Recipes without dairy or meat
May 26, 2011 9:53 AM Subscribe
One of my coworkers lost his spouse this week, 24 hours after she gave birth to their baby. At work we created a sign up sheet for us each to bring food to him over the coming weeks/months. Today I found out that he's both lactose intolerant and vegetarian. Please give me your best recipes (for 4-6 servings and up) that fit this criteria.
I'm looking for the best tasting, most comforting recipes you can think of, for dinners/lunches/baked goods etc.
If you have any random suggestions for anything else we could bring over, please let me know. We are going to be bringing diapers/onesies/etc.
Thanks.
I'm looking for the best tasting, most comforting recipes you can think of, for dinners/lunches/baked goods etc.
If you have any random suggestions for anything else we could bring over, please let me know. We are going to be bringing diapers/onesies/etc.
Thanks.
By coincidence, it happens that I knew Liz. She and my sister were good friends and high school classmates.
For great and quick vegan recipes, see if you can locate a copy of any of the cookbooks from Moosewood. My favorite is the "Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites." There are many great dishes that can be made ahead and frozen for later.
So sorry for your friend's loss.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 10:06 AM on May 26, 2011
For great and quick vegan recipes, see if you can locate a copy of any of the cookbooks from Moosewood. My favorite is the "Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites." There are many great dishes that can be made ahead and frozen for later.
So sorry for your friend's loss.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 10:06 AM on May 26, 2011
What a lovely thing to do.
My favourite vegan recipe is Aviyal, a lovely mild, sweetish curry, and easy to make (you can very the ingredients according to what spices you have and it ALWAYS tastes awesome). Plus like most curries it re-heats as good if not better than fresh.
posted by greenish at 10:09 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
My favourite vegan recipe is Aviyal, a lovely mild, sweetish curry, and easy to make (you can very the ingredients according to what spices you have and it ALWAYS tastes awesome). Plus like most curries it re-heats as good if not better than fresh.
posted by greenish at 10:09 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Lasagnas and casserole-type things are good because you (or rather, your co-worker) can freeze them until needed without too much loss of quality. I don't have any specific recipes because I don't tend to use recipes, but I'd go in that direction.
Also, I'm sorry for your co-worker's loss. That's gotta be such a hard thing to face.
posted by gauche at 10:09 AM on May 26, 2011
Also, I'm sorry for your co-worker's loss. That's gotta be such a hard thing to face.
posted by gauche at 10:09 AM on May 26, 2011
Soup.
If you don't have a food processor, just mash the chickpeas and onion by hand. It won't be as smooth, but the extra weight can be nice.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
Warm pita, any flavor or variety, toasted
Heat a medium pot with extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the chickpeas and onion in food processor. Add to pot and cook 5 minutes to sweeten onion. Season the chickpeas with cumin, cardamom, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir in stock, then tomatoes. Simmer soup 5 to 10 minutes to combine flavors.
posted by amodelcitizen at 10:09 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you don't have a food processor, just mash the chickpeas and onion by hand. It won't be as smooth, but the extra weight can be nice.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
Warm pita, any flavor or variety, toasted
Heat a medium pot with extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the chickpeas and onion in food processor. Add to pot and cook 5 minutes to sweeten onion. Season the chickpeas with cumin, cardamom, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir in stock, then tomatoes. Simmer soup 5 to 10 minutes to combine flavors.
posted by amodelcitizen at 10:09 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you have a good spice cabinet....African Chickpea Stew with quinoa or brown rice. I usually double the garlic and add a little lemon juice and sometimes tapatio/hot sauce for a kick.
Or Lentil Spaghetti Sauce (with vegetable bouillon).
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:14 AM on May 26, 2011
Or Lentil Spaghetti Sauce (with vegetable bouillon).
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:14 AM on May 26, 2011
Soup/ stew is one of my favorite comforting meals - but I've also heard the tip of "foods you can eat with one hand" for new parents - i.e., while holding the baby. Maybe bring over some muffins - I don't have a recipe, but something whole-wheat might be more sustaining for the dad.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:26 AM on May 26, 2011
posted by insectosaurus at 10:26 AM on May 26, 2011
So sorry to hear about his loss.
I have lactose intolerance and have found coconut milk to be a great substitute in recipes. You can find it for cheap in Thai/Chinese stores (especially Thai, as it's a foundation ingredient in many curries), and the real stuff (Thai) doesn't have a distinct coconutty taste, it's quite subtle, goes as well with sweet as with savoury (salty) dishes. He may have a preference though, could you ask?
