Any Good Meal Ideas out there?

I have been having trouble trying to figure out what to eat for meals lately. (mainly dinner) Before surgery, I could eat anything (hence the reason for surgery), but now I find that I have a hard time trying to think of meals that are not only lean and hi protein, but easy on the pouch and tasty too. I don't know how many times I stand at the meat counter looking around and feeling at a total loss. For me, beef, unless it is filet or a very tender cut, is pretty rough to digest and... expensive! The same with chicken unless it is cooked with a sauce and tender. Pork seems to go down okay and seafood is probably the easiest to digest but I never know how to cook it. I guess that is my problem... I am a boring cook. I always just broiled my meat which worked fine before, but not very appealing now because it ends up being too tough and I have a hard time eating it. Does anyone else have this dilemna? How do you all cook your meals? Anyone have any vegitarian alternatives? What is your favorite pouch-friendly meal? Mine seems to be ground turkey with tomato sauce topped with melted mozz cheese. What else? Terri *****ally needs to get off line and back to her chores!

I feel the same way!! My problem is that is that I live alone so I try to make meals small enough so that I don't have leftovers for a week. Has anyone ever tried to cook 4 ozs of food? Its crazy. My fav pouch friendly food is tuna/seafood salad. You can make it simple or jazz it up with whatever you want. And its loaded with protein! I like to have albacore imitation crab meat (which is more sodium than protein but still tasty) low fat mayo mustard relish green olives mushrooms and then I go to the supermarket and buy like $1.00 worth of greens and such from the salad bar. (A tip from Deb Marcus, a whole head of lettuce would be brown before I would fini****) Its wonderful!

Terri, They are my favorite foods but I have more recipes but want to share this recipes I use to cook all the time! rock-Pot Salsa Chicken 3-4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves 1 package taco seasoning mix 1 16 oz jar salsa (Pace's Lime & Garlic) ½ cup of sour cream Lightly spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Then season with taco seasoning package. Add the salsa over the top. Cover- cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken from crock pot and sit to the side. Stir in the sour cream with the salsa left in the pot. Serve the chicken with the salsa sauce. Roasted Red Pepper Chicken 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, cut into small pieces 1 cup low-fat sour cream 1/2 cup low-fat feta cheese, crumbled Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Mix feta and peppers together in a bowl. With a very sharp knife, cut pockets into the thickest part of the breast of chicken. Stuff as many pieces of roasted red peppers mix as you can into pockets of chicken one at a time. Secure open side with toothpicks. 3. Place in baking pan and cook at 350 for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. 4. While cooking the chicken, in an electric blender blend sour cream and a few pieces of red peppers. 5. Cut the chicken in half and arrange the pieces on a plate. Drizzle with sour cream mixture and sprinkle with feta cheese. * Spinach and /or pine nuts can be added to the filling for a nice variation Parmesan Crusted Fish This recipe works best with thin, firm fillets, such as halibut, red snapper, catfish, orange roughy, etc. (I used Tilapia fillets and they were excellent). The fish is coated with seasoned Parmesan cheese and quickly sauteed. The cheese forms a delicate crust which compliments the fish in both flavor and texture. If small fillets are not available, use larger ones and cut them into smaller pieces. 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (I used one clove, crushed or sprinkles of garlic powder) 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 pounds fish fillets 3/4 to 1 cup Parmesan, grated (I used Kraft 100% that comes in a plastic container) 1 tablespoon canola oil (can cut down on oil if making less fish) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional) 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional) Beat the egg lightly with the garlic and pepper. Coat the fish fillets with the beaten egg, draining off excess. Roll the fillets in the Parmesan to coat. Let sit 5 minutes before cooking. Heat the oils in a large skillet (I recommend a non-stick pan) and I only use olive oil) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the fillets and coo****il browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the fillets over and brown the other side. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Southwest White Chicken Chili Two main-dish servings. "A special spice blend, chicken, Cannelleni beans, and Monterey Jack cheese make this Southwest Chili "white." Prep time 10 minutes, cook time 25 minutes. 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon cilantro leaves 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes* 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 can (or 2 cups) chicken broth 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chilies 1 can (15 ounces) white kidney beans (Cannellini) drained and rinsed Shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sliced green onions for garnish (optional) Combine garlic powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro, and red pepper in a small dish and stir until well blended. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and stir-fry from 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onions and continue cooking for a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth, chilies, and spices. Simmer over low heat 15 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. If soup is too thick, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup water to desired consistency. Pour into serving bowls and top with cheese and sliced green onions. Lasagna Stuffed peppers YUMMY YUMMY!!!!! 4 large green peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded [I used 2 peppers and 2 very lg portabella mushrooms, gills scraped out] 1 pound ground beef 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced [I omitted these--didn't have them in the house] 1 cup spaghetti sauce [I used a little more than 1 cup] 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese 1 egg 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/4 cup parmesan cheese Place peppers in a large baking pan at least 9x13 inches; sprinkle inside of peppers with salt. Meanwhile brown the ground beef, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper and half the garlic powder; drain fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese in a small bowl; season with salt, pepper and remaining garlic powder. Divide ricotta mixture between the pepper halves. Top ricotta mixture with meat sauce; mound the mozzarella cheese over the top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. EGG CASSEROLE WITH SWEET ONION AND SAUSAGE MADE IN SLOWER COOKER 1 MEDIUM SWEET ONION CHOPPED 1 POUND TURKEY BREAKFAST SAUSAGE 1/2 TEASPOON BUTTER 10 EGGS BEATEN 1 CUP LIGHT CREAM 1/2 CUP SHREDDED REDUCED-FAT CHEDDAR CHEESE,DIVIDED 1/4 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER 1/4 TEASPOON TABASCO SAUCE ABOUT 2 SHAKES IN MEDIUM NONSTICK SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT,COOK SAUSAGE ABOUT 5 MINUTES.ADD CHOPPED ONIONS TO THE SKILLET AND COOK SAUSAGE AND ONIONS TOEGTHER ANOTHER 5 MINUTES OR UNTIL COOKED THROUGJ AND ONIONS ARE SOFT.REMOVEFROM HEAT DRAIN OFF FAT AND SET ASIDE.WHIKE SAUSAGE AND ONION MIXTURE IS COOKING,GREASE THE SLOWER CROCK WITH NONSTICK SPRAY.IN LARGE BOWL BEAT EGGS WITH A WHISK THEN ADD REMANING INGREDIENTS EXCEPT FOR 1 CUP OF THE CHEESE.STIR IN RESERVED SAUSAGE AND ONIONS AND POUR ENTIRE MIXTURE INTO THE SLOWER COOKER CROCK.SPRINKLE MIXTURE WITH REMAINING CHEESE.COVER SLOW COOKER AND COOK ON LOW FOR 31/2 HOURS TO 4.THIS WILL YIELD A MOIST CASSROLE.IF YOU PREFER A DRIER CASSROLE,COOK FOR 41/2 HOURS ON LOW.DO NOT COOK LONGER OR THE TOP WILL BECOME TOO BROWN AND EGGS WILL BE OVER COOKED THIS IS GOOD FOR DINNER TRY BREAKFAST FOR DINNER. THIS MAKES 6 SERVINGS CALORIES--553 PROTEIN--39 GRAMS NET CARBS--5 FAT--42 CHOLESTROL 488 SODIUM--1030 Hugs Kathy K

