My One Hundred and Tenth - Soggy Cereal -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My One Hundred and Tenth  - Soggy Cereal -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

I miss cereal.  I mostly miss the crunching.  I remember waking up for high school at about the same time as my dad went to work, and he hated the sound of hearing crunching of cereal in the morning.  I don't blame him, I hate the sound of other people crunching cereal too. But crunching is off the table.

Watching Saturday morning and Sunday morning programs with cereal commercials is starting to become a drag.

You know there are some mornings when you want to share breakfast with your children . . . scratch that.  You there are some evenings when you want to share breakfast with your children because it is a breakfast for dinner kinda night????  Just do it.  

There are some night when you just want to sneak a bowl of cereal into the bedroom . . . Just do it.

RECIPE

Seriously, you don't know how to pour a bowl of cereal.
Let sit for 10 minutes before you puree (Except a cereal like Grape-Nuts, they might take a little longer to soak).

MILK
Use animal or vegetable milk.  Cereals were designed with the idea that you were going to add milk of some kind.

RAISINS
If you like cereal with raisins, know that there is a good chance the raisins will sink to the bottom of the blender. SEE YOGURT

STIRRING
Most cereals have a habit of sinking to the bottom of the puree, just like they do in a cereal bowl. Cereals, that normally float in a cereal bowl, will sink in a puree, because you have pureed all the air out of the cereal.  Think about using a spoon to agitate the puree if you are pouring in a tube.  For lip-sippers, the last sips can feel like sludge, so stirring helps keep the puree consistent.

YOGURT
Adding yogurt to a puree helps to keep the cereal from sinking to the bottom. Full fat yogurt works best.

ADDING SUGAR
Talk to your nutritionist. Adding sugar is a double edged sword.  I only use brown sugar, solely for the flavor.  I prefer using maple syrup or molasses with some cereals like Corn Flakes.

MARSHMALLOWS
I know some of you jumped right down here to see if I puree cereal marshmallows - yes I do.  If the puree is cold, you can get an annoying scum on the surface.

FRUIT
I'm a fan of blueberries and strawberries (remember bananas burn some patients mouths).  Only need a little for flavoring.

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My One Hundred and Sixth - Club Sandwich -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My One Hundred and Sixth  - Club -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

Soup and sandwiches always go hand in hand.  The temperatures in Boston have been running from 45-85 degrees. All week, I've been craving a club sandwich and it took me a while to buy all the ingredients, because I normally don't keep them in the house.

I've never been a fan of the mess created by eating a club sandwich, so this is a wonderful option

Pureed club sandwiches are much neater than regular ones - granted you don't get the crunch like a real one.

RECIPE

2 slices of toasted bread
A dollop of Mayo (or Miracle Whip in my case)

2 slices luncheon meat
2 pieces of bacon ( or 1 piece of luncheon ham)
Thick slice of ripe tomato
Large piece of soft lettuce.

Makes about 4 cups

TOASTED BREAD
Many club sandwiches have three layers of bread, but the third layer only makes the puree thicker, without adding any extra flavor.

DOLLOP OF MAYO

Yes, that sounds like a lot.  Unlike a real sandwich you don't get the mayo squishing out of the corner of your mouth that you get to lick off.  So, you don't get a spike of mayo flavor.

LUNCHEON MEAT
Some people use turkey.  Some people use beef.  Some people use chicken.  Truth is, it doesn't even have to be luncheon meat.  Roasted chicken breast works well too.

PORK
I'm a fan of bacon, and I understand people like ham in their club sandwich.  I won't judge.  I think it is important to have a salted meat though . . . 

TOMATO
Beefsteak is the standard for club sandwiches.  I find that cherry and grape tomatoes have become my standard for measuring tomatoes to add to purees- strictly because I tend to have a lot of half sliced tomatoes in the refrigerator. They are also my favorite home-garden vegetable.

LETTUCE
Use what you like.   I find I get a better puree with softer leaf lettuces like - Boston Lettuce or Red Leaf Lettuce.  I feel I get more "Greenness" per ounce.  I'll use Romaine in a pinch.

MUSTARD
I've hidden mustard down here for two reasons. First, mustard can overwhelm the other flavors.  Second, mustard can burn the mouth for lip-sippers.

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My One Hundred and Fifth - Chilled Pasta Salad -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My One Hundred and Fifth  - Chilled Pasta Salad -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

It's June and we are already having a heat wave in Boston.  Always looking for something cold to eat on these hot days  . . . I'm tired of fruit smoothies . . . . tired of veggie smoothies . . . .

I had picked up penne pasta for my daughter and made her a chilled pasta salad for when she comes home from school.  You know, I could puree that too.  A vinegar based dressing could spice up the doldrums. 

There must be about a million different pasta salads recipes out there.  They all have pasta, veggies, and seasoning.  Some people throw in beans for a little protein.  There is no right way to make it, so don't worry.