Vegeterian; one of my absolute favorites is Vegeterian sheperd's pie (the second one on that page, with squash and chili). It's better for winter months, true, but you can cook up a batch, freeze leftovers, and they are so good reheated.
There are also a few good "chili sin carne" (vegeterian chili - "sin" means "without") recipes to be rustled up on the web.
Thai curries (link is to my favorite Thai food author), if he likes that kind of food, can be great too. Often you can substitute potato cubes and/or tofu for any meats used. They're also easy to refrigerate and reheat.
posted by fraula at 10:27 AM on May 26, 2011
I have lactose intolerance and have found coconut milk to be a great substitute in recipes. You can find it for cheap in Thai/Chinese stores (especially Thai, as it's a foundation ingredient in many curries), and the real stuff (Thai) doesn't have a distinct coconutty taste, it's quite subtle, goes as well with sweet as with savoury (salty) dishes. He may have a preference though, could you ask?
Vegeterian; one of my absolute favorites is Vegeterian sheperd's pie (the second one on that page, with squash and chili). It's better for winter months, true, but you can cook up a batch, freeze leftovers, and they are so good reheated.
There are also a few good "chili sin carne" (vegeterian chili - "sin" means "without") recipes to be rustled up on the web.
Thai curries (link is to my favorite Thai food author), if he likes that kind of food, can be great too. Often you can substitute potato cubes and/or tofu for any meats used. They're also easy to refrigerate and reheat.
posted by fraula at 10:27 AM on May 26, 2011
Boil 8 ounces of fettuccine. Drain it. While it's still hot, toss it with 8 ounces baby spinach, 2 cups shelled edamame and pesto. I use Alessi (which does have parmesian cheese in it--like all pesto. Parmesian is generally well-tolerated by people with lactose issues, but if you can't find out from your coworker is it's okay, you can substitute just olive oil and shredded basil instead). Squeeze 1-2 lemons over the whole thing. Finish with about a cup chopped toasted almonds. It keeps well and tastes delicious warm and room temperature. I would store the almonds separately from the pasta, but if you want to err on the completely simple side, you can toss them in before boxing the pasta up. It's fine that way.
Freezer friendly, but more labor intensive for you, is handpies. IThekitchn's tutorial is good--f you're at all comfortable with cooking without a recipe, it's a very flexible "recipe" For lactose-free vegetarian filling, I tend to do pureed butternut squash with pine nuts. You can do roasted veggies--cut small--with herbs. Or a Mexican-spiced beans and rice.
posted by crush-onastick at 10:29 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Freezer friendly, but more labor intensive for you, is handpies. IThekitchn's tutorial is good--f you're at all comfortable with cooking without a recipe, it's a very flexible "recipe" For lactose-free vegetarian filling, I tend to do pureed butternut squash with pine nuts. You can do roasted veggies--cut small--with herbs. Or a Mexican-spiced beans and rice.
posted by crush-onastick at 10:29 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Quinoa Kale + stuff
Quinoa - 1 part broth/1 part water (or 1 vegetable bullion cube + 2 parts water)
Kale -- cut up and steamed
Optional -- roast carrots, caramelize/stir fry onions (and/or garlic)
In large pan (or wok) combine kale, quinoa, onions, etc, a bit of olive oil and add tamari to taste (several tablespoons)
You can also add red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicier -- or really any other vegetable you can think of to the mix.
Can be served hot or cold.
posted by countrymod at 10:38 AM on May 26, 2011
Quinoa - 1 part broth/1 part water (or 1 vegetable bullion cube + 2 parts water)
Kale -- cut up and steamed
Optional -- roast carrots, caramelize/stir fry onions (and/or garlic)
In large pan (or wok) combine kale, quinoa, onions, etc, a bit of olive oil and add tamari to taste (several tablespoons)
You can also add red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicier -- or really any other vegetable you can think of to the mix.
Can be served hot or cold.
posted by countrymod at 10:38 AM on May 26, 2011
This is so very tragic; there are no words for it.
I don't have any specific recipes but some suggestions.
First, if your work will let people donate vacation time, organize that so he can be home as long as possible without worrying about his paycheck.
