinger, and caramel cookie crunch. When the pizza came to my table I could really smell the hot sauce and bbq sauce mixed together along with the sweet scent from the pineapple. The cheese was overflowing over my toppings and mixed well with all of the other spicy and sweet flavors. The crust was lightly charred and was the perfect thickness. I was very impressed with the pizza overall and paid around $13 for my pie and gelato so it wasn’t too pricey for this cheap college student. To make things even better the sorority Alpha Chi Omega had their spirit night to raise money for their philanthropy (which is Domestic Violence Awareness) at this location. I got a good deal and supported a good cause. Nothing says college food more than pizza and ice cream!

Asian Creation Sensation!

Anytime I am looking for a place to go out for dinner or lunch after hanging out, so many different types of food venues arrive to my mind. From fast food to takeout and sit-down to food trucks, I will crave my appetite! More importantly of course is the food genres that come to my mind. One kind of food type that comes up almost every time without fail is Asian cuisine. Since growing up Chinese restaurants have been one of my favorite places to eat. I love how the menus have endless creations to try so you can really never get bored from one restaurant (unless you’re picky). From trying all different flavors and dishes over time you find out what kinds of meats, veggies, noodle and dressings you like the best. At Hawkers Asian Street Fare, they have a huge selection of all different dishes from all parts of Asia. Sometimes after a beach day I find myself heading to the Atlantic Beach location to have a quick lunch. Usually their pad thai is made with “Stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, chicken, eggs, bean sprouts, carrots, scallions and red chili pepper topped with crushed roasted peanuts and lime garnish”. Instead of getting it with regular pad thai noodles I substitute them from wider egg noodles because I think that with larger noodles, more sauce will carry from the noodles to your mouth giving you a more powerful taste. I have no way of actually proving that but that is what it feels like to me. I also switch the shrimp for beef which pretty much changes my pad thai into a pad see ew which is a dish similar to pad thai. My creations even cause my servers to think about the way they order their own food. The flavors from Hawkers are incredible and can easily turn anyone into an Asian food fanatic such as myself.

Bowl Bliss

For years people have been looking for ways to get their daily vegetable and fruit intake. I have always been one for eating fruits since I was a child. Smoothies have always been one of the many ways to eat your veggies and fruit. Smoothies have gained popularity due to social media and by adding a bowl rather than a cup. Social media has always hyped up food but Instagram has certainly taken things to the next level where everyone would post pictures of their creations. Smoothie bowls have been a big trend since around 2015. 

The smoothie bowl consists of a smoothie that is thicker than a regular smoothie. The thick consistency can be from using less liquid and more frozen ingredients. The Smoothie has to be thick because on top of these cold creations there will be toppings such as granola, coconut shavings and even as extravagant as pitaya or star fruit. Typically I like to make my bowls with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, and mangoes. Then I add water or mango nectar to help mix it up and then pour it into my bowl. From there I slice a banana and place it around the edge of the bowl. Then just add granola and top it off with some honey drizzle!

If you really want to take the next step to healthy bowls try adding more vegetables like carrots or spinach to get a smoother mix. You can add chia seed even protein powder depending on what your diet needs. Smoothie bowls are a smart, fun, and healthy way to obtain your daily nutrients. Their ability to be fully customizable gives makers creativity to do as they please and add their special take to this growing phenomenon.

Sugary Withdrawals

Ever since I was a toddler I have loved food more than most. I knew I would grow up to try all sorts of food from all different places around. With that love for food I also loved the different kinds of drinks that parried well with any culinary masterpieces. The first time I ever had a soft drink though, I knew my world was forever changed. Until this day I still have an obsession with soda that some might even call an unhealthy habit, literally. I find myself drinking twice the amount of soda compared to the amount of water that I need. While growing up my parents would be able to limit how much soda I drank and they taught me how to have a healthy diet and also to exercise regularly. Thankfully because of how I was raised I have not had any health problems that can come from drinking soda in large amounts like so many other American youth. Now that I live alone I still carried out this excessive drinking of soda where I was literally obsessed with it. I made a decision one day this summer to stop drinking soda and to see how long I could go without it. I mainly wanted to push myself to be healthier and cutting out my carbonated drink addiction would help largely. Many of my friends told me that I would be getting caffeine headaches and that I wouldn’t last more than 2 weeks. Well it has been nine weeks without drinking any soda and I haven’t had one headache yet! I will say that I am definitely missing the taste that I love from soft drinks. I don’t notice any difference in my physical appearance but I have noticed that I have more energy and don’t get tired as easily.  I am going to keep this up for as long as I can.