Food for Thought: Ghetto Pasta

With the Democratic National Convention and the US Open upon us, speculation and punditry will be in full swing. Consider this public service announcement a reminder not to do either on an empty stomach. Being glued to the television or interweb is no excuse for not fueling your brain properly. The key is to choose tasty, quickly prepared dishes.

Begin the beguine by mincing a large clove or two of garlic. Mix with the raw shrimp. Set aside. Shred, slice, or otherwise apportion a handful of cheese. Set aside. Next, in a saucepan briefly sautee a handful of broccoli florets in the oil of your choice. Shortly after they start to green, remove to a container for addition later.

Add a bit more oil to pan if needed, then add your shrimp. Keep heat high and stir shrimp as they start to pinken. Add a heaping tablespoon or so of chili mix to the shrimp. Stir to minimized the powder sticking to pan. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of fresh lime juice (preferred) or a good balsamic vinegar over the shrimp. Reduce slightly and add shrimp mix to broccoli. Deglaze pan with a bit of water or wine before adding enough water to cook the noodles.

Bring to a boil, adding the seasoning packet. You can actually reduce the amount of seasoning added since the shrimp are chili coated. Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary to the water. Also add some dehydrated onions (teaspoon or two) to the boiling water. Boil long enough to soften the onions and rosemary, then add the ramen and cook al dente. Turn heat off and drain most of the broth, leaving a few tablespoons to allow for the noodles continued expansion.

Add the shrimp and brocolli mixture along with the cheese. Toss lightly to distribute ingredients and seasoning. Decorate with crushed red pepper and serve hot. The variant above was prepared with fig infused balsamic and cotija from a local panaderia.