Next, he will probably have various help in and out of his house in the coming weeks so they will need to eat also and not necessarily just meals. Have people donate fresh fruit, cut up veggies etc. for snacking on and other quick to grab things like granola bars, trail mix, cheese and crackers, and beverages. It is so much easier if you don't have to worry about grocery store runs. I don't know if there are other kids in the house, but when my sister was very sick someone brought over those huge bags of individual size servings of chips, doritos, cookies etc which was great for making their school lunches too. Things like that made her so happy but is really something very easy to do (maybe the non-cookers at work can handle that).
There are also online sites that let you organize the food signups so they don't get 5 lasagnes in one week.
posted by maxg94 at 10:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't have any specific recipes but some suggestions.
First, if your work will let people donate vacation time, organize that so he can be home as long as possible without worrying about his paycheck.
Next, he will probably have various help in and out of his house in the coming weeks so they will need to eat also and not necessarily just meals. Have people donate fresh fruit, cut up veggies etc. for snacking on and other quick to grab things like granola bars, trail mix, cheese and crackers, and beverages. It is so much easier if you don't have to worry about grocery store runs. I don't know if there are other kids in the house, but when my sister was very sick someone brought over those huge bags of individual size servings of chips, doritos, cookies etc which was great for making their school lunches too. Things like that made her so happy but is really something very easy to do (maybe the non-cookers at work can handle that).
There are also online sites that let you organize the food signups so they don't get 5 lasagnes in one week.
posted by maxg94 at 10:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
On page 80 of the Better Homes & Gardens 75th Anniversary New Cookbook is a recipe for Rice and Sweet Onion Rice Casserole. After loading the link if you don't have this awesome cookbook, the recipe is on the page under the green one ( third on the page, I think ). I actually made this last night without the cheese and it was so scrumptiously awesome without any meat or dairy products at all. If, like me, you aren't using the cheese you don't even need to use the oven at all.
I need to run home and have some leftovers for lunch, now that I think about it...
posted by schade at 10:45 AM on May 26, 2011
I need to run home and have some leftovers for lunch, now that I think about it...
posted by schade at 10:45 AM on May 26, 2011
If at all possible, perhaps the office could chip in to hire a doula to help out for as long as you can afford (a week or two, whatever.) They help not only with labor and childbirth but also with post-partum issues; the right doula will do everything from tidying up and running errands to giving him great advice and encouragement on taking care of an infant.
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 11:04 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 11:04 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
You all could also chip into a cleaning person. It would make things a lot easier for him. So sorry for your friend.
posted by miss tea at 11:09 AM on May 26, 2011 [10 favorites]
posted by miss tea at 11:09 AM on May 26, 2011 [10 favorites]
101 Cookbooks is filled with all veggie, mostly vegan/lactose free recipes. lots to choose from. here is a veggie chili recipe that i like. and a veggie (has egg though) "japanese pizza" that i love. really good carrot oatmeal cookies.
a good pad thai recipe (lots of ingredients but you can switch some out if you want) (evo - extra virgin olive oil):
Phad Thai
yield: 4 portions
This is a fast stir-fry, so it is essential that all ingredients be prepped beforehand. This is moderately spicy. To make it less spicy, decrease the chili paste and cayenne pepper. It's a lovely meal with cucumbers sprinkled with vinegar and a green salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette (lemon, evo, water, herbs).
12 oz firm tofu
4T tamarind concentrate
1 scant T hoisin sauce
3/4t chili paste with garlic
3T lime juice
1/2T shoyu
1T rice vinegar
1/2t cayenne pepper,
2T dry sweetener
4T grapeseed oil
8oz dried rice stick noods (linguine width)
1c turnip, peeled, small dice
3 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2c fresh wood ear mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/4t salt
2T chopped Thai salted preserved radish or pickled turnip or pickled ginger
6T roasted unsalted peanuts, ground in cuiz
3c (6oz) very fresh bean sprouts
6 scallions, green parts only, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1/4c loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, washed well, dried, and chopped
1/2c chives, cut into 1/2' pieces on the diagonal
lime wedges
1. Press tofu for 30 minutes. Cut into thin rods and fry until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
2. Combine tamarind, hoisin, chili paste, 2T of the lime juice, shoyu, rice vinegar, cayenne, sweetener, and 1T of the oil in small bowl.
3. Cover the rice noods with hot tap water in a large bowl. Soak until pliable and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside.
