My Thirty-third Lasagna -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Thirty-third Lasagna recipe for the new cookbook - Lasagna

1 unit Lasagna



DECEMBER BREAK
Since I celebrate most of the Holidays in December, I took time off to spend days with family.  I am free forming the recipes in this book, so it wasn't until a couple of days ago that I realized that I have never added Lasagna to the book.  I just assumed it was one of the first recipes I added.

My sister Michele makes a traditional Christmas Eve lasagna for the army of family gathering at her house.  She makes both a beef and vegetarian version.  I think this year we were up to thirty people sharing joy.  I got to take the extras home so that I had some quick fix meals over the rest of the week.

Lasagna is fabulous because it is easy to serve a lot of people quickly.  In the spring, in Bedford MA, and the Relay for Life, I asked them to switch from pizza to lasagna for the Cancer Survivor supper, because for most people lasagna is much easier to eat that pizza, and the cost per person is similar.

LASAGNA PUREE
Lasagna need a little more water than you might think, but remember that you can always add more water after it is made.  For left over lasagna from the refrigerator, I have started adding hot water from a tea kettle.  This allows me to have warm lasagna but not something so hot it burns.

GARLIC BREAD AND OTHER YUMMIES
Adding a chunk of buttery garlic bread, adds a nice pop to the flavor.

A few flakes of fresh spinach add needed nutrition and makes caregivers happy.


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My Thirty-second Latkes and beef brisket -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Thirty-second  recipe for the new cookbook - Latkes and beef Brisket

1 unit Latke (mix half potato and half veggie latke)

1/2 unit beef brisket

dash of sour cream

dash of apple sauce

HANUKKAH

Last night was the first night of Hanukkah,  I was working until 7PM; my wife was at Neiman Marcus working until 9PM; daughter was at a Relay for Life Committee meeting until 8PM; and son was at Brandeis University.  This was the first year that the whole family was not together for the first night of Hanukkah.  Thanks to modern technology,  I sent each of them a outlook invite for a conference call at 5PM.  Although my wife couldn't make the call, both of my children were able to make the call.  I brought the menorah to work and the three of us were able to sing together and start the holiday off right.

LATKES

Traditional latkes are made with root vegetables, over time, it has evolved into potatoes and onion.  I can tell you that my latkes are the worst - just not something I have perfected.  Lucky for me, I have a Whole Foods in my town.  Whole Foods now carries three different varieties of latkes - white potato, sweet potato, and root vegetable with zucchini.  This allows me to vary my latke meal over the next 8 nights.  If you don't feel you are getting enough vegetables, definitely go with the veggie latkes.

LATKE AND BEEF BRISKET

You don't need a lot of beef.  This meal is more about apple sauce and sour cream - the beef is just for protein.  To warm the meal up, I heat up a tea kettle and use the piping hot water in the blender.  I have discovered that I have been making my meals a little thicker than usual, because the thicker food is easier to swallow.  Thin meals have a habit of straying up my nose.  Latkes are better in the nose than tomato sauce.

If the meal is too thick, instead of re-blending the meal, I just add extra hot water to the bowl, and stir.

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My Thirty-first - KFC -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Thirty-first  recipe for the new cookbook - KFC

1 unit 2-piece KFC extra crispy thigh meat with biscuit, mash potato w/ gravy, and corn


DECEMBER IMPROMPTU GATHERINGS
December is a popular time to throw impromptu gathering among family and friends.  Although, we have visited Chinese food, and Panera Bread dishes.  I thought I would visit an American favorite of KFC (formally known as Kentucky Fried Chicken).  Many of the side-dish choices at KFC are very puree friendly.  So if you are bringing enough for a large gathering - you are pretty safe to bring something the cancer survivor will enjoy.

NOT IN MY HOUSE
Between the pescetarian and the vegetarian in my house, it was up to me to order a meal for one person.  Originally, I thought of getting the "original recipe", but the thought of trying "crispy" was just too enticing.

Be careful when you peel the meat from the bone.  The chicken is so tender that there is a good chance that the bone will be stuck to the batter.  Double check.  That is particularly true for the small bones on breast meat.

