By Daniel Troise, Marketing Intern, SEMCA

**NOTE:   The Sharp 30″ Drop-In Radiant Cooktop (SDH3042DB) or the 24″ Drop-In Radiant Cooktop (SCR2442FB) are not sold in Canada, however these recipes will work on any stovetop.

Last year at this time, I was on a plane coming back from Montreal, logging into my email to see if the travel company to see if they got the last payment for my 2-week excursion through China. Flash forward 12 months later (you can see where this is going), I am laying in my bed under a blanket going through virtual tours of the Great Wall of China online. The bottom line is this; we have seen many changes over the past year, and those who love to travel have had to put their plans on hold while the world heals. While I can’t be eating a pasta dish in Italy or zip-lining through Costa Rica, there is no reason that we can’t tap into our cultural side through fine cuisine by one of the best chefs I know (yes, that is you!)

One of my resolutions for the new year is to try new foods and get a bit more innovative in the kitchen. Looking through Pinterest boards and reading numerous food blogs, I have found a new uplifting trend of transforming basic Ramen into a culturally appetizing meal. While I viewed Ramen as a quick and simple meal in the past to avoid a lot of meal prep and time, it makes sense to take a guilty pleasure of mine to the next level.

Throughout this Ramen recipe roundup, I plan to showcase some of my most favored recipes containing Ramen derived from countries around the world. From stops in Europe, Asia, and Africa, we will travel to these exotic and breathtaking destinations through these amazing cuisines and creations.

East Asian Ramen Noodles

The first time I was introduced to ramen noodles was my freshman year of college when I had $4 to my name, and they were one of the most affordable things on the shelves. While that chapter has ended in my life, they continue to be a guilty pleasure of mine and something I enjoy whipping up in the kitchen when my stomach begins to growl. Between the amazing taste and the simplicity behind the preparation, I am looking forward to sharing with you some interesting takes on ramen to take it up a notch.

To start our journey worldwide, I want to share this amazing recipe from “Self-Proclaimed Foodie” calling for Asian Ramen Noodles. I decided to start with more of a traditional (but tasty) option to ease into this roundup.

So, what do you say, want to create a flavorful dish in under 20 minutes? Rummage through your kitchen cabinets and head on over to the grocery store to find the obvious ramen noodles (8 oz.), toasted sesame oil (2 teaspoons), minced garlic (2 cloves), grated ginger (1 teaspoon), soy sauce (3 tablespoons). You will also want to have a tablespoon of each of the following: fish sauce, sesame seeds, brown sugar, and a ½ teaspoon of chili paste.

I know all those ingredients sound tasty, and in a span of 10 minutes, you are going to go from a countertop spread out to a delicious meal on the table. Don’t believe me? Set the timer and go!

1. Grab a pot from your kitchen and boil the Ramen noodles in water. If you follow the packaging directions (without the seasoning), it should take approximately 4 minutes. Once it is good to go, drain it and set it aside.
2. Take the sesame oil and heat it using a saucepan or a small skillet (either one will work). Over medium heat will be ideal.
3. Next, you are going to want to cook the ginger and garlic. This will take about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Head over to the counter and gather the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame seeds, brown sugar, and chili paste. Take the pan off from the heat and whisk it together.
5. Finally, take the drained noodles and mix them with the newfound (and yummy) sauce. If you feel a little gourmet, feel free to garnish the topping with green onion and additional sesame seeds.

Spicy Korean (Ramen) Noodles

While I know we have already traveled to Eastern Asia through this ramen recipe roundup, I decided that it may be the best thing to take a layover in Korea before heading to other international hotspots. Personally, I have always had a strong interest in South Korean culture, and included in their culture is the food. When I was 5 years old, two of my best friends were twins born in South Korea, and throughout our friendships, I was slowly introduced to the Korean way of life.

