What's For Dinner: Instant Ramen, Cabbage Salad And Ramen Truffles

Not feeling inspired by your usual dishes? Here's what's for dinner.

It's the day after a big holiday weekend, and you don't want to think about cooking. Takeout is tempting, but you're too busy engaging in a staring contest with the ramen in your cupboard to pick up the phone. Ramen may get shifty glances for its MSG-riddled flavor pack, but instead of junk food, we like to think of it as a revolutionary culinary invention. The Wikipedia page for instant noodles (ubiquitously known to Americans as "ramen") describes its use in countries from Argentina to Vietnam. So we're here to say: Go for it. Here's how to craft a perfectly acceptable dinner tonight from two packages of dried noodles.

① Main Course: Perfect Instant Ramen

If a well-known, admired chef is eating this ramen, there's no reason you shouldn't be as well. Roy Choi lets us in on his ramen hack, which includes sesame seeds, scallions, a poached egg and the ever-patriotic American cheese.

② Side Dish: Cabbage Salad with Salt-and-Pepper Walnuts

Although we could eat all noodles, all the time, vegetables are important, too, which is why we suggest this crunchy cabbage salad. But if you want to go all out, tiny bits of uncooked ramen make for a choice alternative crouton.

③ Dessert: Ramen Truffle Balls

In case you were wondering, no, we didn't get our fill of Easter candy yesterday. The gooey, two-ingredient truffle base and its ramen-studded exterior will probably help fulfill our chocolate quota.