Have to start my two weeks of puréed food on Mon. And I'm not sure where to start. What are some good recipes?

I've been cruising around the Internets and found the following:

Ideas:

Cottage cheese

Egg salad

Laughing cow cheese

Mashed cauliflower

Corned beef hash

No-Noodle Lasagna

This recipe is suitable for the pureed food stage.

Ingredients:

Low fat ricotta cheese

Spaghetti sauce (look for sugar free sauce)

Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Put two tablespoons of ricotta cheese in a bowl. Top with one tablespoon of spaghetti sauce and one tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese. Microwave for three minutes.

Variation: One you progress to the soft stage, you can add cooked ground beef to the lasagna if you like.

Pureed Foods

I had a request from a newer post-op to do a blog post of the pureed foods I ate. So per request here you go.

Disclaimer: Remember post-op nutritional plans vary. My sister had the same surgery with a different doctor and we had very different plans. Foods that worked for me may be on your no list. ALWAYS check with your medical posse first.

There's not much you can do but survive this part of the journey. The liquids through pureed/soft food phase are miserable and until you start eating "real food" again you will feel like a patient. It gets better I promise.

Four kitchen gadgets helped me during this phase:

Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor - I used this during the pureed stage several times a day and still use it several times a week. It is fabulous and just the right size for us. I've owned mine for 6 years though I've gotten way more use out of it as a post-op.

Hand Blender (Stick Blender) - This is an absolute must for whizzing homemade and store bought Soups.

Oster Beehive Classic Blender - some people have Magic Bullets but I just use my regular blender. A must for recipes.html" rel="external nofollow">Protein shake making.

Rival Crock Pot - The trick to not hurling on meats is moisture. Crock pots make meats moist.

Here's some things I ate:

Beans: I made post weight loss surgery standard refried Beans with melted cheese but I also whizzed up other beans too black beans with salsa and a little sour cream and cannelini with a teaspoon of pesto sauce mixed in.

One of the first meats I remember eating was Roast Beef Hash in a can. Yes, it resembles Alpo but in the beginning you will eat things you won't dream of eating later on.

Here's a favorite: I steamed cauliflower poured over a homemade cheese sauce (like for mac & cheese) and whizzed that up. Here's the recipe:

Shelly's Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

4 cups Cauliflower, steamed

4 Tbs. Butter, divided use

1/4 cup Flour

1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

3 cups Milk

3/4 pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese (3 cups)

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional)

Steam cauliflower set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, blend in flour & seasonings. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in cheese; pour over steamed cauliflower and mix till combined. Top with optional crumbs mixed with remaining 1 tablespoons of butter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can add cooked ground chicken, turkey or beef to this too. Throw your portion in the Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor and whiz away.

Crock Pot Stews:

Store bought and homemade stews. This recipe is still one of my favorites. The gravy is to die for and really helps in the whizzing process. Do not leave out the 1/4 cup of wine. This cooks for 7+ hours you won't be catching a buzz from the beef stew but it really makes a difference in the taste.

Shelly's Crock Pot Pot Roast

3-4 pound boneless Chuck Roast

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 package Lipton Dry Onion Soup mix

1/4 cup White Wine (don't leave this out the alcohol cooks away)

1 whole Onion sliced

Optional: The last hour of cooking I sometimes add the following:

1/2 cup frozen Peas

1/2 cup frozen Carrots

1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms

Place a 3 or 4 pound boneless Chuck Roast in a pan and brown both sides about 5 minutes a side. Place the brown meat in a crock pot and add a can of undiluted cream of CHICKEN (yes chicken) over the top of the roast and spread it around just the top. Then empty a package of Lipton dry Onion Soup mix over the cream soup and don't mix it. Drizzle 1/4 cup of white wine down the side of the crock pot. Place onion rings on top. Close the lid. That's all there is to it!! Don't add any additional Water either. Cook on low for about 7 hours.

In the pureed stage I whizzed this up it's not pleasant to look at. Is anything after it is whizzed up really? but it tastes awesome. BTW Now I eat this (un-whizzed of course) with a side of sauteed spinach or cabbage.

Soups:

I made alot of homemade and store bought soups and used my Braun hand blender to puree them. You can hide unflavored protein in soups for added protein. Remember "unflavored" just means not chocolate or vanilla it doesn't mean tasteless. There is no tasteless protein.

Salads:

Crab salad - with a squeeze of lime and a dab of mayo, chopped avocado

Chicken salad - with dill or curry powder or a little pesto sauce

Tuna salad - with cannelini beans, a squeeze of lemon juice or Italian dressing.

Egg salad - with curry or dill.

I used mayo or a mayo/yogurt combo to moisten. I added things like wasabi mayo or a T of chipotle in adobo for kick. I use/used full fat dressings and mayo. I don't do fat free. I mean come on we are eating tablespoons of food at least they can taste good. This was a surgery on my guts not my taste buds. Feel free to substitute with the fat free nuclear waste product of your choice.

I used my Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor and whizzed them till they were smooth. I have a lot of recipes posted in the blog for salads I basically used those but eliminated the crunchy items (nuts, fruits).

For an Italian fix:

Shelly's Baked Ricotta

8 oz of Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 large Egg, beaten

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup Marinara Sauce

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave.

For a sweet Italian fix:

Mix ricotta cheese and SF Torani syrup for a mock cannoli filling.

Other:

Fage Yogurt with SF Torani syrup

Faux Ice Cream - freeze yogurt or Protein shakes in popsicle makers

SF pudding (with or without added protein)

oatmeal and Cream of Wheat (with or without added protein)

I wish I would done this back then: Protein Ice Cream soooo good.