Comfort Food

I decided the least I could do to help with the kids' dread of going back to school (Yes! Woo Hoo! Hallelujia! Doin' back flips!) is to make their favorite meals for dinner the first week of school. Usually, I make my own menu, independently of their opinion, since their finicky ways wouldn't provide us with enough variety and I refuse to eat the same thing every single week.
But, to help ease their sorrows of the "No more homework, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks" vacation coming to an end, this week, I catered to their taste buds - and filled their mouths & stomachs to their heart's content.
I thought I'd share their numero uno dishes.
(Disclaimer: I did not invent or write any of these recipes on my own. Tweak, I may do, but make up, I did not. They all come from cookbooks, others, T.V., blogs, etc.)

Ryan's: Mongolian Beef
2 1/2 lb. Cross Rib Roast (or any kind of roast)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1 tsp. minced Garlic
2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp. Sugar

Cut roast into large bite size strips. Mix remaining ingredients well and marinate roast in it over night. Grill or broil approximately 8 minutes on each side. (I use my George Foreman grill.) Serve over rice.


Kyle's: Sesame Chicken
4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Cornstarch
canola oil
2 cup Water
3/8 cup Sugar
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
3/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
3 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 1/2 cup Broccoli, cut in small pieces
Sesame Seeds

Cut chicken in 1 inch cubes, put 1/2 c. cornstarch in plastic bag and toss chicken to coat. Add canola oil to skillet to cover bottom and fry chicken until med.-brown. Prepare sauce by mixing: water, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic powder, and cornstarch in separate pan, stir over med. heat until thickened. Pour over chicken and simmer 3 minutes. Add broccoli and steam until desired tenderness. Stir in sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Can you tell that our children have been born of two returned missionaries from Japan and, as such, raised on rice? This & that over rice. Such & such over rice. You-name-it over rice. :)


Haylee's: Hearthstone Inn French Toast and Kristen's Famous Syrup
See this recipe on her blog here. (I don't want to copy)
I'm serious, you won't want to miss out on this, but I can't take any of the credit for it! ;)
Haylee has an "all carb" diet, so this is just perfect for her! :)


Katelyn's: She insisted that she wanted Orange Chicken (another something over rice!) from Costco. But, I kept trying to ask her what her favorite meal that I COOK was since THAT comes from a box in the freezer section. She didn't get it - she told me that I could cook Costco Orange Chicken.
Finally, she said she wanted Chicken Noodle Soup without any green stuff (i.e. broccoli) in it.
Chicken Noodle Soup
6 cups Water
3 Chicken Breasts
1 Tbsp. Chicken Bouillon or Base
2 Cups chopped carrots
2 Cups Chopped Celery
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 1/3 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups Country Pasta brand homemade style egg pasta

Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add chicken, bouillon or base and stir until dissolved. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and cut in small piedes. Return to broth and add carrots, celery and onion. Cover and cook until tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta in separate pot according to package directions (this pasta takes 20-30 min.) Mix cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and spices together and slowly stir into original broth mixture. Add noodes. Cook until heated through.


So, there you have it - their favorites - at least for this year. They might have changed their minds by the first week of school next year, but I'll help comfort them with whatever it is when the time comes.

Some of them have already asked if we can have these meals again this week!

Nope.

Now, I'll return to my own cooking agenda! :)