My 9-year-old daughter really likes to help in the kitchen (dishes not included, alas). Her cooking usually consists of things like fruit salad, which actually involves cutting more than cooking, and frozen pops of various sorts, but lately she's been showing a lot more interest in things that involve the stove. She has her own stash of cookbooks and can plan an impressively well-rounded party menu so I figure it's time to let her have a little more freedom in the kitchen.
After reading her (brother's) latest issue of Cricket magazine, she announced that she was going to cook dinner this weekend and gave me a neatly written ingredient list. The menu: donburi, a Japanese rice dish.
I had almost nothing to do with the making of this meal so I don't have any funny stories; I knocked together a quick cucumber-and-ginger salad on the side, but David supervised the actual cooking, which he says mostly meant handing her things and standing nearby. We sat down to dinner and It. Was. Fabulous.
I would have praised anything she put on my plate - I'm her mom, after all - but there was no need to make the fake yummy face. It was so good. It was delicious. We all had thirds. There were no leftovers. We can't wait to eat it again. And I am very, very proud that Anna did this on her own.
Oyako Donburi
2 bunches green onions
1 lb. ground chicken
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon (chicken flavor)
cooked rice
Trim the green onions and slice on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Combine the sugar, soy sauce, and bouillon in a medium frying pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook until done, stirring frequently. Add the green onions.
Beat the eggs and pour over the chicken and onions. Cover and simmer until the egg is cooked. Serve over cooked white rice (we like extra soy sauce on the side).
