Comfort Food

Inspiration for this posting started off with an awesome idea from my 12 year old daughter, Lauryn.  She wanted to bring lunch for her friends Isabella and Tanya.   Isabella’s mom died a few years ago due to an apparent suicide.  Isbella is an only child and since her dad rarely cooks at home, Isabella would open up a can of olives or canned tuna and eat right out of the can for dinner.  Tanya on the other hand has never had a home cooked meal in her life! Her parents are so busy that every night they always have fast food dinner.

Lauryn was pretty shocked and heartbroken; she didn’t realize that something as simple as a home cooked meal just does not happen for everyone!   And so, we prepared a picnic lunch for Lauryn to bring to her school and which has now turned into a monthly lunch session at her school called “Lunch with Lauryn”.   She wanted to have her friends and other kids to experience a good home cooked meal. 

Isn’t it amazing how comforting food can be?  There is definitely something about sharing a meal that can be so magical.  The following recipes are Lauryn’s comfort food, dishes that she has made and shared at with her friends.  So, from our table to yours… enjoy!

BBQ Pulled pork with Hawaiian Rolls

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer

1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce

Hawaiian Rolls

Directions:

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve with Hawaiian rolls.

Pineapple Coleslaw

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded cabbage

3/4 cup shredded carrot

1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

1/3 cup mayonnaise

4 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons white vinegar

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot and pineapple. In another small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar; pour over pineapple mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade 

Makes 6-7 cups

Ingredients:
For the strawberry syrup:
1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch salt
2 tablespoons cold water
For the lemonade:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup very hot water
1¼ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 6-7 lemons)
4½ cups cold sparkling water or seltzer

Directions:
To make the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt and water in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, then use a fine mesh strainer to remove all the seeds. Press firmly to extract as much liquid as possible.

To make the lemonade, combine the sugar and hot water in a pitcher. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the strawberry syrup and sparkling water.

To serve, rub a spent lemon wedge along the rim of the glass, then dip in sugar. Add ice if desired and fill with lemonade. Garnish with lemon wedges and/or strawberry slices. Drink and enjoy.