Chicken Stir-Fry with Ramen

1. Place ramen noodles in a bowl. Set seasoning packet aside. Pour boiling water over noodles until they are submerged; set aside while you start the stir-fry.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the entire pan. Add chicken and stir to coat with oil. Add oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir-fry chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear, 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Add frozen vegetables. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and let steam until heated through and soft, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and 1 teaspoon minced garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.

4. Drain softened ramen noodles, reserving 2 tablespoons soaking water.

5. Heat remaining sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add reserved soaking water along with 1/2 of the ramen seasoning packet, remaining soy sauce, remaining garlic, and chili powder. Add ramen noodles; cook and stir constantly until coated and water has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Transfer to serving bowls and top with chicken and vegetable mixture.

Cook's Notes:

The trick is to keep the food moving, the ramen especially.

This recipe is fully customizable. I use soy sauce-flavored ramen. I also replace 1 tablespoon of ramen water with 1 tablespoon of sake. It adds a phenomenal flavor. You can use fresh veggies for best results, but I use Walmart's(R) asparagus veggie medley. If you use fresh veggies I would blanch them for 4 minutes in boiling water, then run under cold water.

For meat, I also use pork bits that you can get in 1 pound quantities from some grocers. Once you trim them you get about 8 ounces but the package is pretty cheap. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced. I haven't tried beef yet since I make this just for me and not my whole family.