Ramen Cheesy Noodles

Before I get today's food porn, I need to announce the winner of the Eat Vegan on $4 a Day giveaway! Congrats to Kim from Vegan Conversion Challenge! And thanks to all else who participated.

And now ... on to the ramen. Who says everybody's favorite curly, fried noodle has to be flavored with those little silver packets? I mean, those are delicious and all. But sometimes a girl needs some variety in her life. In Ramen to the Rescue, which I reviewed here a few weeks back, there are all kinds of non-traditional uses for ramen. Case in point — Kale Cheddar Noodle Casserole:

Wh-wh-what?! That's all my favorite foods – kale, Daiya, and ramen — wrapped up into one cute little lasagna-esque square. The only fave foods missing are French fries and popcorn, but that would be gross.

The recipe wasn't vegan since Ramen to the Rescue isn't a vegan (or even vegetarian) cookbook. But it was easily veganized since this dish was already meatless. I used Daiya Cheddar for the cup of cheese in the recipe, and it melted perfectly in the oven. I also subbed out coconut milk (the drinking kind) for dairy milk and Earth Balance for the butter.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the cooked, baked ramen and kale casserole is topped with chopped, uncooked ramen mixed with vegan butter, salt, and garlic powder. I can think of no better thing to top ramen with than more ramen. Yep, that's pretty much my fantasy meal. But it was totally real.

Ramen to the Rescue!

I rarely review cookbooks that aren't vegan, but sometimes a cookbook's theme is so awesome that I just can't turn down a free copy in exchange for a review. I always warn the publisher that I'm vegan, so I can't review all of the recipes, but if they don't mind me subbing out vegan ingredients, I don't mind giving it a shot.

Y'all know how I love ramen noodles, right? Well, even though Ramen to the Rescue isn't vegan, it seems like the perfect book for me. Every single recipe in this book contains ramen, and there's even a "Meatless Meals" section. The meatless chapter isn't totally vegan, but it's easy to substitute out soymilk and Daiya for dairy milk or cheese. Most recipes in other areas of the book are also easy to veganize, and there are accidentally vegan recipes peppered throughout the book.

I wanted to start with something crazy, like Ramen-Mallow Crispy Treats or Zucchini Boats with Ramen and Mushrooms. But I needed a quick side dish on Monday night, so I opted instead for the Asian Cabbage Slaw:

My mom makes the BEST ramen slaw in the world, and though nothing can touch hers, this one was pretty tasty and way more low in fat than my mom's. There's only a 1/2 teaspoon of oil in this recipe, but there's about a stick of vegan butter in my mom's!

This slaw also contains naba cabbage, snow peas, sliced almonds, cilantro, sesame seeds, and scallions mixed with a dressing of mustard, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. You're supposed to throw out the flavor packet (as is required in many recipes in this book), but I sprinkled a little of the packet into the slaw because I figured it could only enhance the taste. Most importantly, the slaw is topped with crunchy, raw ramen noodles. They soften a little in the dressing, but they maintain a nice crunch.

I'll be making more from this book throughout the month, and I'll share my thoughts here. Don't be surprised if you see Ramen Pizza, Blueberry Peach Crisp with Ramen-Oatmeal Topping, Ramen Pad Thai, or Spicy Peanut Noodle Wraps. All those recipes are in the book!