There's nothing in this world I want more right now than a night out to dinner. With all the chaos around the COVID-19 quarantine, this lockdown has truly made me appreciate the value of having someone cook & clean for you. 

As we're waiting for this weird, ominous period of our lives to be over, I decided to give my best shot at recreating one of my favorite dining experiences! The best ramen joint in San Diego (in my opinion) is called Underbelly.  They own two locations: one in North Park, and the other in Little Italy.  They both offer a relatively similar menu with slight variations. 

My go-to order is Little Italy's Seedy Side Ramen and I add tiger shrimp, corn & a soft-cooked egg.

I gave my best effort at creating my version of one of the BEST meals... straight down to the hazy IPA in a frosted glass. What's a bowl of ramen without a foamy beer on the side?

Disclaimer: I am currently living off of an Instant Pot, toaster oven & microwave which ultimately leads to having to improvise here and there.

RECIPE:

feeds 2 people | approx 30 - 45 min

ingredients:

• 1 box of vegetable broth
• 2/3 lb. peeled & deveined uncooked tiger shrimp
• 2 packs of ocean's halo organic ramen noodles
• 2 cups frozen broccoli
• 1/2 a bag of brussel sprouts washed & cut into 1/3's 
• 1 cup Trader Joe's roasted corn
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup Trader Joe's furikaki seasoning
• Trader Joe's umami seasoning
• 1/4 of a bouillon cube
• garlic olive oil
• red cayenne pepper
• garlic salt
• fresh grated ginger
• minced garlic
• 1 lemon
• sriracha
• toasted sesame oil
• soy sauce 
• honey

instructions:

• pour 1 cup of water into the instant pot and place the rack inside. place 2 eggs onto the rack and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. put the cooked eggs into a bowl with water & ice to chill. peel the eggs.
• take a small mixing bowl and marinate the eggs with 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil & 2 tbsp soy sauce. swirl the eggs around in the bowl until evenly coated. set aside.
• take the brussel sprouts (cut into 1/3's) and the 2 cups of broccoli and spread them onto a small baking sheet. season the veggies with toasted sesame oil, sriracha, garlic salt & a teeny tiny drizzle of honey.  
• bake the veggies in the toaster oven on 450 degrees for 20 minutes tossing them halfway through.
• while the veggies are cooking, it's time to make the broth. add the vegetable broth, 2 cups of water, a generous amount of umami seasoning, 1/4 of a bouillon cube, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a sprinkle of crushed red chile flakes into the instant pot. 
• put on the lid and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes with the "keep warm" option turned on. 
• defrost the shrimp in a strainer by rinsing with cold water for approximately 5 minutes. put the defrosted shrimp into a mixing bowl. add in a drizzle of garlic olive oil, freshly grated ginger, 1 tbsp of minced garlic & the juice from 1/2 a lemon.
• once the veggies have finished cooking, set aside. then cook the shrimp in the toaster oven on 450 degrees for about 10 minutes 
• defrost the 1 cup of roasted corn in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds
• place 2 packs of the ramen noodles into the instant pot with the broth and place the lid on top. the heat and steam from the hot broth will cook the noodles. keep the lid on for about 7-8 minutes
• thinly chop green onion to garnish
• assemble the ramen by placing the broth and noodles into the bowl first. then add the toppings in little sections around the edge of the bowl. add a generous sprinkle of the furikaki seasoning & serve!

This recipe makes the best cozy date night! Hope you enjoy.

xoxo

-biteswithbre-