Fridge's Ramen Soup

Ingredients

For broth:

Mushroom broth

Chicken broth

Ham broth

Roasted garlic broth (or minced garlic)

Fresh ginger

Add to broth:

White ends of green onions, sliced (separate the green from the white and save for later)

Tofu, cubed

Put the broth over the following when ready to serve:

Ramen noodles

Brisket (or other meat, if desired), cut into bite-size chunks

To add to individual servings as desired:

Pepper sauce

sliced green part of green onions

Baby bok choy, chopped and sauteed

Bean sprouts

Cilantro

Thai basil 

Water chestnuts (chopped)

Directions

Make the broth:

1. Fill up about 4 liters of water, which is a bit more than a gallon. 
2. Add the following: 2 tablespoons of the mushroom broth, one heaping tablespoon of the better than bouillon chicken broth one heaping teaspoon of the ham broth and one tablespoon of the roasted garlic broth.
3. Add two large chunks (about 1 tablespoon each) of peeled fresh ginger.
4. Cook the broth until it boils and then back it off. You’ll want to taste it. If you need to add more, add it incrementally, starting with a little bit more mushroom broth and then a little bit of the ham base. 

Cook the noodles and add onions/tofu to broth:

1. In a separate pan, boil water. Put the ramen noodles in boiling water and then back off the heat until they are ready. Drain.
2. Remove the ginger chunks from the broth.
3. Slice the green onions, separating the white ends from the green. Put the sliced white onions in the broth, but save the sliced green parts to add when serving.
4. Cube the tofu and put the chunks them in the broth. 

Prepare the meat and the bok choy

1. Take a paper towel and wet it and then ring it out so it’s slightly damp. Then put it over the top and bottom of the sliced brisket. 
2. Warm the brisket in 30 second bursts in the microwave. 
3. Slice the baby bok choy in half lengthwise down the middle and then into quarters. Remove the tough end but keep the vegetable intact. 
4. Sauté the bok choy.

Serve:

1. When meat, broth and noodles are ready, slice the meat and put it into the bowl with the noodles. 
2. Pour the hot broth on top of the meat and noodles. 
3. Add toppings as desired: bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, water chestnuts, additional
4. Take about 3/4 of a teaspoon of the pepper sauce and mix it in with the hot broth. 

Fridge's Notes:

• When I refer to tablespoons and teaspoons, I am talking the ones out of your drawer that you eat with not necessarily the actual ones that you measure. 
• Remember you kind of want to keep in that same proportion for adding more stuff if you need to strengthen the broth, do not just add salt, as that will not get you the taste you want. The majority of the broth should be mushroom, Followed by chicken broth, followed by the garlic broth and followed that by the ham broth, if that makes sense.

Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa

This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients

1/2 bunch cilantro (about 1/2 cup packed) - see Note

1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed (leave seeds for more heat)

1/4 of a medium red onion

1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)

2 cans (15 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well-drained

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Note: No need to measure exactly. Just grab half of a cilantro bunch by the leafy ends and twist off the top part, leaving most of the stems behind. Throw the leafy bunch into the food processor.

Directions

1. Add the cilantro, jalapeno, red onion and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
2. Add the tomatoes, salt and lime juice. Pulse until the salsa reaches desired consistency. 
3. Add additional salt and lime juice to taste, if needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. Extra liquid can be drained off before serving, if desired.

Rafer Burnham's Honey Wheat Bread

Rafer's original recipe was created for a bread machine. I've modified the directions for making bread by hand or with a KitchenAid.

Ingredients

2 cups very warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 - 1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons butter

6 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Mix water, sugar and yeast in a bowl to activate yeast.
2. Once yeast is activated, add egg, salt, honey and softened butter.
3. Gradually add about 6 cups of flour.
4. Knead dough for several minutes. (Note from Alec: He finds the bread to be fluffier if he goes straight from kneading to extended rising time in the loaf tins, skipping the usual first rise in the bowl.)
5. Divide into two loaves and put in greased loaf pans.
6. Let rise until dough just about reaches the top of the pan.
7. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.