Eileen's One Pot Veggie Mash..........

Did you ever have dental work that requires no eating anything but soft foods for about a week or so  or how ever long it takes for the jaw to heal?  Well, last Thursday was the reason for me trying to figure out what to make that was soft to eat, and still be good for me.  I had a tooth pulled and than a partial bridge put in.  They told me it would take about 6 months for the socket in the jaw to heal.  The next day I was ready for it to be healed that day!!!! The first couple of days, the yogurt and pudding held me over. Maybe some cottage cheese, cream of wheat, soft bread.  Oh,,,,, I couldn't drink anything hot either. So there went my hot tea or coffee in the morning. Besides the tooth pain, I had the pain of not eating some comfort food.

Got to thinking what could I make that would be healthy yet easy to chew or gum it.  I came up with a plan.  Went into the refrigerator and saw all these fresh fruits and vegetables that I had just gotten in the beginning of the week.  Cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, etc. etc. But they were all hard and would be impossible for me to eat.

 

 

                                                                               
Pulled some potatoes out of my potato basket. I can always find something to do with potatoes.

Next a couple of carrots. Also got the potato peeler and sharp knife out, while I was near the drawer.

A small head of broccoli looked pretty good and add some coloring.

 

Found some of the frozen shredded zucchini in the freezer from the summer. More green color.

 

 

 

An onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Always a staple in my home.

And last but not least, Some chicken broth.

Okay have all the ingredients so what can I make with them that would be easy for me to eat and also be something my husband would eat.

After giving it some thought and some chopping of the vegetables, I came up with an idea.!  I will call it "Eileen's One Pot Veggie Mash"!!! Good for what ails you!!

I put all the ingredients in the pot and cooked them until soft.  Than mashed them with a potato masher to make it easier for me to eat.

I cooked everything in one pot, which saved tons of pots and pans. And enough veggie mash to last for a couple of meals. And I did not feel slighted that I had to eat soft foods for a while yet.

Wanted to do something different for lunch today with the leftovers. So put the mash in a baking dish, sprayed with Pam.

 

Tooks some Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese out of the freezer.

And sprinkled it on top of the casserole.

Spread it on the top so that it would cover the whole dish.

Baked it in the oven on 350 degrees for about 40-45 mins. until the cheese was bubbly and the mash heated through.

 

Another good dish, fixed a little different with the left overs. I was thinking , bacon bits would go good on top. But remember I am trying to keep it soft!!

Was so glad how this turned out using all vegetables and something good and soft  to eat.  This may be an idea for you if you or someone else in your family has to be on a soft diet. Maybe putting what vegetables you like and cook them together. It could be put in a food processor for a baby or an older person. Making it without the texture of just the cooked vegetables.

Wanted to add some fruit to the meal. Again, how to fix it so I could eat it. So I cut up the apples and pears and put them in a glass bowl.

 

Added a couple of pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon and vanilla extract. Also a little bit of water.
Covered the dish  with wax paper and put it in the microwave for about 35-40 minutes on high.

When they were cooked to the softness I wanted. I took them out of the microwave and mashed them a little . Almost like an apple sauce.

Well, got through a couple of meals anyhow. Now what to fix the rest of the upcoming weeks?

Seems like different health issues can throw a curve in your life with every day things. We just have to sit and ponder what can we do with what we   have in order to survive the ordeals!!  :-)

Hope everyone has a good upcoming week. And hope this recipe that I made up can help you in some way in the future.

                                                                             hugs, Eileen