I love to cook, and have been known to take all day preparing a delicious dinner. But who has the time to do that every day, or even once a week? Furthermore, not everyone has the inclination to slave over a hot stove or labor over a baked treat. That’s not to say that being a foodie necessarily condemns you to kitchen drudgery, nor does it mean that the utilitarian cook doesn’t strive to eat well. The good news is that delicious meals can be put together quickly, with minimal effort and within a reasonable budget. Over the years I’ve worked out strategies for putting together great food on the fly, meals that come together quickly and won’t break the bank. And what could be faster—or cheaper—than ramen noodles?

Ramen noodle soups aren’t exactly health food, but that doesn’t matter much if it’s eaten as an occasional meal, does it. A bit of tweaking can make ramen less salty while boosting nutrition. For example, here I’ve cooked up a packet of Sapporo Ichiban® miso ramen. Instead of following the package directions to the letter, I boiled three cups of water (rather than the two cups that the instructions called for), then added the brick of noodles, broken into two slabs. While the noodles simmered, I pulled a bag of fresh spinach from the refrigerator and then put a few tablespoons of frozen peas and corn into my bowl:

 

 
I chose corn and peas because that’s what I had in the freezer and they don’t have to be cooked, but you can use any frozen vegetables you like, or any leftover veggies you have on hand. As for spinach, it cooks super fast, is loaded with iron, and tastes great.

 
Within three minutes the noodles are cooked through and it’s time to add the flavoring packet. The soup flavor I chose was miso, a soy bean product which I’d never tried before. With the noodles cooked through, I turned off the heat and stirred the soup powder into the pot. Then I grabbed a handful of fresh spinach leaves, washed them, and tore them into bite-sized pieces. I stirred those into the soup, which was hot enough to cook the spinach when left covered for a couple minutes while I put away the frozen and refrigerated ingredients. I then ladled piping hot broth over the thawing peas and corn. The broth was hot enough to heat the veggies through, and they in turn brought the soup’s temperature below scalding. With tongs I lifted a portion of noodles into the bowl, topped them with enough broth to fill the bowl, and that’s it! A meal in minutes! With breadsticks on the side, and fresh fruit for dessert, my doctored miso ramen made a filling and delicious meal. Try it yourself. Use whatever flavor of ramen noodle soup you fancy, add some veggies and perhaps sliced leftover meat, and you’re good to go.

 

 
From time to time I’ll suggest other fast meals that can be whipped up by anyone. After all, when you’d rather be bicycling, hiking, or paddling, who has the time to spend all day cooking dinner? Instead of stopping at the greasy spoon for an infarct burger, try some homemade fast food, my way!

 
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