Most of my summer pasta salads are a hodgepodge of what I have on hand, which is a result of what is fresh at the market.  For example, I wanted to add fresh corn on the cob  kernels, but neither my farmer's market nor Whole Foods had corn on the cob available.

The food is easy enough to puree.

RECIPE

1 cup pasta salad

1 cup water

PASTA
I like my pasta salad over cooked so it is nice and soft.  If you like firmer pasta, remember that pasta pureed and stored in the refrigerator will thicken up and absorb more water out of the blend.

VEGETABLES

The only vegetable that can be an issue is olives.  They don't puree as easily as the other cut veggies.  Puree twice to be sure.  Raw broccoli has a very strong flavor so you don't need much to flavor the blend.

BEANS
Can and boxed beans work best, because they are soft.  Besides when it's 90 degrees out who has time to cook fresh beans.  I cook my fresh beans in the winter when I need to both warm the house, and humidify the air.

SEASONING
There are a million different ways to season pasta salad,  when I'm not in an overly creative mood, I look at the bottles of salad dressing, and add a dash of two different dressing, with a little mayo as a thickener.

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Sauteed Soft Shell Crab -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

Sauteed Soft Shell Crab -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

Ummmm, Jeff, have you flipped?  Yes and No.  Notice, I didn't give this one a recipe number.  I don't recommend soft shelled crab to anyone going through cancer treatment.  But I feel, I needed to mention that I bought soft shell crabs, dressed them myself, and sauteed them in sherry and butter.  Why?  Because I could - and damn it, cancer was not going to stop me from eating the foods I really love.  I'm seven years out from the first cancer I had, and it will not break my spirit.

I was standing at the Eataly of Boston looking at the salmon to purchase for my wife, because she love a good piece of king salmon.  And the soft shell crabs were looking at me, saying TAKE ME HOME, YOU'LL LOVE IT. And I did.

The point is, the whole reason we go through this awful treatment is so that life will get better.  Soft Shell Crab represent my triumph over cancer treatment.  Take the victories as they come.  There must be some dish that you look at and think - "I'll never get to eat that ever again . . . Put that on you Pureed Bucket List and put it on the refrigerator. Don't get mad that you can't have it, be motivated that some day you will celebrate by having your victory supper with that dish as the main course.  Some day, you may not have to puree and that dish will be served as intended.  Every bite-full will be the best bite-full you ever had.

Undressed soft shell crab

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My One Hundred and Fourth - Red Sox Special (hot dog and peanuts) -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My One Hundred and Fourth  - Red Sox Special (hot dog and peanuts) -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

After the 17-6 shellacking of the Minnesota Twins by the Boston Red Sox,  I woke up this morning craving hot dogs and shelled roasted peanuts.  (In true I've been craving boiled peanuts for years, but they don't makes those in New England ::sad face emoji:: )  So I hopped on my blog to down load the recipe for pureed hot dog.  OH DEAR LORD THERE ISN'T ONE!!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING.  Well, at least my second recipe was frank and beans, so I am not too embarrassed.

I have been a long-time Red Sox fan, even before I was treated at Dana Farber.  When my kids were young they had Red Sox jerseys. And yes, that NY team is the evil empire.

Every time I return to Dana Farber for a check up, I take Dr. Dana Farber's picture with "Jimmy"

The food is easy enough to puree.

RECIPE

1 hot dog

1 buttered, toasted hot dog bun

Shot of yellow mustard

Shot of ketchup

1 cheap non-alcoholic beer
Half dozen shelled peanuts

Puree until smooth

HOT DOG
“Hot Dog” – beef, pork, chicken, turkey, tofu, nitrate-free . . .  I won't judge. I love my beef dogs roasted on the grill so there is a nice smoky flavor.  I cook up an entire package and keep the rest chilled in the refrigerator.   The color and the aroma are pure summer-time. I used to have to buy chicken dogs for the kids, but neither eat them anymore.

HOT DOG BUN

The traditional hot dog bun is just gummy white bread.  So white bread will do in a pinch.  Now I understand that Fenway Park doesn't toast their hot dog buns, but this is my house, and my rules.
I cook my bun on the stove.   Like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

CHEAP BEER
OK, so there aren't any cheap non-alcoholic beers.  I've not advocating alcoholic beer . . . but then again . . . I keep O'Douls Amber on hand, typically for chili.  So now I have to go out and buy regular O'Douls.
Back in the 80's the Fenway Park beer was closer to sex in a canoe, but now you have quite a bit of options for quality beers and ales.

Non-Alcoholic beer of choice

SHELLED PEANUTS

There is something therapeutic about shelling peanuts.  And since you only have to shell 6, it is not a big deal.  Salt or unsalted if personal choice. Oh and don't throw the shells on the kitchen floor - trust me.