4. In a large saute pan or wok, heat the rest of the oil until nearly smoking. Turn to medium and saute turnip and shallot until light brown. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until fragrant, stirring constantly and making sure garlic does not brown.
5. Add salt, noodles, tamarind mixture, preserved radish or turnip, and tofu and toss to coat. Increase heat to high. Cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. You may need to add water to make everything juicy. If you have a bit of leftover coconut milk,
throw it in, too.
6. Scatter peanuts, bean sprouts, and scallions over noodles, cook until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with cilantro, the rest of the lime juice, and garlic chives and serve with lime wedges.
posted by anya32 at 11:25 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]
a good pad thai recipe (lots of ingredients but you can switch some out if you want) (evo - extra virgin olive oil):
Phad Thai
yield: 4 portions
This is a fast stir-fry, so it is essential that all ingredients be prepped beforehand. This is moderately spicy. To make it less spicy, decrease the chili paste and cayenne pepper. It's a lovely meal with cucumbers sprinkled with vinegar and a green salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette (lemon, evo, water, herbs).
12 oz firm tofu
4T tamarind concentrate
1 scant T hoisin sauce
3/4t chili paste with garlic
3T lime juice
1/2T shoyu
1T rice vinegar
1/2t cayenne pepper,
2T dry sweetener
4T grapeseed oil
8oz dried rice stick noods (linguine width)
1c turnip, peeled, small dice
3 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2c fresh wood ear mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/4t salt
2T chopped Thai salted preserved radish or pickled turnip or pickled ginger
6T roasted unsalted peanuts, ground in cuiz
3c (6oz) very fresh bean sprouts
6 scallions, green parts only, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1/4c loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, washed well, dried, and chopped
1/2c chives, cut into 1/2' pieces on the diagonal
lime wedges
1. Press tofu for 30 minutes. Cut into thin rods and fry until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
2. Combine tamarind, hoisin, chili paste, 2T of the lime juice, shoyu, rice vinegar, cayenne, sweetener, and 1T of the oil in small bowl.
3. Cover the rice noods with hot tap water in a large bowl. Soak until pliable and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside.
4. In a large saute pan or wok, heat the rest of the oil until nearly smoking. Turn to medium and saute turnip and shallot until light brown. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until fragrant, stirring constantly and making sure garlic does not brown.
5. Add salt, noodles, tamarind mixture, preserved radish or turnip, and tofu and toss to coat. Increase heat to high. Cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. You may need to add water to make everything juicy. If you have a bit of leftover coconut milk,
throw it in, too.
6. Scatter peanuts, bean sprouts, and scallions over noodles, cook until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with cilantro, the rest of the lime juice, and garlic chives and serve with lime wedges.
posted by anya32 at 11:25 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]
You might look into TakeThemAMeal if you think your coworkers are web-savvy enough to work it.
I think it's good to make sure he gets a mix of things - freezer food, fridge food, and pantry food. You might try to put together a few packages of rice/pasta with canned/jarred/shelf-stable sauce, and just general supply food - coffee, jam for toast, canned beans and vegetables, instant oatmeal (not a tasty food, but at 4am one-handed it's like ambrosia in 90 seconds), those little shelf-stable cardboard cup-a-soups (check your hippie store, they've usually got a number of these in veg*n options), canned soup. None of these things are fancy, but they are all better than eating cookies for dinner.
There are a bunch of recipes online for homemade vegan energy bars. Also better than cookies for dinner. Most of them should be freezable without any texture problems, so you can split the batch and package some for the freezer.
[Someone sign up for toilet paper. There is no kindness greater than making sure someone has toilet paper when they might, because of circumstances, not be thinking about buying toilet paper.]
posted by Lyn Never at 11:36 AM on May 26, 2011
I think it's good to make sure he gets a mix of things - freezer food, fridge food, and pantry food. You might try to put together a few packages of rice/pasta with canned/jarred/shelf-stable sauce, and just general supply food - coffee, jam for toast, canned beans and vegetables, instant oatmeal (not a tasty food, but at 4am one-handed it's like ambrosia in 90 seconds), those little shelf-stable cardboard cup-a-soups (check your hippie store, they've usually got a number of these in veg*n options), canned soup. None of these things are fancy, but they are all better than eating cookies for dinner.
There are a bunch of recipes online for homemade vegan energy bars. Also better than cookies for dinner. Most of them should be freezable without any texture problems, so you can split the batch and package some for the freezer.