MAKES ABOUT SIXCUPS
If you add the whole meal to the blender, one 2-piece chicken makes about 6 cups of meals (depending on how much water you need to had).  For many of my readers, this might be a couple of days of food. Meal includes chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and one biscuit.

 I'm wondering what a Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen version would be like.

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My Thirtieth - Matzoh Ball Soup -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Thirtieth  recipe for the new cookbook - Matzoh Ball Soup

1 Unit soup

2 units Matzoh balls

1 unit Matzoh Ball diced (not pureed) for lip-sippers

add enough broth that the matzoh balls float in the blender before pureeing.

OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS HEINOUS

I've been eating so many cream based meals in the past couple of weeks, I needed a huge change of pace.  Having lost 85 pounds between the two bouts with cancer,  I have no insulation against the cold weather outside.  Between these two problems, I asked my wife in the morning if she could make me her world-awesome Matzoh Ball Soup for me for dinner that night.  Just what I needed when I trudged in the house that night.

HANDING DOWN TRADITIONS

(Update 28 Dec. 2016) - While I was down in Atlanta for Christmas, and my wife was working late on the third night of Hanukkah, we asked my children to make the vegetarian Matzoh ball soup on their own.  At 21 and 16, they are both accomplished at cutting and cooking.  However no one has ever dared to make Matzoh ball soup, because my wife makes the best . . . We were now treading into the land of heresy . . .

My son thought if he were going in this direction, so should consult an ancient tome - Grandma's 1952 edition of THE AMERICAN-JEWISH COOKBOOK.

I really wished I was there is witness this historic occasion.  Food came out great.  PS if you ever find a 1950's version of a cookbook, you should read it.  It is a fascinating view into history.

MATZOH BALL

I don't know how my wife does it but they are always nice a fluffy all the way through.   So when I can finally chew again, they will be the perfect dish to practice chewing again.  For now, they puree wonderfully in the blender.  The biggest issue is that it is traditional to bite the Matzoh Ball.  Pureeing the Matzoh Ball takes all the fun out of the soup.  For lip-sippers, the answer is to take a Matzoh Ball and dice it and add it to the bowl, and pour the pureed soup over top.

I only have 1 cm clearance between my top and bottom teeth,  I cannot even get a spoon in my mouth, so I drink all my meals.  The diced Matzoh Balls are soft enough that they can squish between the teeth.  Comfort - pure comfort.

CHICKEN?

To chicken, or not to chicken - that is the question.  Far be it for me to tell the experts of the world how it make Matzoh Ball Soup.  I'll just say that at my house- chicken is optional.

Make sure that you add equal parts chicken and vegetables.

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My Twenty-ninth - Biscuits and gravy -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Twenty-ninth  recipe for the new cookbook - Biscuits and Gravy

The nice thing about this recipe ifs that there is plenty of fat and grease.  If you need to add on a lot of weight, or you are loosing weight rapidly this is a great put-the-meat-back-on-the-bone  recipe.

1 Unit biscuit and gravy
extra gravy

or

1 chicken thigh
1 Southern Biscuit
Gravy

optional
roasted cauliflower

NOT EVERYTHING IS SAUSAGE
Oh sure, traditionally you use sausage,  but since you are pureeing,  I will use  chicken thigh, with sausage spices.  The problem with creating all these recipes is that I eat such a small amount, that it is hard to have all the ingredients in the house.  Chicken thighs have become one of my mainstays, because I can buy them one at a time at my local Whole Foods market.  The are just the right size of any of my typical meals.

Usually I cook them plain, and then add spices to the blender.

CAULIFLOWER
I was craving Biscuits and gravy in the worse way.  But that little voice in my head said "YOU NEED VEGGIES".  What veggies would go with BnG without ruining the whole thing.  Most green veggies were thrown right out - except peas.  For some reason peas seemed OK.  I was over at the prepared food case looking for inspiration, when suddenly, I saw "roasted cauliflower and capers". BINGO!  Just the right color, the right roasted flavor.  They worked perfectly.


