Plaidophile

This is sort of an alternate-universe take on my normal wasabi beef noodle soup. It's definitely not authentic by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still yummy.

Mince two cloves of garlic. Combine in a small saucepan with a couple tablespoons each of soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a boil, and add thinly-sliced ribbons of beef. Allow to cook fully.

In a small pot, bring two cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add one package of ramen (first discarding the flavor packet into your nearest bottomless pit) or other form of lo-mein noodles (rice noodles are also fine). Add part of a thinly-sliced serrano or thai pepper, depending on your heat tolerance (I use half of a serrano and that's pushing it for my pain threshold). Allow to boil until noodles are done.

In a large serving bowl, combine the soup with the beef, and top with one or two thinly- sliced scallions. Add fresh cilantro or parsley (or whatever other fresh vegetables you like in your soup) and lime juice to taste.

Of course, you can use any kind of broth and meat (or lack thereof) as suits your taste. Seafood or pork should work very well too.