Given this background and as a tribute to my friends, I have decided that it would be perfect to showcase the Spicy Korean Beach Ramen Noodles recipe from “Crème de la Crumb.” After you are done putting this masterpiece together, you will probably wonder why it isn’t photographed and on a major food television network. This under 30-minute recipe from start to finish has already been proven to be a tasty option for many, with people quoting it as an “easy and flavorful dish recipe” and “I went back for seconds.” If that isn’t enough for you to already be non your way to the kitchen, someone even rated it “20 stars”.

You know the drill, put on a mask and head on over to the grocery market or place your order on your phone and pick up a flank steak (1 lb.), gochujang (4 tablespoons), and two tablespoons of the following: thinly sliced green onions, oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar. Also, make sure you add ground ginger (1 teaspoon), sesame oil (1 tablespoon), beef ramen with seasoning (2 packages), a ½ thinly sliced white onion, and a ½ of sliced mushrooms to your cart. Lastly, make sure you have 4 tablespoons of each, minced garlic, and sugar.

1. Grab a small bowl and gather the gochujang, green onions, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and sugar to whisk it together.
2. Go in your drawer and grab a large Ziploc bag, pouring half of the whisked mixture into it, adding the in the steak. Seal it and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Cover up the remaining sauce and place it in the refrigerator. Keep it nearby as we will use it soon.
3. Next, take the oil and drizzle it onto a large pan over medium heat. Take the steak and the Ziploc bag out of the fridge and use tongs to place the steak (keep everything else in the bag) in the pan. Cook it on each side for approximately 5-8 minutes until it looks brown on the outside.
4. Once the steak is good to go, place it on a large cutting board. Now, remember that bag I said to keep nearby. Place the remaining marinade and the onions, mushrooms, ramen noodles, and ramen seasoning into the pan with water until it simmers. Allow it to cook for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Head on back to the steak and slice it thinly across the grain. Take the steak strip and place it in the remaining sauce you placed in the fridge, stirring everything together. Cook it until the steak is hot throughout the garnish for a few minutes. Serve it (add green onions for extra taste) and enjoy!

Italian Style Chicken Ramen

It was set up perfectly, a family vacation to Italy set for the summer. Between my parent’s milestone wedding anniversary and birthdays within a short amount of time, we decided that it was finally time to do something we have always talked about. That was a family vacation to Italy. Between my parent and all my grandparents being born in the US, my great grandparents immigrated to this country from Italy; therefore, my roots have been a bit distant. While I was all set and began planning for one of the best trips ever, you know what happened (yes, a global pandemic), and the trip was put on hiatus.

While I may not be jetting off for a fun-filled week at the Amalfi Coast, I figured I would do the next best thing and visit the boot-shaped country through this recipe roundup. If you have followed my work and recipe highlights on Simply Better Living, you probably find no surprise that I included an Italian-style dish within it. Dubbed as a “classic chicken ramen bowl with an Italian twist,” it is surely a win in the kitchen. Join me in the journey on how to make

Between the broth and the topping, we will need quite a few items, so let’s jump into it. To start with the broth, we will want to make sure we grab a shopping cart and put in extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons), a ½ cup of the following: diced celery, diced carrots, diced onions, and then salt (2 teaspoons). You are also going to want to add fresh ground pepper (1 teaspoon), red pepper flakes (1 tablespoon), chopped garlic in water (1 tablespoon), 2 anchovy fillets, 4 thyme sprigs, 2 basil springs, chicken stock (64 oz.), and a pound of noodles.

This is already sounding yummy, and I haven’t even gotten to the toppings yet. For this, you are going to need 4 large eggs, a shredded rotisserie chicken blanches broccolini (1 lb.), thinly sliced radishes (1/2 lb.), and diced white and green onions.

Let’s begin!