My pouch accepts tender steaks, eggs, chicken, shrimps, fish and sir lion pork ( not pork chop) with slow cooker or must mixed with low fat sour cream or salsa . I cnanot eat bread or pasta but only toasted rye and whole grains only accepts for my pouch.

Kathy, what great recipe ideas! i am going to try a couple this week. I am so looking forward to having something different! thanks for all the great suggestions. terri

Thanks for that suggestion Christine. I love having salad with tuna/mayo on top. I love the idea of getting salad greens from the salad bar. We don't eat a lot of salad here -- just me. It will be nice to not have to throw out all the uneaten lettuce. terri

Hi Terry, I have found that my "Crock Pot" has been a lifesaver for me. I make pork roast, or pot roasts in it and everything comes out super moist. I made boneless center cut pork chops yesterday that I seared first in a pan, then removed them and added a can of stewed tomato's and placed the chops back in and let them cook thru slowly. Put them on a bed of angel hair pasta. Boneless chicken breasts cooked in cream of mushroom soup in the micro. I guess the important thing is adding moisture , at least for me makes most protien alot easier on my pouch and I am still cooking a meal the whole family can enjoy. Keep a good supply of those little gladwear containers around so you can make meals for yourself with the leftovers for days when the kids want pizza.Great temptaion calmer to be able to pop a meal in the micro than having to cook something. Hope I was able to help out. Most fish cooks great in the micro. Just sprinkle with a little low fat margarin ,or lemon juice, cover in plastic wrap and cook for a couple of minutes. Good luck! Julio

Thanks Julio, I will have to brush my crock pot off and bring it out and use it. I like the sound of your pork chops w/stewed tomatos. I remember my Mom making them like that. yummy terri

Hey Terri, I know how you feel, I am getting bored, and running out of ideas. I am so glad to have all of you for suggestions. Thanks Kathy for the great recipes. I cant wait to try some of them. Love ya all Hugs KimC

Hi Terri, I have the same problem. I don't stomach pasta, pork, or rice very well. Red meat has to be very tender. I did make a SLAMMING vegi dish tonight to go along with rib eye. 3 large yellow summer squash diced minced garlic. ( I bought shaw's brand in a jar) julianne carrots Slivered almonds Salt & pepper (to taste) Couple tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil. (Enough to coat veggies/almonds) Put all ingrediants into a large skillet on med/high heat. Coo****il veggies are soft...I personally like mine a little seared. It took about 20 minutes. My hubby who HATES veggies snarfed them up & was looking for more. My mom used to make this during the summer...It looks like a loose quich when done...it's REALLY GOOD. 2 Large Zucchini washed/diced 1 Med. Onion chopped 1 small green pepper diced Monterery Jack Cheese shredded (or your favorite type.) Salt & Pepper to taste..(I use garlic salt.) Couple tablespoons of Virgin Olive Oil for frying. 2-3 eggs In large frying pan place veggies & oil over Med heat until soft. (Again I like my veggies done a little longer until almost carmalized. Beat the eggs in bowl and add to veggie mixture. coo****il eggs are about cooked through. Add cheese (the more the better!****il melted and eggs are done. You can pretty much add any type of veggie to the Zuccini I also used yellow squash & mushrooms. Like everyone else I live in my crock pot. I make a "cheesy chicken" in it with Cambells Cheddar Cheese soup. I make soups in it, slow cook pot roasts, pork roasts, and spare ribs are the BOMB after cooking in it all day. Very moist. Hope this helps a little, Mickey