[Someone sign up for toilet paper. There is no kindness greater than making sure someone has toilet paper when they might, because of circumstances, not be thinking about buying toilet paper.]
posted by Lyn Never at 11:36 AM on May 26, 2011
These tempeh portobello burgers are aces--filling, tasty, and freezeable for saving. Throw in some buns and condiments and you've got dinner! If you cook them in a pan before freezing them, then he can just microwave them to heat them up. You can also crumble them into salads to add protein. A lot of the Vegan Chef recipes are terrific, so take a look around, but I thought this one would be a good bet for giving to someone else.
posted by Fui Non Sum at 11:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Fui Non Sum at 11:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
N-thing the soup suggestion. It sounds weird, but soups don't take much energy to consume compared to, say, something that you have to cut and chew, and as such are perhaps particularly well-suited to situations like this. Bonus: you can sip them out of a coffee mug if you only have one free hand.
Smoky Split Pea Soup
Sweet Potato Soup with Miso & Ginger
Red Lentil Curry (can be made thinner/thicker depending on whether you want to serve it as a soup or over rice)
A bit more substantial:
Curried Apple Couscous
Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh
A good loaf of bread and this Chickpea Salad
Jerk Tofu (this is also good made with a couple of cans of black beans instead of tofu)
This previous thread may also be helpful.
posted by rebekah at 11:47 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Smoky Split Pea Soup
Sweet Potato Soup with Miso & Ginger
Red Lentil Curry (can be made thinner/thicker depending on whether you want to serve it as a soup or over rice)
A bit more substantial:
Curried Apple Couscous
Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh
A good loaf of bread and this Chickpea Salad
Jerk Tofu (this is also good made with a couple of cans of black beans instead of tofu)
This previous thread may also be helpful.
posted by rebekah at 11:47 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Arrange to have somebody come by to wash his dishes and do his laundry a couple of times a week. In my experience this is a lot more helpful to a new parent than food.
posted by milk white peacock at 11:51 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by milk white peacock at 11:51 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]
Meal Train is another on-line tool for organizing this sort of effort. It allows you to set up a calendar, sign up volunteers, and then reminds everyone when their turn comes.
posted by hms71 at 12:20 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by hms71 at 12:20 PM on May 26, 2011
This is a nice veggie chili from a Moosewood book I have at home:
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
generous teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder
pinch of cayenne (could skip if you don't know what his spiciness tolerance is)
2 green peppers, chopped
2 cups frozen corn
1 large can whole or chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup hot water
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
~ Saute the onion and garlic for a couple minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and saute for another few minutes.
~ Add the chopped pepper and saute another 5 minutes or so.
~ Meanwhile, toss the bulger in a small pot with the hot water and about a half cup of the juice from the can of tomatoes, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or so (until almost all the liquid is absorbed)
~ Chop the tomatoes in the can and add them to the big pot
~ Drain the beans and add them
~ Add in the frozen corn
~ Add the bulger
~ Salt & pepper to taste
~ That's it!
Goes great with corn bread, though I don't have a lactose-free recipe for you.
posted by that's candlepin at 1:25 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
generous teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder
pinch of cayenne (could skip if you don't know what his spiciness tolerance is)
2 green peppers, chopped
2 cups frozen corn
1 large can whole or chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup hot water
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
~ Saute the onion and garlic for a couple minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and saute for another few minutes.
~ Add the chopped pepper and saute another 5 minutes or so.
~ Meanwhile, toss the bulger in a small pot with the hot water and about a half cup of the juice from the can of tomatoes, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or so (until almost all the liquid is absorbed)
~ Chop the tomatoes in the can and add them to the big pot
~ Drain the beans and add them
~ Add in the frozen corn
~ Add the bulger
~ Salt & pepper to taste
~ That's it!
Goes great with corn bread, though I don't have a lactose-free recipe for you.
posted by that's candlepin at 1:25 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Here's the thing- he might not want to eat in any real way for a while. I suffered the death of a friend a few weeks ago (not even a spouse and not even with the added stress of the baby element) and I did not eat much for the first few days.
What I did want were drinks and smoothies with some calories, because I'd have two bites of something solid and get bored and disgusted with it, but drinks were okay. Protein shakes kept me from turning into a husk of a person and I normally don't go for that sort of thing.