1. Grab a large saucepan and heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Then cook the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper until they are soft. This should take approximately 8 minutes. Once ready, add the red pepper flakes, anchovies, thyme, and basil and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
2. Make sure to reduce the heat and add in the chicken stock, simmering it for approximately 20 minutes. After that, make sure to remove the basil and thyme before you add in the noodles.
3. Next, grab an additional large pot and boil up some water (add some salt to make it boil a bit faster). Once boiling, add in the eggs and cook them for about 5 minutes. Additionally, while the eggs cook, grabs a large bowl and fills it with cold water; once the 5 minutes is up, place the eggs in the bowl carefully and give it about 2 minutes to cool down. Peel the eggs and halve them the long way.
4. Finally, place the noodles and broth into bowls, topping each of them with chicken, broccolini, radishes, green onions, and egg halves.

Nigerian Beef and Ramen Noodle Pepper Soup

For many years, one of my dream vacation destinations has been to spend some time and travel throughout the entire continent of Africa. Between swimming with Great White Sharks in Cape Town, feeding giraffes at dinner in Kenya, the countless safaris, and everything in between. While all these are amazing landscapes, I believe that our next destination will be Nigeria’s green jungles. While we can’t hop on a truck and view these beautiful gifts from Mother Nature, we can imagine ourselves there through the amazing cuisine (while getting to cure our spice tooth).

One of my new year’s resolutions is to venture around the globe (virtually, of course) and research and taste some amazing recipes and dishes from continents around the world. So, when I thought of an around the world concept for this recipe roundup, I ran with it and was able to find this taste worthy Nigerian Beef and Ramen Noodle Pepper Soup from “Foods From Africa.” This flavorful and low-calorie creation is perfect for any occasion. Hey, the occasion could be right now, right?

Head on over to your local market and get some ingredients for the bone broth and pepper soup. For the broth, make sure to pick up grass-fed beef bones (2 kg.), 2 tablespoons of each alligator pepper, Jamaican nutmeg, and African negro pepper. 3 carrots, 2 onions, and garlic clove (yum!).

For the pepper soup, ensure that you have a bone broth (1.5 liters), grass-fed beef fillet (400 g.), Thai basil (50 g.), and ramen noodles (240 g.). Also, be sure to pick up another onion, garlic clove, a beef stock cube, and de-seeded scotch bonnet pepper. Are you ready?

Bone Broth

1. First, take out a Dutch oven and place the beef bones within it, covering it with cold water. Set it on high heat for approximately 20 minutes allowing for the bone to simmer. Once ready, remove the heat and drain the liquid.
2. Next, you are going to preheat your oven to 350°C, placing all the bones you have blanched on a baking sheet, and roast them until they are brown. This should take about 40-50 minutes.
3. Take the bones and place them into the Dutch Oven, adding about 4 liters of water and all of the spices, including alligator pepper, negro pepper, and Jamaican nutmeg. Set it to bring a low boil and take away any scum that may rise to the top. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for approximately 6-12 hours, ensuring enough water to keep the bones covered. Trust me; it will be worth the wait.
4. Approximately 3 hours towards the simmering end, add in the onions, garlic, and carrots, letting it simmer for 3-4 hours.
5. Finally, you are going to discard the bones and strain them through a sieve. Let it cool, then take out a mason jar or a large secure bowl, placing it in the freezer. The coolest part? If you plan on using it beyond a week later, you can place it in s secure freezer bag and use it up to 6 months later if unopened!

Peppercorn Soup

1. First, you can prepare your fillet of beef to cook by rubbing a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over the meat. For a little kick, add some salt and black pepper (I know I would, but it is totally up to you).
2. Grab a skillet and place it on your Sharp 30″ Drop-In Radiant Cooktop. In there, you will want to add a teaspoon of olive oil, giving it a few minutes to warm up.
3. When ready, transfer the beef into the pan and let it fry for approximately 5 minutes, constantly turning the meat. This will make sure each side is properly browned (and each bite is tasty). Once the 5 minutes is up, please remove it from the cooktop and cover it, setting it aside.
4. Next, you will want to preheat your oven to about 375 degrees and add the chopped onions and garlic into a skillet for about 2-3 minutes. To help make the pan a bit less sticky, throw in a tiny bit of bone broth and place everything from the skillet to the Dutch oven.
5. Add in the bone broth, stock cube, scotch bonnet pepper, and salt, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer cover for 15 – 20 minutes. After that, place the browned fillet in the oven, allowing it to roast for approximately 10 minutes.
6. While everything is getting all roasted and tasty, now would be a great time to prepare the Ramen noodles. Utilize the package instructions and follow them accordingly, not overcooking them (slightly al-dente is key). Remove the beef from the oven and slice into about half-inch-thick slices. It should be rare (and delicious).
7. Finally, take the beef slices, chopped basil, and ramen noodles and place them in the Dutch oven. Let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes and enjoy!