WARNING

The two big issues with this recipe are the ketchup and yellow mustard.  Yellow mustard, does give a nice aroma, but can have more of a “bite” than you might expect.  Ketchup has vinegar and can burn  

Picked this up at the Supermarket at a fraction of the cost of Fenway Park

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My One Hundred and Third - Sashimi -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

My One Hundred and Third - Sashimi -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

 "Consuming raw or under-cooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness."

If you have any concerns about raw food skip down to POACHING. 

NO REALLY, love of food should not make you ill.

My wife and I, typically, went out for anniversary dinner to eat sushi and sashimi.  When we order out we order the same couple of fish every time, so the anniversary was the time to try new fish.

When my children were old enough to cook, they would make my wife and I a "seven course Valentine's dinner", which would also include sushi.  Sushi started on the menu, because when they were really young we did not have confidence in their cooking skills.  Also, they never told us what was on the menu, they just don't me which ingredients to purchase.  If I ask you to try something new, I should be willing to do the same.

I could have called this one "Sushi".  However, sushi rolls are problematic.  Especially. if you need to poach them as they fall apart horribly in the hot water. If you are going raw, you can use sushi nori rolls.  Different sushi chefs use varying ratios of protein to rice . . . use what you like.

Sashimi is just raw fish (and other seafood).  They are soft and easy to puree.  However, you need to build a "sushi-version in order to puree

SIMPLE RECIPE

1 Unit sashimi

2 Units cooked rice

1/2-unit ginger or picked ginger

one packet of soy sauce - (we always have extra packets in the refridge.)

thin with tea

OPTION

Wasabi to taste - go light

seaweed to taste

FISH

My three favorites are Salmon, Tuna, and Mackerel. All three are very soft and do not take long to puree, and easy to purchase at H Mart.  You can choose your favorite fish from your favorite Sushi Restaurant.

ROE

Fish eggs are a great replacement for salt and add a great fish flavor.

SEAFOOD

There are other versions of seafood that you can use, like squid, octopus, or scallops.  Just make sure that you purchase SUSHI quality seafood.  Shrimp is most often served cooked.

GINGER

We are used to eating picked ginger with our sashimi.   However, I always have ginger and turmeric in the house (since they are both good anti-cancer foods), so I leave the pickled ginger for my wife, and add fresh ginger to the blender.  A dash of turmeric isn't a bad idea.  I hide this message down here so the sashimi purist won't hunt me down.

SOY SAUCE

You can use a bottle of say sauce or tamari sauce; however, if your house is like mine you have a stash of leftover soy sauce packets in the refrigerator for all the Chinese food takeout orders.

POACHING

If you have ANY concerns at all - poach the sashimi.  Make sure that you cook the seafood all the way through.  Which is pretty easy because the pieces are small enough to cook all the way through.  The nice thing about poaching is that you can't OVER-COOK the fish.  I bring the water to a roaring boil and add the fish.  When the water returns to a hard boil.  I cook it for one more minute, and then use a screen to "fish" the pieces out of the water and add them to the blender.  If you use sushi rolls, everything with dissolve in the water and make a mess.

I have an H Mart nearby which sells both whole and sashimi pieces

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Seasoned to burp -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

Seasoned to Burp -100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients

Aftertaste is a key to eating and healing.  Many cancer treatment survivors lose their taste during treatment.  The types of flavors lost is as varied as the number of patients.  The duration of taste-lost is just as varied.  

For those who are getting most of their nutrition through a tummy tube, lip sipping is more about taste than it is about nutrition. A good after-taste will entice them back to sip again.

Some foods are actually found to be repulsive.  What is important to know is that this just happens, and does not reflect on you as a loved one nor a chef.

Just roll with it.

Below are some flavors that tend to last a longtime in the form of burps ( in no particular order)

BACON
This is not a meat, nor is it a protein.  It is a flavoring.  You will never hit your protein goals with bacon.

CINNAMON
One of the most powerful flavors there are.  Sometimes the flavor is intensified during treatment.  Some days it was the only flavor I could taste.

LEMON
Especially, pureed lemon rind or lemon zest.  I found this flavor very refreshing when eating was boring

COCOA
One of my favorite nighttime flavors.  Especially Ghirardelli dark cocoa.  But being from San Fran. it is a personal thing

PEANUT
Particularly peanut-butter.  The only issue is that I got peanut-butter overload in all of my smoothies

CHILI POWDER
I added this a lot to anything with rice.  Still do

TANDOORI
Wonder spice blend.  I love it with chickpeas.

CURRY
Oh Yea.  I would have this once or twice a month for a change of pace, especially with raisins.

CILANTRO
Fresh cilantro would stay with me a long time.  Some people hate it so be careful

BANANA
Banana tends to overwhelm all flavors except cinnamon.  I grew so tired of bananas I can not tell you how glad I was that bananas burned my mouth so I didn't have to eat them again

BBQ
I put that sh*t on everything.  Sorry I stole the slogan, but I couldn't use hot sauce.

FISH
Not only do the odors linger in the house, they linger in the belly  

Let me could what other flavors I should add.

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