Another thing that was great were these breakfast bars my friend made me. They keep for a while wrapped in the fridge and they aren't just for breakfast; I ate them at all hours of the day when I couldn't think about real food but I knew I needed to at least try eating something. They have enough stuff in them that they aren't totally void of nutritional value.
posted by slow graffiti at 1:34 PM on May 26, 2011
What I did want were drinks and smoothies with some calories, because I'd have two bites of something solid and get bored and disgusted with it, but drinks were okay. Protein shakes kept me from turning into a husk of a person and I normally don't go for that sort of thing.
Another thing that was great were these breakfast bars my friend made me. They keep for a while wrapped in the fridge and they aren't just for breakfast; I ate them at all hours of the day when I couldn't think about real food but I knew I needed to at least try eating something. They have enough stuff in them that they aren't totally void of nutritional value.
posted by slow graffiti at 1:34 PM on May 26, 2011
Grilled tofu put some sauteed spinach on the side.
grilled or roasted brussel sprouts/sweet potatoes/potatoes/beets/kale/mushrooms/sliced cabbage/onions/asparagus etc.
Grill some fish, too for protein.
stir-fried veg (summer squash, mushrooms, onions, spinach, cabbage) deglazed with balsamic vinegar, on top of pasta. Add sliced tofu to stirfry if desired
quiche can be made with water instead of milk in the eggs, and no cheese. Well-sauteed onions with spinach in quiche are delish.
Does he eat fish? gently cook white fish in tomatoes, canned are fine, add your favorite curry powder/mix, serve over brown rice.
Dairy free
Beans and rice are healthy, and most Oriental food is non-dairy,and can easily be vegetarian.
In addition to meals, find out what groceries he likes. Delivering some paper towels, toilet paper, oj, bread, apples, granola bars or whatever, would be a big help.
posted by theora55 at 1:35 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
grilled or roasted brussel sprouts/sweet potatoes/potatoes/beets/kale/mushrooms/sliced cabbage/onions/asparagus etc.
Grill some fish, too for protein.
stir-fried veg (summer squash, mushrooms, onions, spinach, cabbage) deglazed with balsamic vinegar, on top of pasta. Add sliced tofu to stirfry if desired
quiche can be made with water instead of milk in the eggs, and no cheese. Well-sauteed onions with spinach in quiche are delish.
Does he eat fish? gently cook white fish in tomatoes, canned are fine, add your favorite curry powder/mix, serve over brown rice.
Dairy free
Beans and rice are healthy, and most Oriental food is non-dairy,and can easily be vegetarian.
In addition to meals, find out what groceries he likes. Delivering some paper towels, toilet paper, oj, bread, apples, granola bars or whatever, would be a big help.
posted by theora55 at 1:35 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Vegetarian chilli! With cornbread on the side of course. I buy Fantastic Foods mix (it's usually in the Ethnic aisle of the grocery store) because it's super-easy, but I'm sure more kithen-friendly people actually make it from scratch!
posted by radioamy at 1:36 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by radioamy at 1:36 PM on May 26, 2011
In terms of baby stuff, I'd check maybe with the grandmother or a sister or someone to see if there's anything that was on their registry that nobody bought them?
posted by radioamy at 1:38 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by radioamy at 1:38 PM on May 26, 2011
Also would it be useful to chip in for a gift certificate for grocery delivery? That way he can stay stocked on pantry/fridge items.
I've heard from a lot of new moms on MeFi that having an Amazon Mom membership is great when you have a baby, because you can get supplies (diapers, etc) delivered with free 2-day delivery. It's part of Amazon prime...I don't know the specifics but maybe y'all can get him signed up?
posted by radioamy at 1:45 PM on May 26, 2011
I've heard from a lot of new moms on MeFi that having an Amazon Mom membership is great when you have a baby, because you can get supplies (diapers, etc) delivered with free 2-day delivery. It's part of Amazon prime...I don't know the specifics but maybe y'all can get him signed up?
posted by radioamy at 1:45 PM on May 26, 2011
This Minestrone is super easy and tastes really good even when it's been left in the fridge for a few days. Make it with vegetable broth and you're good.
posted by TooFewShoes at 2:30 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by TooFewShoes at 2:30 PM on May 26, 2011
I'm so sorry about your coworker's loss.