Tahini Miso Ramen with Crispy Tofu

We have one last travel voucher left in our pack and one place for a stamp left on our passport. Can you guess where we will visit next? I’ll give you a hint; it has beautiful hills and sands, as well as a rich culture. We are going to the Middle East! While I have never been personally, I have heard nothing but great things about the beautiful and innovative villages and cities through close friends of mine. Therefore, it will be the perfect place to end our trip. The next dish and the final dish we will introduce contain Tahini, a Middle Eastern condiment.

This tasteful Tahini Miso Ramen with Crispy Tofu from “Soom Foods.” I usually try to include a vegan option to cater to all my readers, and this one is interchangeable. If you take out the egg ingredient, BAM, you have a vegan dish! And speaking of ingredients, let’s grab a few.

For the crispy tofu, we are going to want to pick up a block of extra firm tofu (14 oz.), a tablespoon of each, including olive oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch, salt (1/4 tsp), and pepper (1/4 pepper). For the yummy mushrooms, we will want to grab some additional olive oil (2 tsp), a package of cremini mushrooms, and salt and pepper.

Don’t worry, we need one more round of groceries, and then we are off to whip it up in the kitchen. For the ramen, make sure to grab ramen noodle (2 packages), olive oil (2 tsp), toasted sesame oil (2 tsp), minced cloves garlic (2), a tablespoon of both freshly grated ginger and white miso paste, vegetable broth (5 cups), and some salt (1/2 tsp). Also, find room in the cart for Tahini (1/4 cup), toasted sesame oil (1 tsp), soy sauce (2 tbsp), rice wine vinegar (2 tsp), soft boiled eggs (2), thinly sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, and sesame seeds.

Now that you have rummaged through all your cabinets, let’s get started!

1. First, we are going to start by making the crispy tofu by preheating the oven at 425 degrees F. Press the block of extra firm tofu using a dish towel to remove the water, and cut it into 1/2”-3/4” cubes placing them on a baking sheet tossed with tofu, olive oil, and soy sauce until coated. Add in cornstarch, salt, and pepper and toss that in as well until the whole thing is covered and coated. Bake it for approximately 30-35 minutes, tossing it while cooking (only once) until it is crispy and brown.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet and place it over medium heat for the mushrooms. Once it is hot, add cremini mushrooms and sauté it for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure that you stir it occasionally until the edges are golden brown. If you want to add a bit of taste, season it with salt and pepper.
3. Next, take a soup pot and place it on your Drop-In Radiant Cooktop over medium-high heat, adding some olive and sesame oil. Once it begins to heat up, add in garlic and ginger, sautéing it until fragrant (for approximately 30 minutes)—Cook for an additional 1 minute adding in white miso paste, and stir it constantly.
4. Add and combine in vegetable broth, tahini, salt. Then raise the heat to a high, and once brought to a boil, utilize the package instructions to add in the ramen noodles. Once cooked, add in and stir the sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Feel free to add salt for an extra kick (totally up to you).
5. Finally, place the ramen into bowls, top it off with the crispy tofu, sautéed mushrooms, 2 soft boiled eggs, thinly sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

By Jena Branco, Marketing Coordinator, Brand & Marketing Communications, SECL

Diwali is India’s biggest, most important, and well loved holiday of the year. It is known as the Festival of Lights and symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”, which is particularly significant this year. It is generally a time for visiting friends & families, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, and feasting to your heart’s content. It is a five-day celebration, however on the third day (considered the main day of the Diwali festival), families will light candles and fireworks. Tomorrow, Saturday, November 14th, is the third day of Diwali, and the true celebration of sweets.

