February 15, 2016 RECIPE / A.C.E. THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13 The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai opens February 25 at Portland State University Homemade chicken soup for when there’s no time for homemade By Katie Workman The Associated Press H omemade chicken noodle soup is well known as a panacea for whatever ails you, but the time it takes to pull it together is not always within our grasp. Many chefs and food writers will try to convince you how easy it is to make your own homemade broth or stock. I’m not one of them. I love doing it ... once in a while. When I have the time. And while it is not difficult in terms of skill needed, it takes a certain amount of preparation, a lot of ingredients, and some time. Which is to say, it’s a bit of a production. So for the days when homemade broth is not happening (for me, most days), I turn time and time again to canned or boxed broth, and I’m very satisfied. In this soup, even more shortcuts are taken: rotisserie chicken provides not only the meat for the soup, but the rest of the chicken enhances the broth so it really tastes like a rich chicken soup. Finally, I use ramen noodles, which cook up in minutes, then are added to the hot soup. Ramen is kind of all the rage these days, and it’s interesting that what’s being heralded as the greatest thing to happen to soup in all kinds of Asian restaurants also is available for pennies in the supermarket. The trick here is to ignore the salty flavor packets that come with the noodles. The noodles will pick up the flavor from the soup itself, and you get to control the seasonings. Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family- friendly cooking, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook. Easy Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup Start to finish: 45 minutes (20 minutes active) Servings: 6 1 small rotisserie chicken 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth or stock 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks 3 stalks celery, cut into small chunks 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped Two 3-ounce packets ramen noodles (any flavor — the flavor packets get tossed) 1 teaspoon dried dill Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste Remove all of the meat from the chicken. Set aside the skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the chicken bones and skin, the broth, carrots, celery, and onion. Bring to a simmer, partially covered. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, fill another large pot with water, salt it lightly, then bring to a boil. Add the ramen noodles, breaking them up a bit (discard the flavor packet), and cook, stirring to separate the noodles, until just barely tender, about two minutes. Drain and leave in a colander. Retain the empty cooking pot. Once the broth has simmered for 20 minutes, strain it into the noodle cooking pot, discarding the solids (including the vegetables). Add the dill and shredded chicken, then return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked noodles, then ladle into serving bowls. Nutrition information per serving: 470 calories (120 calories from fat, 26 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 0 g trans fats); 205 mg cholesterol; 860 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 63 g protein. BELOVED KABUKI PLAY. Presentations of Chushingura, a beloved kabuki play also known as The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai, begin this month at Portland State University’s Lincoln Performance Hall. Eight performances are scheduled between February 25 and March 5. (Photo/ Minh Ngo) Avenue, Room 75) on the Portland February 28. To learn more, call (503) 725-8577 State University campus. Perfor- mances are held at 7:30pm February or visit . To buy 25 through 27 and March 2 through 5. tickets, call (503) 725-3307 or visit A 2:00pm matinee takes place on . When You Can’t Breathe, Nothing Else Matters Department of Consumer & Business Services www.lungusa.org Having a checking or a savings account could open the doors to a safer financial future. Help us find a cure. 1-800-LUNG-USA Not having an account at a bank or credit union might be costing you You can save hundreds of dollars and keep your money safe, if you open and maintain an account in good standing in one of the Bank On Oregon program participating banks or credit unions. The program also has a network of nonprofit financial education providers who can guide about how to establish credit, understand about how the U.S. financial system works, or about how to better administer your money. Visit www.BankOnOregon.org and start taking advantage of the benefits of having an account at one of our participating financial institutions or call us at (971) 673-2143. www.dcbs.oregon.gov 2015 Exemplary Community Volunteer Award Recipient: Van Lang Vietnamese School Tu Phan Call for: Refinances Purchases Offering: FHA/VA/Conventional Mortgages NMLS # 81395 MLO # 7916 12550 S.E. 93rd Avenue Suite 350 Clackamas, OR 97015 (503) 496-0531 AR Photo/Jan Landis SWIFT & SATISFYING SOUP. A bowl of Easy Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup is seen in Concord, New Hampshire. This dish can be pre- pared in just 45 minutes. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead) Chushingura, a beloved kabuki play also known as The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai, begins showings on February 25 in downtown Port- land. The production of the arche- typical tale of revenge is being pre- sented by Portland State University (PSU) for the first time by a univer- sity in the continental United States. The presentation features a large company of student performers as well as several experts in Japanese music, dance, and costuming from outside the university. PSU stage design faculty are also leading stu- dent teams in using lighting, projec- tion, and construction materials to create sets for nine separate scenes. Musical direction for the play is provided by Wynn Kiyama, executive director of Portland Taiko and an assistant professor at PSU, and Laurence Kominz, a PSU professor of Japanese, is the director. The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai is playing at Lincoln Performance Hall (1620 S.W. Park The Van Lang Vietnamese School in Portland was founded in 1990. It serves more than 550 students with the help of approximately 100 volunteers. The school has six primary purposes: the preservation of the Vietnamese culture and language; instilling a sense of cultural values and pride within youth in the area; creating a healthy environment where children can interact with others with the same values; promoting parental involvement in schooling; providing oppor- tunities for activities (cultural events, camping, etc.) that promote skill building and team building; and providing academic support for students through tutoring or scholarships. Vietnamese language and culture are taught every Sunday for two-and-a-half hours between September and June by a dedicated group of volunteer teachers. Since its inception, thousands of students have benefitted from services offered by the Van Lang Vietnamese School. To learn more, visit . The Asian Reporter Foundation is accepting nominations for its 2016 “Exemplary Community Volunteer” awards. The recognition banquet will be held Thursday, April 21, 2016 at northeast Portland’s TAO Event Center. Nomination forms and award guidelines are available for download at . The nomination deadline is Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 5:00pm. The Asian Reporter Foundation’s 18th Annual Scholarship & Awards Banquet features: Most Honored Elder Awards Cultural entertainment Exemplary Community Volunteer Awards Ethnic dinner College Scholarship Awards Silent auction