IN YOUR KITCHEN
Meal Solutions for Seniors Living Alone
Courtesy of Personal Chef - Patti O'Halloran
Like most of you reading this column I’m a senior citizen. I’ve raised my family and was used to cooking large meals and using lots of ingredients. Cooking for one or two is quite different. While I still enjoy cooking occasional family or holiday meals my daily cooking has changed.
I’ve noticed that one of the greatest problems we as seniors face is how to prepare healthy, inexpensive, and easy to fix meals. Many of us live alone and sometimes it’s easier to make poor choices about what to eat than it is to find a nutritious solution. What we forget is that healthy eating as we get older is just as important as it was when we were young.
Nutritious meals don’t have to be difficult to prepare nor do they require using a lot of different ingredients. Having a wisely stocked pantry is just as valuable as having a fully stocked pantry. Using seasonings that contain many different herbs and spices will cut down on the amount of items you’ll need and will be much less expensive. I’ll give you a list of the essentials in my pantry and tell you how I use them. You can adjust this list to suit your taste.
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Sugar
Beef and chicken bouillon cubes or granules
Salt and black pepper
Rice
Pasta (at least two different kinds)
Vegetable oil
Olive oil
Canned cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup
Vinegar, white and red
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Tomato Sauce
Tomato paste (In addition to coming in a can tomato paste comes in a convenient tube. You can squeeze out as much as you like and keep the rest of the tube in your refrigerator.)
Mrs. Dash’s seasonings (Three different kinds will give you variety. I keep Italian medley, Caribbean Citrus and Original. There are many other choices available and you can find them at www.mrsdash.com.)
I use flour for baking and coating meats for stews and casseroles and for making gravies.
Baking powder and baking soda are used for baking. Buy the smallest size cans of each of these so you don’t waste any.
Sugar is essential for baking or for sweetening beverages. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic use sugar substitute. Remember that you can’t bake with sugar substitute unless you find a recipe calling for it. You can find recipes by going to www.sweetandlow.com or www.splenda.com web sites.
Beef and chicken bouillon cubes can be used to make gravy or in place of water to cook rice, barley or other grains.
Salt and pepper are a staple no matter what you cook. If you have a condition which limits your intake of salt use a salt substitute.
Rice can be cooked as a side dish or included in recipes for soups, stuffed peppers or cabbage or other dishes.
Pastas can be used for main dishes, side dishes, or in soups and casseroles.
Vegetable oil is used for cooking while olive oil is used for salad dressings.
Canned cream soups can be used in making a variety of casseroles and one dish meals. You can control the calorie and fat count by using skim or 2% milk.
Vinegars are used for salad dressings or to make pickled cucumbers or beets.
Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are used as condiments and in recipes.
Tomato sauce and tomato paste are used in recipes for soups, stews, casseroles, meat loafs, and bases for sauces.
Mrs. Dash’s seasonings will add extra flavor to all of your cooking. I chose the Italian for its Mediterranean flavors. It has all the herbs and spices you need for Italian cooking in one jar. The Caribbean flavor has all the spices you need to cook Latino or Mexican dishes. It contains things like cinnamon and citrus and molasses in addition to garlic, parsley and basil among other things. The Original is great for beef stew or soup and every day meals. I use it in meat loaf and Salisbury steak among other things.
Most supermarkets sell rotisserie chickens that can be made into several different meals. Since the chicken is cooked a lot of the work is already done for you. One chicken quartered will give you four different meals for one or two depending on the size of your appetite. Here’s what I do with a natural flavored rotisserie chicken. I choose the natural flavor instead of another variety since I add different flavors to each meal. I also ask the deli department to quarter the chicken for me to cut down on the preparation I’ll be doing. I use the white meat for chicken salad and for sliced chicken dishes. The dark meat is great in soups and casseroles. When I add vegetables I use canned or frozen verities. If you’re using canned vegetables buy the small size can and you won’t have any left over. Frozen vegetables such as corn, peas, green beans etc. can be used one portion at a time. I buy frozen vegetables in a bag not a box. They’ll keep in your freezer for months. Mixed vegetables will give you a variety all in one package.
Here are four different meals you can make from one rotisserie chicken.
CHICKEN CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS:
¼ chicken, dark meat, skin and bone removed and meat shredded or cut into small cubes
½ can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup milk, whole, skim or 2%
1 small can mixed vegetables, drained
½ baked potato, skin removed and cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon minced celery, optional
2 tablespoon shredded cheese, optional (cheddar or mozzarella work well)
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original seasoning
METHOD:
Mix all ingredients together and put into a small (2 or 3 cup) casserole dish. If using cheese sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is golden. Served with a salad this makes enough for 2 average or 1 very large meal.
HOT OPEN FACED CHICKEN SANDWICH:
INGREDIENTS:
¼ chicken, white meat, skin and bone removed and meat sliced
2 slices bread
½ can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons milk, whole, skim or 2%
Salt and pepper to taste or ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon
METHOD:
Put the sliced chicken on top of the bread. Heat the soup with the milk and either salt and pepper or bouillon until it’s bubbly. Pour over the chicken sandwiches and serve with the remaining half of the baked potato and a side of cooked corn, peas or any of your favorite vegetables. If you’ll only eat 1 sandwich save the sliced chicken, bread and “gravy” for another meal. It will keep in your refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you’re serving two people add a salad to the meal and you’ll have enough. When baking potatoes I always use russet potatoes. They’re the best for baking and will keep for a couple of days in your refrigerator after they’ve been baked.
CHICKEN SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
¼ chicken, white meat, skin and bone removed and meat shredded
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
METHOD:
Mix all ingredients together. Add 1 ½ tablespoon mayonnaise first and if too dry add the rest. This will make enough salad for 2 sandwiches. If you prefer you can make a small garden salad and top it with the chicken salad.
CHICKEN QUESADILLA
INGREDIENTS:
¼ chicken, dark meat, skin and bone removed and shredded
2 10-inch flour tortillas
1 plum tomato, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash’s Caribbean seasoning
4 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)
METHOD:
Lay out tortillas. Place half of the chicken, tomato, seasoning and cheese on one side of tortilla, fold over. Heat tortilla in a non-stick frying pan on each side until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden. Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired. This recipe makes a light meal when served alone or a more substantial meal when served with a side of your favorite canned soup.
If you have any questions about these or other recipes feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
www.inyourkitchenwithpatti.com
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