Although this year’s celebrations will be much quieter than it has been in the past, the tradition of celebrating with sweets will remain the same. It is customary to show up with a tray of mithai during Diwali, and one must accept (it’s consider rude not to) when being offered one of these delightful treats.

I’ve noticed that many of my Indian neighbours have strung ribbons of lights outside of their homes and the local Indian bakeries have set up make-shift tents outside their stores to accommodate beautifully adorned red and gold boxes containing baked goods and sweets for purchase. I tried going into the bakery earlier today to buy a couple boxes of mithai (wide variety of sweets), but unfortunately I wasn’t dressed warm enough to withstand the 25 minute line-up outside.

Since I did not have luck in bringing home a box of mithai, I wondered how easy (or difficult) it would be to make some of these Indian sweets that are synonymous with this festival of hope and prosperity. I knew a handful of Indian desserts only because I was introduced to them while dining at a nearby restaurant, but never attempted making them myself. But after watching through the tutorial (videos) from Tastemade, My Ginger Garlic Kitchen, and Banglar Rannaghor , I believe I can easily recreate them … which is sweet in my books (and glycemic index).

Wishing you a Happy Diwali. I hope this Diwali be an awesome celebration for you and your family and give you blessings of wealth and success always. Let’s celebrate the festival in the true sense by spreading joy, kindness and light to the world. Have a happy, safe, and blessed Diwali!

Gulab Jamun (Indian Doughnuts) from Tastemade

These Indian-style doughnuts (soaked in sweet syrup) can be enjoyed warm, hot or cold!

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered milk
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Ghee, to grease your hands
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon rose essence (or 1 teaspoon rose water)
• A pinch of saffron
• Oil for frying (canola/vegetable)

Steps

1. Combine powdered milk, flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Add melted butter and add milk, and gently stir until all ingredients are incorporated and form a thick dough.
4. Allow formed dough to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to slightly firm up.
5. Prepare syrup by heating water and sugar, and simmer for 5 minutes until sugar has dissolved and slightly thickened.
6. Add rose essence and saffron.
7. Grease hands with ghee.
8. Gently form small balls with dough (approximately 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter), making sure not to overwork the dough. (This can lead to a tough Gulab Jamun, so be careful.)
9. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a deep pan on medium heat.
10. Add balls, and cook for 5-7 minutes until dark brown in color.
11. Immerse the hot Gulab Jamun balls immediately into the syrup, and allow to soak for a minimum of 10 minutes. The Gulab Jamun will puff up as they soak.
12. Serve warm, hot, cold – whichever way you like!

Jalebi (Indian style Funnel Cake) from My Ginger Garlic Kitchen

Jalebi is a quick and easy Indian style funnel cake recipe which is popular throughout India. This recipe can be prepared under 30 minutes, and is enjoyed by grown-ups and kids alike.

INGREDIENTS

Jalebi Batter:

• 1 cup all purpose flour/plain flour (maida)
• 3/4 cup yogurt/curd
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Water 2 tablespoons or more, if required
• A pinch of orange food color (optional)

1. In a large bowl mix together flour (maida), and yogurt.
2. Start whisking in one direction. You can use a wire whisk or you can use your hands.
3. After 5 minutes of whisking, the mixture would start turning into a smooth and lump-free batter.
4. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the batter if the batter seems a little thick. ( It has to be thick, but of flowing consistency)
5. Once the batter is smooth, add food color (if you are opting to use)
6. Add baking powder and mix well.
7. The batter is now ready.

