RECIPE
1 unit eggplant (or zucchini)
1/2 unit red sauce
1 unit rice (or over-cooked pasta)
extra water as needed
healthy additions as needed
This recipe is dedicated to Emily Biever, my nutritionist, at Dana Farber. She was always looking for recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients that contained both the maximum amount of nutrition and the maximum amount of "happy to eat".
WHAT IS A UNIT?
Part of the problem with eating while you go through Head and Neck Cancer treatment is you never can get enough food in the body. You are going to lose weight. So get the most out of every meal. Some days are better than others. Ideally, I'd love every recipe to be about proportions and the ratio of ingredients. So what ever measurement you use for eggplant, use about the same amount of rice, and half that much "red sauce". I remember some days a cup of food is about as much as I could eat . . .
THE BEAUTY OF EGGPLANT
The beauty of eggplant is that it is a wonderful sponge. Emily and I always chatted about how to get more good oil, like olive oil; more protein, like vegetable protein powder; and more healthy additions, like liquid vitamins, turmeric, or vitamin D powder. I also recommend zucchini, because for some people eggplant is not at the top of the preferred vegetable list.
Instead of breading the eggplant in the traditional style, I either grill or saute the eggplant.
For grilling, cut the eggplant slices into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. You need thick pieces to hold together after you soak the eggplant with olive oil. Place the slices on the grill (but not over the open flame), pour the olive oil over the top, but be careful not to overflow. After about one minute, flip the eggplant and coat the top again.
For sauteing, place the slices in a large sauce pan with about 1/4 inch of olive oil. Cook under low heat, adding more olive oil as the eggplant absorbs the oil.
Cook the eggplant until the slices start to fall apart.
Depending on the survivors ability to swallow, you may need to remove the skin before you puree.
RED SAUCE ???
Here is where we dive into the deep end. Last Night, at the Emerson Hospital Oral and Head and Neck Cancer Support Group, we discussed the hidden spices that burn the mouth of cancer patients. Everyone is different, and different spices affect us differently at different times of treatment and recovery. Art, a multi-year survivor, was trying the Frank and Beans recipe and by the time he got to the fourth spoonful, his mouth started to burn. He believed it was the spices in the hot-dog - WHO KNEW HOT-DOG SPICES BURNED . . . I recommend that the survivor sample a teaspoon of the red sauce before you make the recipe.
Red sauce is the generic term for all the different kinds of Italian tomato sauces. The can range from the Hunts Tomato paste in the can, through marinara sauce, to my daughter favorite - Muir Glen Organic Italian Herb pasta sauce. For some cancer survivors, nothing is more comforting than mom's home-made tomato sauce. GO FOR IT!
RICE
Yes, my great-grandma is looking down from heaven and frowning at me for suggesting rice with eggplant, and further more suggesting that I over-cook the pasta. I just wanted to let you know that you can experiment with any of the recipes. I like the rice idea, because it is easier to keep rice pre-cooked in the refrigerator, than boiling up 10 pieces of pasta (although keeping pre-cooked pasta covered in olive oil works too).
Rice can be as simple as cooking up boxed rice like Near East Rice Pilaf. Our families favorite "simple rice" recipe is 1 cup white rice, 2 cups water, swirl of olive oil, seasoning salt, and three diced vegetables. Diced vegetables are typically one carrot, one celery, and 1/2 sweet onion. Microwave the entire contents for 10 minutes on HIGH. If the rice is only for the survivor, add an extra 1/2 cup of water to make sure that the rice is soft before you puree it.
OLIVE OIL
I free pour my bolus tube feeding. I am not beyond pouring 30 ml of olive oil right into the syringe before I pour in the puree. Great way to add extra calories. I find the extra olive oil keeps me warmer.
HEALTHY ADDITIONS
Tomato sauce flavor can hide a whole bunch of healthy add-ins. Some of my favorites are 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, one scoop of vegetable protein (pea protein), powdered vitamin D, and spinach. I'm sure your nutritionist has a list of foods they would like you to eat.
Grilling outdoors
COMMENTS
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I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors. Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address.
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