My go-to recipe is ratatouille: mince a couple of cloves of garlic with a chopped onion and a bay leaf or two in olive oil. When that's soft/golden, add in a small-to-medium eggplant (cut into 1" cubes) and saute till it starts to soften (if the pan gets dry, add in a splash of water). Then add in a chopped bell pepper, a sliced zucchini, and a 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and let it bubble over low-to-medium heat till everything is soft. Toward the end of cooking time, toss in a little fresh basil or tarragon. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
As for gifts: when my sister-in-law's son died a few years ago, not only did people coordinate food for them for several months, but my sister and brother-in-law actually bought her family a new chest freezer to put in the garage to hold all the food! If there's similarly going to be months worth of food being organized for your friend, I wonder if it might be worth considering whether this might be a useful (large) gift for him as well -- you could set something up at ChipIn and let coworkers, friends, etc. help raise the money to buy it together.
posted by scody at 2:39 PM on May 26, 2011
My go-to recipe is ratatouille: mince a couple of cloves of garlic with a chopped onion and a bay leaf or two in olive oil. When that's soft/golden, add in a small-to-medium eggplant (cut into 1" cubes) and saute till it starts to soften (if the pan gets dry, add in a splash of water). Then add in a chopped bell pepper, a sliced zucchini, and a 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and let it bubble over low-to-medium heat till everything is soft. Toward the end of cooking time, toss in a little fresh basil or tarragon. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
As for gifts: when my sister-in-law's son died a few years ago, not only did people coordinate food for them for several months, but my sister and brother-in-law actually bought her family a new chest freezer to put in the garage to hold all the food! If there's similarly going to be months worth of food being organized for your friend, I wonder if it might be worth considering whether this might be a useful (large) gift for him as well -- you could set something up at ChipIn and let coworkers, friends, etc. help raise the money to buy it together.
posted by scody at 2:39 PM on May 26, 2011
oh, that first direction in the recipe should be mince a couple of cloves of garlic with a chopped onion and a bay leaf or two and saute in olive oil
posted by scody at 3:01 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by scody at 3:01 PM on May 26, 2011
When I learned I was lactose intolerant, I thought cheese was out of my life forever (a tragedy!) but actually most hard cheeses are lactose free. Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan are all good choices. Mozzarella is out, sadly. You can look online for more suggestions but that might give you more flexibility than you think in cooking.
posted by gilsonal at 5:26 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by gilsonal at 5:26 PM on May 26, 2011
Hoppin John [scroll down]. Omit the cheese, it doesn't need it. When I bring it to work I have the topping in a separate zip-lock bag.
posted by unliteral at 6:12 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by unliteral at 6:12 PM on May 26, 2011
I was going to suggest smoothies, too. Sometimes stress makes it hard to eat--smoothies are a great way to get some calories and fiber into your system easily. Frozen berries, bananas, yogurt (yogurt is fine for people with lactose intolerance) or soy yogurt if you'd rather. Freezable, too.
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:59 PM on May 26, 2011
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:59 PM on May 26, 2011
When my son was born, some friends cooked us 4 meals spread over a few weeks. They would drop them off in a cooler on our porch and DEMANDED we put the dirty dishes back in the cooler rather than wash them. It sounded silly, but it was so nice to not have to do dishes aftewards.
As wonderful as the meals will be, some help around his house/apartment would be a great gift as well.
For a recipe, baked spaghetti is easy and tasty. Boil 8 ounces of spaghetti and drain. Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook garlic and onions until translucent. Sprinkle liberally with basil and oregano and add 28oz of diced tomatoes. Add the spaghetti and let it cook until the 'sauce' thickens. Throw into a Pyrex - can be cooked (technically, reheated) for 30 minutes at 325.
posted by Twicketface at 11:15 AM on May 27, 2011
As wonderful as the meals will be, some help around his house/apartment would be a great gift as well.
For a recipe, baked spaghetti is easy and tasty. Boil 8 ounces of spaghetti and drain. Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook garlic and onions until translucent. Sprinkle liberally with basil and oregano and add 28oz of diced tomatoes. Add the spaghetti and let it cook until the 'sauce' thickens. Throw into a Pyrex - can be cooked (technically, reheated) for 30 minutes at 325.
posted by Twicketface at 11:15 AM on May 27, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you can find out whether the dad is using cloth or disposable diapers, definitely help him stock up, and not just on newborn diapers. Kids grow fast.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:01 AM on May 26, 2011 [14 favorites]