Sugar Syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• A slice of lemon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 12-15 saffron strands

1. Add sugar and water to a pan.
2. Stir well and let it boil over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Once it comes to boil, add a slice of lemon and boil for a few minutes.
4. Now add saffron strands and boil until you get the sticky syrup.
5. The syrup we need here has almost 1-string consistency. To check sugar syrup consistency, pour a drop of syrup in a plate or bowl. Allow it to cool for a few seconds. Touch the syrup with the index finger and then touch your thumb and index finger together and gently pull apart. If the syrup is sticky then your syrup is ready.
6. Add cardamom powder and stir well. Turn off the heat and keep aside. We need warm syrup for jalebis, so keep it on very low heat while you fry the jalebis. (You can add 1-2 tablespoons of water if it starts to thicken.)

For Frying:

• Oil or clarified butter (ghee)

1. Heat ghee or oil in a broad pan over high heat. Once hot, turn the heat to medium. You can check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of the batter if it sizzles and comes up within seconds than the oil is ready.
2. Now fill the squeeze bottle with the batter and pour spiral shapes or concentric circles in the hot oil.
3. Fry Jalebis over medium heat until they are crisp and golden from both the sides.
4. Once fried, drain jalebis on a cooling rack and let them cool for a couple of minutes.
5. Now add fried jalebis to warm sugar syrup and soak them for 1-2 minutes.
6. Next, remove jalebis from the syrup and place on a cooling rack or a tray lined with paper.
7. Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve warm with some rabri or warm milk.

NOTES:

1. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to sugar syrup every time you are heating it up. This way, the syrup will maintain it’s sticky uniformity and won’t get thicker.
2. Make sure the oil is hot enough before you drop the batter. To gauge the temperature for frying, simply drop a tiny piece of batter. If it sizzles and comes up without browning then the oil is perfect temperature. You can also use a wooden spoon, if you see bubbles around the wood then the oil is ready. If your test batter sinks to the bottom, then the oil is too cold, therefore your jalebi won’t be crispy, but soft and oily. If the batter turns brown and rises right away to the top, then the oil is too hot, your jalebi will brown on the outside too fast and inside uncooked.
3. Always fry jalebi on medium heat. If your jalebi has shrunk, then that means you over-fried your jalebi. If your jalebi turns flat, then it means that jalebis were fried on low heat or the batter was too thin. If your jalebi comes out thick & soft, the batter is too thick.

Boondi Ladoo from Banglar Rannaghor

Boondi ladoo is a delicious and popular Indian sweet made from gram (ground chickpea) flour. These ladoos are called boondi ladoos, since the batter is poured through a ladle or sieve with perforations while frying. These give rise to round shaped droplets, called boondi (derived from the word ‘boond’ in hindi which means water droplets). This soft textured boondi ladoo is a crowd pleaser.

INGREDIENTS:

Boondi:

• 1/2 cup gram (ground chickpea) flour
• ¾ cup water + 2 tbsp
• ¼ tsp orange food color
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ghee
• ½ tsp rose water
• 2 tbsp cashews
• 2 tbsp pistachios

Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp lime juice

Instructions:

1. Gradually mix water to gram/chickpea flour in a bowl until smooth consistency
2. Add baking soda and orange food coloring
3. To create boondi, pour batter over a skimmer spoon with round shape openings onto hot oil. After each batch, wipe the perforated ladle with a clean piece of thin cotton kitchen towel from both sides.
4. Fry until golden brown and set aside. NOTE: Fry the boondis till they are cooked. Don’t make them too crispy. When the oil stops sizzling, remove the boondis. This step is also important because if boondis becomes crispy, then the ladoos won’t be soft and they won’t be able to absorb the sugar syrup.
5. Prepare syrup by mixing water and sugar in a pot until sugar is completely dissolved then boil for 3 minutes and squeeze lime juice
6. Transfer the fried boondi to the syrup pot
7. Allow the boodi to absorb the syrup
8. Add ghee, rose water, cashews and pistachios
9. Mix and form into small ladoo shapes
10. Garnish with crushed nuts before serving 11.
11. Now you are ready to enjoy!