Faux Thai

A friend of mine who lived in Indonesia improvised this recipe to remind him of the Asian noodle dishes he loved. It’s not exactly authentic, but the ingredients are easy to find and it makes an exotic alternative to macaroni and cheese. And in less time, too!

You need one package of Chicken Sesame Top Ramen and one egg per person, as well as green onions, sesame seeds and a bottle of Thai peanut sauce.

* Boil the ramen noodles and poach the eggs simultaneously, about three minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles. Stir in half of the flavor packet and all of the sesame oil included with the ramen.

Break up the egg and add it to the noodles, along with the green onions and peanut sauce to taste. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with a salad and coconut ice cream.

-- CARRIE HAYWARD

Los Angeles