Get Well Food - Cooking for Comfort

[Lavender]

Hi, I am new to the board so if this is the wrong place to post please advise.

I need to whip up several easy to prepare meals for a elderly married couple while both of them recover from illness. I am tired of all the old stand bys, loafs and lasagnas and wondered if any of you have some wonderful casseroles, soups or one pot meals that could be easily frozen and reheated?

My friends are worldly "gourmands" who are just miserable with the TV dinners and glop they can manage to get at various fast food joints. I'd like to surprise them with a nice assortment of reheatable choices.

Thanks for any input! Be Well! Lavender

[fifi]

This veal ragout from Epicuious is a family favorite. It is really an interesting dish. We like it better made with pork, though.

Edited October 19, 2003 by fifi (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

I think soups are a great idea. You may want to read through the eGullet Culinary Institute's lessons on Stock and Consomme for the basics. Freeze the stocks, broths, consommes, and any finished soups, in 1 or 2 portion containers, that way they don't have to defrost a whole quart of something when only two cups are going to be consumed.

When I made the big batch of chicken stock, I ended up with about 8 quarts (before reducing to a gel for storage). You could make 8 different kinds of soup and freeze them all in 1 or 2 cup containers.

Be sure to find out their dietary restrictions ahead of time, most likely would be low-sodium and of course it is easy to leave out salt, but be sure to use low sodium soup additions as well. For noodle-soups, don't include the cooked noodles in the soup. Instead tape a baggie containing the appropriate amount of fresh (but uncooked) noodles to the soup container. Label everything very clearly and using large print, including reheating instructions.

Edited October 19, 2003 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[JAZ]

Welcome to eGullet! Here's a Middle Eastern style lamb curry from the eGullet Recipe Archive. It freezes very well and is a little out of the ordinary.

And since you're new, you may not know about the recipe archive. It's a great resource. Click here for Recipe Archive.

[gus_tatory]

I need to whip up several easy to prepare meals for a elderly married couple while both of them recover from illness... 

My friends are worldly "gourmands" who are just miserable with the TV dinners and glop...

hi Lavender, and welcome to eGullet--

first of all, i think it's sweet you're cooking for this older, ailing couple.

having said that, if it were me cooking for these two, i'd get a lot of small freezer containers and take a modular approach, meaning smaller portions of things that can be served together if desired.

i.e., i'd make a batch of ratatouille, some lamb stew, and maybe a beans and rice dish--and then freeze them in small containers. this way they have variety, smaller portions, and less waste.

good luck and happy cooking!

gus

[Lavender]

Hi, Thanks for your comments and recipe suggestions. Yes, I am Smart & Final's (a mini-Costco for cooks here in the west) biggest customer, I routinely cook large amounts and use their plastic pint and quart containers for freezing. The suggestion for calling my friends in advance for diet restrictions was a good one. I called and guess what - they hired a "personal chef" to prepare them 10 meals a week, all in individual containers and ready for the oven or microwave. Tonite they are having Beef Wellington! I've decided to pot up a bunch of cooking herbs from my winter garden (the big bonus of living in Phoenix is the 11 month growing season - we all know the big minus) for their chef to use when she comes over.

That won't stop me from using your recipe suggestions! Thanks for the welcome, Lavender

[Anna N]

Welcome, Lavender.

You might also like to check out the ideas in this recent thread.

Anna N

[Lavender]

Thanks for the Welcome Anna. That is a great thread you directed me too. This board has been my respite today from the garden. It is finally cooling off enough to plant lettuce and herbs, but yikes, it still hit 103 today. The mornings and evenings are finally NIPPY - that is a good sign. This is the hottest, longest summer in Phoenix I can remember in 30 years!

Anyway, speaking of fast, easy comfort food and such, my favorite new untensil is my new fangled large capacity pressure cooker. It replaces my Moms 50yr old "Miro" that worked just fine but didn't have all the new safety features that todays cookers have. Plus it is twice as big. I have re-discovered 20 minute lentil or split pea soup (4 parts H20 to 1 part peas or lentils, 1/4 cup each of cubed carrots, celery and onion, dash pepper, bay leaf) and the other night made a large pot roast in one hour that came out great.

I'll bet that this site has a "pressure cooker" recipe web site that I could find if I looked for it, but if not, is anyone interested in starting one? This is me after a day in a Phoenix garden Lavender

[Toliver]

I'll bet that this site has a "pressure cooker" recipe web site that I could find if I looked for it, but if not, is anyone interested in starting one?  This is me after a day in a Phoenix garden  Lavender

Yes, start one, please. I tried doing a search for "pressure cooker" here on eGullet and found a technical thread (what brands are out there, etc) but not a recipe thread.

In light of the recent thread on quick-but-good meals for the time-constrained, I think one discussing pressure cooker recipes would be ideal.

[Lavender]

Ok, Flounder, I'll start one and lets see if we spark any interest!