Poor Man's Stir Fry

Ramen is an often maligned noodle. It's relegated in the public's hearts and minds to the bellies of cheap grad students. This is an unfair assessment of ramen (and perhaps also of grad students), because people lack imagination. In truth, ramen is your friend. When I was younger, my parents would often make ramen for a quick dinner, but they added meats and vegetables for a tasty boost to the otherwise boring noodles. In college, I poached eggs right in the ramen.

This time however, I have chosen to pan fry them. My grandparents have made chao mian (pan fried noodles) since I was a kid, and I love them. If you don't have high quality Chinese noodles on hand, ramen can do the job. Though the consistency is not quite right, it still makes for a good meal, a significant step up from a bowl of ramen and the old flavoring packet.

Ingredients

• 3 packages ramen noodles
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 tsp Maggi seasoning
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp chopped chives
• Splash of sesame oil
• Black pepper
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

Slice the onion and julienne the carrots. Heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Cook onions until they become translucent. Add beef, Maggi sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, and a splash of sesame oil. Turn up the heat and brown the beef. When the beef is partially cooked, add carrots and chives. Cook everything together until the onions and carrots are softened. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

While this is going on, get some lightly salted water boiling. Break each "cake" of ramen into two pieces, and boil for 3 minutes. Rinse and set aside until everything else is ready. Add in the noodles. Mix everything together, and let it sit on the heat for a minute. Toss again, then let it sit for another minute before serving. And remember, ramen is your friend.