The mere mention of ramen noodles may bring you back to your college days...and just like then, it's time to experiment a little. This spicy ramen dish contains ginger, chiles, and garlic-aromatic spices that have two amazing properties: they help to increase blood flow throughout the body and help to protect your gut against harmful bacteria, as they work as natural antiseptics in your digestive tract.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　1 tablespoon sesame oil

　　5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　One 1- inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

　　1 jalapeno chile, finely minced (seeds removed if you like it less spicy)

　　1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

　　One 10- ounce package Japanese curly noodles or chuka soba

　　1 cup low- sodium vegetable broth

　　4 cups chopped kale

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　2 scallions, chopped

　　

Step 1

Heat a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the sesame oil and mushrooms and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the mushrooms start to soften, adding 1 tablespoon of water if they begin to stick. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened and the garlic is fragrant. Sprinkle in the five-spice powder and stir to coat. Add the noodles and vegetable broth.

　　

Step 2

Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Add the kale and butter and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the kale is wilted. Garnish with the scallions and serve immediately.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per Serving (2 1/2 cups): 367 calories

　　13 g protein

　　68 g carbohydrates

　　8 g fat (2 g saturated)

　　8 mg cholesterol

　　3 g fiber

　　625 mg sodium

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by Other

　　Reprinted with permission from Fifty Shades of Kale: 50 Fresh & Satisfying Recipes That Are Bound to Please by Drew Ramsey, M.D., & Jennifer Iserloh. Copyright © 2013 by Drew Ramsey, M.D., and Jennifer Iserloh; photographs © Ian McSpadden. Published by HarperCollins Publishers.