Bring a medium sauce pot of water to a boil. Stir in the ramen and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then return to the pot. While the water is heating and the ramen is cooking, start preparing the rest of the meal.

• Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Lightly beat with a fork until just blended. 

In a wok or large frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 teaspoon [2 tsp] oil until hot but not smoking. Add the eggs and cook, stirring gently, until just set but still moist, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

• Ground meat (including plant based): Cut a small corner from the ground meat packaging and drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a plate; pat dry with a paper towel. 
• Shrimp: Rinse and drain the shrimp. Pat dry on a paper-towel-lined plate. 
• Tofu: Pat the tofu dry with paper towels; cut into ½-inch cubes.
• Plant-based chicken: Pat the plant-based chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

In the same pan used for the eggs, warm 1 teaspoon [2 tsp] oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add your protein, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat if using, until the protein is browned and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes for regular shrimp; 4 to 6 minutes for jumbo shrimp, tofu, or plant-based chicken; and 5 to 7 minutes for ground meat. Transfer to a plate. Do not clean the pan. While your protein is cooking, prepare the onion and scallions.

• Peel and coarsely chop enough onion to measure ¾ cup [1½ cups].
• Trim the root ends from the scallions; thinly slice the scallions on the diagonal, keeping the white and green parts separate. Set aside the green parts for garnish. 

In the same pan used for your protein, if dry, add 1 teaspoon [2 tsp] oil. Warm over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and white parts of the scallions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.

• Cut the lime into wedges for garnish.
• If using the serrano, remove the stem, ribs, and seeds; thinly slice the serrano crosswise. Set aside half for garnish. Wash your hands after handling.

To the pan with the onion and scallions, add the cabbage, ramen, and up to half the serrano and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage starts to wilt and the ramen is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Stir in the mee goreng sauce base and your protein and any accumulated juices. Cook until the sauce is thickened slightly and the protein is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the scrambled eggs. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Transfer the mee goreng to individual bowls. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions and as much of the remaining serrano as you like. Serve with the lime wedges.