I am always amused with the diligence in which Gothamist covers New York’s neurotic (and absurd) food trends. As of late, there has been extensive coverage of the Cronut, but on Friday they mentioned the Ramen Burger being sold at Smorgasburg this weekend. I was intrigued, but as the Ramen Burger is quite a meaty item (not to mention I am terrible at successfully eating at Smorgasburg. It starts to remind me of the food court of my hometown mall but with bigger lines and more attractive people), I decided to create my own crispy ramen bun at home. Instead of using the ramen as a sandwich, I used it as a base on which to pile other delicious things.  

For the Bun

– 4 cups cooked Ramen Noodles
– Frying Oil

Note: I used Chinese Noodles from China Bowl select. There is a proper Ramen Burger recipe which suggests using an egg to bind, but these noodles stay together fairly well and I liked having the loose noodles ones you broke through the outside crispiness. If you are making an actual burger, the egg will help it stay together better. Also, the recipe suggests using sesame oil to fry, but I found that it smoked too much before I could get the crisp I wanted. I had canola oil on hand but next time I might use something like peanut oil.)

Divide the ramen into four and fit down into a ramekin or other round container. Use your hands to push down on the noodles and shape them. Cover and chill in the fridge while you prepare your other components.

When you’re ready to fry, heat up an inch or two of oil in a pan. Remove the noodles from the ramekins (they may not hold their shape perfectly, that’s ok) and fry in the pan, flipping to crisp both sides. Remove from pan and drain on a brown paper bag.

For the Carrots

– 1 large Carrot, julienned
– 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 
– 1/2 cup Sugar
– 1/2 Tsp Salt

Whisk together the cider, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add carrots and toss. Cover and set aside until you’re ready to assemble.

For the Cabbage & Cilantro Slaw

– 2 cups Red Cabbage (chopped thin)
– 1/3 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
– 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
– 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

Whisk together mayonnaise and vinegar in a bowl. You may need to add more vinegar if it seems too thick. Add in cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the Mushrooms

– 4 cups Shiitake Mushrooms, chopped
– 1 Tbsp Miso Paste
– 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
– 2 Tbsp Honey
– 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
– Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt

In a bowl, whisk together miso paste, vinegar, honey and sesame oil. It should be a nice consistency (not too thick). In a saute pan, saute the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and season with salt. Once they begin to brown up, add in the miso mixture a spoonful at a time and toss to coat. Continue to saute until the glaze has nicely covered the mushrooms.

For the Egg

– 4 eggs
– Butter
– Salt

Butter a pan on low/medium heat. Add the egg (or eggs if you do all at once). Once the whites start to firm up, season with salt, remove from heat and cover. Keep an eye on the eggs. When the white is firm, they’re ready.

To assemble

Place a ramen noodle round on a place. Spoon a generous amount of miso mushrooms on top. Add the sunny-side up egg. Spoon on a fourth of the cabbage slaw and some of the pickled carrots. Top with more fresh cilantro if you’d like. Serve immediately.

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While I have your attention, have you liked The Bored Vegetarian on fb? You should! It’s a lot easier to interact that way. Almost like real life, except not at all.

Ingredients

1 Egg
2 cups fresh Kale, chopped well
1/2 Lemon
2-3 Tbsp Asiago Cheese, finely grated (Bear Flag and Vella Cheese make rennet-free asiago)
1/2 Shallot, chopped in rounds
Cooking oil
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp juice & zest from the lemon with the olive oil. Toss with the kale until coated evenly, seasoning to taste. Pile into the bowl you’re going to serve it in. In a pan, heat cooking oil to between 365 or 375 degrees. Toss in shallots and fry until they begin to crisp and brown. Carefully remove (I used a fork, not the safest method) and place on a paper towel or paper bag to drain some oil off and cool. Next, follow these instructions to poach an egg! Once egg has been drained, place on top of kale. Season with salt & pepper and top with a pile of crispy shallots. Serve immediately.

There are a few different name variations for “egg-in-a-hole” : Egg in a basket; Bird’s Nest; Frog in a Hole; Moon Eggs; Gas House Eggs.. the list goes on. What did you call it growing up?

