ISO: ISO Easy meals to take to the hospital

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music-city-missy

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My uncle's wife that has Wegener's Granulomatosis was transferred to the hospital in Mississippi a couple of weeks ago when they thought she was well enough to continue therapy there after spending 3 weeks here. I know how it wore me out taking meals to them but things took a turn for the worse again just days after the move and she's now in the hospital in my hometown and Sunday before last they called the family all around to say that they didn't think she would make it but she's been holding her own for the most part with gradual 'baby step' improvements and one or two little backslides. My uncle is finally leaving the hospital long enough for showers every other day. He's been in hospitals with her continuously since the first of December, both of them out of work - her vacation and sick time all used up, him an independent contractor - not to mention everything else that has happened like the CCU employees stealing his cell phone.

But now my mom has been under the stress of this for a couple of weeks and she has had a stroke before and had a mild stroke the week of Christmas from all this. She works full time but takes food up there every night.

I've sent her several recipes like MiainMD's MIL Brisket, Crockpot Cassoulet, Gretchen's SIL Sausage Corn Chowder. My uncle's tastes are pretty simple country food but he's not too picky. Any more ideas - we're running out of them.

 
REC: Texas Chicken and Dumplings

Texas Chicken and Dumplings
Woman’s Day Magazine, Feb 1999

2 lb skinned, boned chicken thighs
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 leek (white part only), thinly sliced, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup minced shallots or onion
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2 slender carrots, cut diagonally in 1/4-inch-wide slices
2 celery stalks, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
1 bay leaf
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tsp minced fresh sage, or 1/4 tsp dried
1/2 cup frozen tiny peas

Parsley Dumplings:
1-1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp 1% lowfat milk

1. Cut each thigh lengthwise in 4 pieces. Mix flour, 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper on a plate. Add chicken; turn to coat. Shake off excess.
2. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches, and cook 1 minute per side or until lightly browned. Remove to a plate.
3. Add leek and shallots to skillet. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until soft. Return chicken; add broth, carrots, celery, cider, bay leaf, thyme, sage, and remaining salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until carrots and celery are crisp-tender. Stir in peas.
4. Meanwhile make dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt to mix. Stir in parsley, then milk just until blended.
5. Drop 12 large spoonfuls into the simmering broth. Cook 10 minutes, cover and cook 10 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

 
REC: Taste of Home Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings
from Taste of Home Magazine
6-8 servings

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried basil
scant 1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 pkg. (5 oz.) frozen green peas
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
Optional ingredients: baby carrots, mushrooms
Dumplings:
2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix (like Bisquick)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Melt butter in large saucepan then saute onion, celery and garlic until tender. Add flour, sugar, salt, basil, pepper and broth. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat and add peas; cook for 5 min., stirring constantly. Stir in chicken. Pour into a greased 13x9x2” baking dish.
For dumplings, combine biscuit mix and basil in bowl. Stir in milk with fork until moistened. Drop by tablespoonsful onto casserole to make 12 dumplings. Bake, uncovered for 30 min. Cover and bake 10 more min.

 
REC: Spinach Chicken Noodle Soup

Spinach Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes 6 cups. Ready in 30 minutes

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 cans (about 13-14 oz. each) chicken broth (or 5 cups water + 4 tsp. Better Than Bouillon chicken base)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1/3 cup tiny star pasta, or 3/4 cup thin spaghetti broken in pieces
2 cups packed spinach leaves that have been julienned (cut in thin strips)
6 tbl. fresh grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan over med-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (do not brown). Stir in broth, chicken, pepper and nutmeg. Bring just to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Increase heat to high. Add pasta and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until tender (5-10 min.). Meanwhile, dice chicken. Return chicken to soup; add spinach. Heat through and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.

 
REC: Whistle Stop Minestrone

Whistle Stop Minestrone

Serves 8-10 generously

1⁄4 C chopped salt pork fried or 2 tbl. bacon fat (you can also use a little vegetable oil instead)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups water
8 tsp. Better Than Bouillon chicken base - or other chicken stock paste
1 1-pound can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz can pinto beans, undrained
1 tsp dried or 1⁄4 C fresh chopped parsley
1⁄4 tsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tsp dried basil
1 cup EACH: sliced zucchini, carrots, green beans, chopped celery
3/4 cup elbow or seashell macaroni
Grated parmesan cheese, optional


In a large soup pot cook chopped salt pork until fat is rendered, or heat bacon fat or oil until melted. Add garlic and onion and sauté until tender. Add water, bouillon, parsley, celery, basil, oregano, carrots, zucchini, green beans pinto beans and tomatoes with liquid.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Add macaroni and cook 30 minutes or until tender if serving at once. If making ahead, don’t cook macaroni until ready to serve. Can be frozen.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

 
Cooked yellow Vigo rice with shredded chicken, peas, roasted red peppers; you can add a few raisins

or green olives for added flavor.

 
My husband's aunt in Pittsb. used to buy chipped ham, heat it in a skillet with a bottle of

Chili Sauce, serve it on buns. Right now an accompaniment escapes me.

 
What an stressful situation for everyone... how about standard comfort foods like Macaroni & Cheese

with vegetables:

8 oz pasta (bow-ties or ziti), uncooked
3 tbsp butter, divided use
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup stock
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (2 oz)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium-size sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 scallions, sliced

Bring a large pot of water to boil; cook pasta until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, in medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter and remove from heat. Add flour and stir until blended. Whisk in stock and milk, stirring over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cheeses and seasonings. Continue stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt remaining butter; add remaining ingredients. Cook vegetables, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until tender/crisp. Reduce heat to low.

When noodles are done, drain well and toss with vegetables; stir in cheese sauce.

Servings: 6

 
Or Italian Chicken Casserole - REC inside

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup onions
Olive oil
Italian white wine
1 cup fresh mushrooms
4 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup Italian dressing
Parsley - chopped
3 small potatoes

Peel onions and cut into thin rings. Pour a little olive oil into a large skillet and saute onions until golden brown. Cut chicken in strips and brown with the onions; place in skillet.

Pour white wine over all, until covered. Peel tomatoes and cut into quarters, then add dressing. Slice peeled potatoes and add to the skillet.

Cover and let simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

 
Or Cheesy Beef and Rice

1 cup long grain rice
2 tbsp oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups water
1+ cup tomato juice
2 tbsp instant beef bouillon
2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. In a skillet, brown rice in oil and remove from skillet. In same skillet, brown beef with onion and chili powder; stir in rice. Turn into a 11x7-inch baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, tomato juice and bouillon. Cook, stirring until bouillon dissolves. Pour over meat mixture and cover.

Cook 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove cover and top with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer.

 
Thanks - some great ideas. I told her to go buy a small beverage thermos for soups

I had one I had gotten as part os some promotion - probably a gallon - says Gatorade on it. I heated up water and put in it to get it good and warm while I would warm the food that I fixed and then use that to transport things so they wouldn't spill. I just took a stack of papergoods and utensils and Voila - dinner was served. No mess, nice and hot.

 
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