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My Twenty-eighth - Baked Ham and Sweet Potatoes -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Twenty-eighth  recipe for the new cookbook - Baked Ham and Sweet Potatoes

1 Unit Baked spiral ham
1-2 units baked sweet potato with/without marshmallow


US Thanksgiving Dinner
Although my siblings gathers in Atlanta to share Thanksgiving Dinner, my family shares Thanksgiving Dinner with our neighbors.  Which is fabulous because many ethnicities are represented.  America the melting pot.  It was a great chance to bring the blender and try different combinations.   Most of the combinations I've tried before, so I was very comfortable with the options - turkey, stuffing, rice, shrimp, pulled pork, pumpkin pie . . .

Friday, is traditionally a night to share Friendsgiving.  This is a gathering at a friends' house to share leftovers.  This is where I discovered the spiral baked ham.

HAM AND SWEET POTATO
Truly a traditional combination.  The saltiness of the ham, blends with the sweetness of the potato casserole. The big question is "How pureed should the meal be?"  The potatoes mash pretty quickly, and it doesn't take long for them to purify.   The ham, however, takes quite a bit more time.

I recommend putting the ham in first and pureeing it with water. to get it down to a texture that is is acceptable.  Then add the sweet potato.


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My Twenty-seventh - Chili Soft Taco (Nachos) -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My Twenty-seventh  recipe for the new cookbook - Chili Soft Taco (Nachos)

1 Unit chili soft taco with cheese

or

1 chili (w/meat) and bean
1 unit shredded cheese
1/2 unit corn bread
1/2 unit blue corn chips

options

Sour Cream
Guacamole
mild salsa
mango salsa
green onions

thin with water or non-alcoholic sex in a canoe (Google it)


CHEESE NACHOS VS. CHILI SOFT TACO
Eureka!  Corn chips, cheese and salsa never seemed to work right.  OK, so I was never going to be able to get the crunch of a good nacho, but then I hit on the idea of a soft taco, and everything started to come together.  With a soft tortilla, I got the flavor combination and the thickness needed to keep the meat from sinking to the bottom.  I thought that enough corn chips would be able to compensate, but the chips always overwhelmed everything else. The chili soft taco was my first success, and I shared the meal with a good Friend, Bill Kenerson, while he enjoyed a traditional soft taco chili carne.

CHILI
How to fix the chili?  What I needed was one set of beans in the chili to help add thickener.  Doesn't matter whether it it black beans, kidney beans, white beans, etc. just a little bit of bean with the soft tortilla does the trick. I also add a lot of cumin to my chili recipe, and then cut way back on the chili powder and chipotle.  I serve them on the side for my "chewer" guests.

NACHOS
Overwhelming corn chip taste.  No one like nachos where it is all corn chip and no cheese.  At any nacho-serving restaurant, there is always to battle of who gets the nachos with the good stuff and who gets left with the plain chips.  So by swapping out a little bit of blue corn chip and add 50% corn bread.  The corn flavor does not overwhelm the dish.   You just need the taste of corn chips, and blue corn chips give you the most flavor for the least amount of chip  In my typical 3 cup version, I'm only adding about 6 chips.

The Second issue was that the corn chips were always to grainy, and made the dish a textural nightmare.  After eating so many softly pureed foods, the chucks of corn chip are very jarring to the mouth; and the little bits get stuck behind teeth and gums, making for a rather unpleasant experience.

The real question you need to ask - Which is the most important flavor - chips, chili, or cheese?  Cheat and add a little more of your favorite

6 December 2016 Update - I have discovered that you can buy "sandwich sliced" cheddar cheese, and I typically take one slice of cheese per 2 cups of water.

FISH
2 March 2017 Update - I have discovered that fish tacos pureed are awesome.  I first started with salmon, because I typically cook an entire side of salmon my wife loves it that much.  So there is almost always salmon in the refrigerator.  I then tested cod, then sole, then tilapia.  However, then best option is fish stick tacos when the kids are eating fish sticks for dinner.

OPTIONS
Certainly all the traditional extra topping are available - sour cream, green onions, guacamole, mild salsa, mango, etc.  Just remember that you are adding just a little bit for flavor.  Think about how little is added compared to the typical large platter of nachos supreme and any restaurant.

Glad I created this in time for tonight's New England Patriots Game.


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FACEBOOK
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.