Ingredients

– 1 slice good Bread
– 1 Egg
– 1/4 cup Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
– 3 cups fresh Kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
– Juice from 1/2 Lemon
– 2 Tbsp Crumbled Goat Cheese
– Salt & Pepper to taste
– 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 1 Tbsp Butter

Directions

In a sautee pan, heat olive oil. Add kale and toss. Salt & pepper to taste. As you continue to cook the kale on low/medium heat, melt butter in another sautee pan. Cut a round circle in your slice of bread and add to the pan. As it’s browning, crack an egg into the “hole” in the middle. Salt & pepper to taste. Add sundried tomatoes to the sauteed kale and toss. After a minute or to (or whenever the egg starts to firm) gently flip the egg-in-a-hole to cook the other side. The goal is not to break the yoke, so take your time. Let the other side of the egg firm up a little before removing from heat. Place on a plate, with the yolk side up. Squeeze lemon juice onto kale & tomato mixture and make sure it’s seasoned to your liking with salt & pepper. Spoon kale mixture onto the egg-in-a-hole and sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve hot.

I’m headed out to LA on Wednesday to visit some friends for a few days and though we have some plans already (Disneyland!!), I would love any advice on where to eat, drink and explore. I haven’t been to that area since I was a kid, so I have zero idea of what to expect… perhaps I can recreate this 20 years later:

If you have advice, please send me a tumblr message or email theboredvegetarian@gmail.com.

Ingredients

1/4 cup White Polenta (or grits, hominy)
1 cup Water 1/4 cup Low Fat Milk
2 Tbsp Goat Cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
2 cups fresh Baby Spinach, stems removed1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp Butter Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Add in polenta and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 12 – 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the polenta has started to thicken, add in 1/4 cup low fat milk and the goat cheese and stir until incorporated in. Continue to simmer on low heat. Chop shiitake mushrooms in to pieces (not too small, they will reduce when you cook them). In a small saute pan, melt the butter and 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil together over medium heat. Add mushrooms and a bit of salt and toss. Cook the mushrooms until they begin to brown and get a little crisp on the outside. Room from heat and set to the side. Bring 2 inches of water to barely simmer in a saute pan. Still to remove any air bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Crack egg into a small bowl (I used a measuring cup) and ease into the water. Set a timer for 4 1/2 minutes.While the egg is poaching, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil and saute spinach at medium heat until wilted.Plate a the polenta and add the spinach and mushrooms. With a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and top the polenta, spinach and mushrooms. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

(serves 6-7)
In the midst of wedding season, it’s good to have a few ideas on hand for any bridal shower brunches you’ll be attending. I made this for my friend Emma’s party. It’s all bagels, salads and Brooklyn-inspired cocktails today.

1 dozen Eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped 2/3 cup of Mayonnaise 4 teaspoons Whole Grain Mustard 2 Radishes, chopped small2/3 cup of Mayonnaise 1 Tbsp Capers1 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice1 Tbsp Scallions, sliced thin (whites and light green) 1 Tbsp fresh Tarragon, chopped Fresh Pepper to taste
Sliced Bread or Bagels (I managed to have neither of these at my house, so my picture is sans bread)In a bowl, toss all ingredients together. Spread on bread and serve.

Last week I was back in my home state of Washington for the 4th of July. It was a crazy week but I managed to get in family time, friend time and time in the woods. Though I consider myself a East Coast lady at the core, once I was back in the dirt in the fresh air, I was like a fish to water. Speaking of water, my mom and I took a day hike along the Skokomish River at Staircase. I remember camping there as a kid and spending lots of time in the river moving rocks around to create mini rapids. I probably would have done the same again if I’d had the time.

I also saw my little lady niece, who is so cute it’s frightening. She said my name for the first time! Well she said something like “Bee-ee-ny” but close enough.

Poached Egg, Grilled Asparagus, Ricotta & Almonds on Toasted Bread1 Egg5 spears fresh Asparagus2-3 Tbsp Ricotta Cheese1 Tbsp Slivered Almonds1/2 LemonA nice loaf of bread (I used Toscana)Extra Virgin Olive OilSaltWhite VinegarChopped Chives (for garnish)Fill a large pot half way with water. Bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Cut off ends of asparagus so the spears are similar in length. Add to boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds (the asparagus will turn bright green). Remove from heat and drain. Add to ice bath to cool down temperature. Spread slivered almonds in a pan and roast at 350 until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside. Slice a thick piece of bread. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in each side and season with salt. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 375 and begin to toast bread. Heat up stove-top grill. Begin to grill asparagus until grill marks form (you should flip asparagus as you go). Bring a few inches of water and a tsp of vinegar (per 1 cup of water) to boil in a deep sauce pan. Gently add egg gently, remove from heat and cover. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Removed toasted bread from oven, spread with ricotta. Squeeze lemon juice over asparagus. Layer asparagus over ricotta. Add poached egg. Season with salt. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top. Garnish with chives.