Asparagus and rice

Steamed rice and soft cooked asparagus and green beans are a light combinations; combined with some salt and pepper, and a dash of BBQ sauce, and dinner is ready!

Tip: use frozen asparagus and green beans since they are healthier than canned ones.

Cream of wheat with vanilla and peanut butter

Cream of wheat. The thought makes everyone feel much, much younger or very old. Nevertheless, it is nourishing and easy to digest, even easier to digest when made with almond milk (or coconut milk, the carton kind, not the can). To add some character, options are a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter or almond butter and a dash of vanilla.   (cook according to instructions but replace milk or water with almond milk. Add a dash of vanilla after cream of wheat has thickened. Serve with peanut butter.)

Parsmip and Pear Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The grilled cheese sandwich works surprisingly well: 2 slices of white flour, no fiber bread with a slice of low-fat cheese  (I use Sargento Swiss cheese, or provolone). Toasted in a grill or simply in a pan over heat.

Soups need adjustments -- little butter, no cream and no onions.

Parsnip Pear Soup

• 3/4 pounds parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoons + 1 ts  olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1.5 medium pears, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 TB maple syrup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk

1. In a large bowl, toss the parsnips with oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 25 minutes. Stir in pears; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until parsnips are golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally.
2. In a Dutch oven, cook the celery in 1 ts olive oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in the broth, maple syrup, bay leaf, thyme and parsnip mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan. Stir in milk; heat through.

 

Yield: 4 servings

Kefir and Probiotics

Dairy products are not recommended at the beginning of bowel surgery recovery with the exception of low-fat cheese and probiotic products such as yogurt and kefir since they contain a certain amount of probiotics to rebuild the colon bacteria.

Low-fat kefir is easy to digest and can be mixed with a dry probiotic product. Fruits are not recommended in general since the combination of protein and fruit sugars can lead to gas. Kefir with a drop of liquid stevia and probiotics or a teaspoon of honey is ok.

Cream of rice soup

The soup of a convalescent seems similar to baby food: easy to digest, pureed, striped of spices, very simple. Still, the thought of baby food is not that appealing. This is a quite grown up soup I would even eat in other circumstances.

A basic soup of rice, carrots and some winter squash, pureed once the ingredients are soft and then flavored with sage and fresh mint and a dash of garlic and Parmesan (both optional). The herbs are thrown in whole and removed once they flavor the soup. Wonderful fall soup!

Cream of Rice soup (2 portions)

• 1 quart chicken stock (best home made)
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 10 oz winter squash (such as butternut, delicata or sunshine) (peeled, deseeded and diced)
• 1/3 cup quick cooking white rice
• 1/2 garlic clove, peeled, grated
• 1.5 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
• 2-3 whole sage leaves
• spring of fresh mint
• some grated parmesan cheese

Heat the chicken stock, and simmer the diced carrot, squash and rice for about 15 min on med-low in a cast iron pot until rice is cooked. Cool the soup.

 Puree the soup in a blender (or use immersion blender if you don’t have time to cool the soup first). Pour back into pot and reheat. Add the herbs whole (they will be removed later once they flavored the soup!), bouillon, and garlic, and reheated for about 4-5 min. Remove the herbs from the soup. Serve soup with some grated parmesan cheese.

 Good add-on: shredded boiled chicken.