Fast, easy, simple, tasty lunches
 

I know, I can have only two of the four. However, my wife has been spending a lot of time and energy taking care of me during chemo and ancillary treatments, and has asked me to provide lunch a couple times a week. I'm an OK cook but I have a lot of trouble coming up with ideas and menus. How do my fellow Pelicans handle this?

with winter coming I luv chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese with tomato sammich.

Crock Pot. Lots you can do, this is a good book....
Slow Cooker Revolution: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen, America's Test Kitchen: 9781933615691: Amazon.com: Books

The other thing to get is a pannini press/ grill. Make sandwiches, grilled salmon, chicken, etc. Even a small Geo. Foreman grill works good.

I bet you can get lots of ideas from the, "What is your favorite sandwich?" thread - not that sandwiches are the only thing for lunch.

It depends on how easy you want to get. Microwave food is different these days, in fact some of it is fantastic http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/pray.gif

My dad has been doing chicken noodle soup using canned chicken breast, swansons broth in the carton, and pre made noodles. Turns out pretty darn tasty with some salt and pepper!


More importantly Tom, how are you doing! Anything your fellow pelicans can help out with? You know we are here for ya bud! SmileWavySmileWavy

You have to re-introduce yourself to the deli. Good bread with good cold cuts and crisp greens and maters, good mayo and/or mustard make for a tough combo to beat.

I'd suggest a batch of pasta, your favorite sauce. When I do this, it makes at least four servings. I eat one, stick the rest in the reefer for tomorrow, the day after, and the day after. Hey, it's cheap, really easy, no matter which sauce you choose.

+1 on pasta if that fits your diet. Whole grain stuff is getting tolerable now too.

Learn how to do a bechamel sauce. I.e.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/bechamel-sauce-recipe/index.html

(that's WAY too much butter and can be substituted iwth olive oil)

You can use it with fish, meat, vegetables. You name it. It is the base of all my fast lunches and a light "cream sauce" that's made with only milk.

Learn how to make a marinara sauce.

So, her you have it. Eeasy lunch once a week already. The second one, I'd make a stir fry with vegetables/meat and rice. Get a rice cooker. You can vary the stir fry ingredients to whatever is floating around the fridge, including leftovers.

HTH.

G

Thanks for all the tips and recipes! My biggest problem, in this department i coming up with a menu, and how hard could that be for a quick lunch? Today, fall has returned to the Great Pacific Northwest,,,,rain, rain, rain. Same as winter, except in winter it rains colder.

Flatbutt, I'm going to try the chicken noodle soup and toasted cheese today.

Sidney - I am doing pretty well at the moment, and thanks for the good karma. I hope that things are going well with you and Tweeze. In fact, I would love to hear from Tweez. The strength and flexibility that she exhibited when she was between jobs has been very helpful for me in dealing with some of these health issues.

Mike Holloway - At one point, during and immediately after chemo, I was put on an immuno-suppresive diet which excluded just about everything from a deli. I'm off that, and on a normal diet now, so it will be a great pleasure to reintroduce myself to those pleasures. Thanks for the tip and reminder!

5string - Pasta! Yes! I make a great Fettucinne Alfredo from scratch, including the noodles. I haven't used my pasta machine for a while. It's time!

Now I'm running out of (writing) steam. I will comment on all the other suggestions a little later on.

Thanks again!


Tom

That is so sweet of you to say, Tom! I am going to PM you after this. One of my greatest joys in life is to hear that I helped somebody. So please, do not hesitate to contact me. And remember I was an oncology nurse so I am familiar with some of the issues you may be dealing with. Hugs!

Tuna melt on English muffins.

Sandwiches and hot soup. There are usually places around where you can get soup.

Simple winter comfort food:

Baked potato (microwave) split in half and mashed on the plate, add a pile of spinach and grated cheddar cheese. Back in the micro till the cheese melts. Add bacon bits for fun.

Omelets with cubed meat, onion, cheese. (I could eat breakfast 3 meals a day).

I'm a survivor....if you have an appetite during Chemo that's a great sign!!!!! Rock on brother!!!;) . When I lived by myself I always kept one of those BBQ'ed chickens you can buy at the grocery and some dinner rolls near by. Good luck with everything else. Also, I am sure you know and are doing so but keep up with whatever supplements and or vitamins your Docs tell you about.

Quesadillas are usually quick to fix. (Drop tortilla in a non-stick pan; add cheese, beans, cooked meat (we use up leftovers this way), salsa, etc; drop another tortilla on top; apply heat until melty, turning once or twice.) Quick and easy and go great with soup.

RE: Chicken soup, we grab on of those pre-cooked chickens, shred all the meat off, put the carcase in a large pot, cover with water and put on a low simmer for about an hour.

You end up with a pot of chicken broth for soup or good for making rice... and a pile of chicken you can use on salad/sandwiches/tacos/soup/etc.

One thing I been digging on lately is Kale / Spinach salads with olive oil and salt and pepper.You can add in smoked salmon or grilled chicken breast. So simple and really great for you. Make sure to always have a fat (like olive oil) with your leafy greans mentioned prior - makes the vit absorption more efficiant...

Glad to hear you are doing well tom! And many thanks for the warm wishes! SmileWavy

I'm doing great bud thanks. Feeling really well.