Recipe #2 is the 15 Minute Ginger Scallion Noodles with Shrimp from @jernejkitchen on Instagram. This recipe was chosen because:
- People voted for it on the blog
- IT ONLY TAKES 15 MINUTES
- Everyone in my family likes ramen noodles and shrimp
- IT ONLY TAKES 15 MINUTES
The Grade: C+
The shrimp in this recipe was really good. I’m not a huge fan of shrimp but the rest of my family is. I cooked it very quickly in the oil knowing it would cook more when the pasta was all tossed together. They came out perfectly.
It was quick to throw together! I would really have everything planned out because once those noodles go in the water you have to move fast. This is perfect for a weeknight meal but special enough for an “occassion.”
Doubling the recipe was the perfect for our family of 4. I bought a bag Asian chopped salad to go with it (that my kids didn’t eat) and it was just the right amount.
I think this would have gotten a much better grade if I had followed the recipe more closely. I think it could easily be bumped up to a B+. To follow the original instructions click here. I highly recommend you do this. I made a few tweaks and I think they really altered the outcome and not in a good way. Here’s what to avoid:
First off, I doubled the recipe. This didn’t cause a problem, just wanted to get it out there up front. I used three packets of Ramen Noodles (9oz total) and 1lb of shrimp. I think that was a very good shrimp to noodle ratio.
My Aldi was out of fresh ginger. Instead of go to another store I just used the dried ginger I had at home. Doubling the recipe would have called for 4T of fresh grated ginger. I used 1T of ground ginger; I think it could have used a bit more than that.
Noodles- this was my big downfall. I do not like overcooked noodles! They turn to mush, especially ramen noodles. You were supposed to cook the noodles according to package directions, save some pasta water and drain. That seemed like too many steps when I had a simple solution: cook the pasta at the end and transfer directly into the hot pan (after cooking the shrimp, etc.) using tongs. This saves dishes (strainer and measuring cup) and enough water naturally transfers into the pan. Plus, if I need more pasta water it is all still right there.
Well, ramen’s only cook for 2 minutes. I should have put them in the pot even later than I did and only cooked them for 1 minute. The time it took to transfer, then adding the remaining ingredients back into the hot pan, then tossing all together took another few minutes and that WAY overcooked the noodles. They were super mushy. It was a major bummer.
The last issue we had was oil. There was too much oil. I don’t know if this is just because I doubled the recipe but I would really cut back on the canola oil used at the end. The first servings were fine; as were the first bites of each individual dish. But, if you got the last serving it was too oily as were the last few bites of your own dish.
So, not a failure but not a huge success either. But, I made the mistakes; it’s not the recipes fault. Let me know what you think if you give this one a try!
p.s. My sister made the Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bake from last week’s post and parboiled the rice first for about 2/3 the time listed on the box. She drained the rice and made the recipe from there. She said it turned out great! I can’t wait to make this one again. Also, a great option if you have leftover rice!