Gotta Eat

We talk about mindful eating quite frequently. For us with compromised GI systems (Tori – laproscopic subtotal colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis), mindful eating is especially important. As our systems become more sensitive and sometimes easily disgruntled, we really want our calories to count! This means DELICIOUS but also good for the rest of our body- healthy heart, arteries, muscles, brains, etc. Let’s eat well!

We must be thoughtful about the fiber and fat we eat (Colon: absorbs water, helps break down food. No colon – eat less fiber! Gall bladder: helps with fat digestion. No gall bladder- eat less fat!), but some of these recipes are indulgent! For those dishes, we eat in moderation.

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Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Soup by Denise

Ingredients:

Chicken Burrito Bowl by Tori

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3 bell peppers, any color, sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup quinoa
• lime, sliced into wedges
• salsa
• olive oil
• taco seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the chicken breasts in half but not all the way through. Place the chicken, peppers, and onions onto the baking sheet and drizzle oil. Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly on both sides of the chicken and inside where the slice was made. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the peppers and onions. Spread salsa inside the cut on each chicken breast and on top. Bake for 25 minutes. While the chicken and vegetables bake, cook the quinoa on the stove top. Rest chicken for 10 minutes before slicing into strips. In a bowl, spoon some quinoa, corn, and black beans. Then add the sliced chicken, peppers, and onions. Top with cheese and lime wedges.

Homemade Applesauce by Denise

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs MacIntosh Apples or Cortland (or combo of both)
• Cinnamon

Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into chunky slices and put into a large pot to simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally to break down the apples. Once the apples are “sauce” like (should take about 30 minutes), add cinnamon to taste. I know you’re probably wondering about sugar and water but, you truly don’t need either. The apples contain enough water and sugar once they break down to make the perfect natural applesauce.

Zucchini Pie by Denise

Ingredients:

• 3 c. shredded zucchini (I like to let the zucc drain for at least a few hours so it’s not too wet. Sometimes, I let it drain overnight in the fridge)
• 1 onion, shredded
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. oil – your choice but not olive oil
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
• 1 c. Bisquick
• salt & pepper to taste

Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington by Denise

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp canola oil
• 2.25 lbs mushrooms, finely chopped
• 8 oz. onion, finely chopped
• .75 c. celery, finely chopped
• 1 c. carrot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1.75 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1.5 tsp. fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• .5 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• .5 c. mashed sweet potato
• .75 c. breadcrumbs
• Frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), defrosted and kept cold until needed
• Milk for brushing pastry
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 c. veggie stock

1.  Set aside .5 c. of mushrooms, .25 c. onion, .5 teaspoon Rosemary for the gravy.  NOTE:  I did not make my own gravy!  Store-bought brown gravy worked for me 🙂 and I just put these ingredients in the mix.
2.  Heat canola oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add half the mushrooms or just enough so pan is not crowded.  You may need to cook in 2 separate batches.  NOTE:  I cooked in 2 separate batches and it took approximately 15 minutes/batch for the moisture to evaporate and the mushies to turn brown – try not to crisp the mushies!  Remove from pan and place in a mixing bowl.
3.  Turn the heat down to medium, add more canola oil, and add the carrots, onions, and celery until soft – 5 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper.  Stir to mix and then add tomato paste and mix well.  Transfer this mixture to the mushroom bowl and allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.  NOTE: I made all this 1 day before our meal, kept refrigerated.
4.  Gravy:  to the same saute pan, heat canola oil over medium.  Add the reserved mushies and onions, cooking until soft.  Add the remaining rosemary.  Sprinkle over mixture 1 Tbsp. flour and mix well, cooking for 1 minute. While stirring, slowly add stock until there are no lumps and it becomes somewhat thick.
5.  When ready to put together and cook, remove mushie mixture from fridge and add mashed sweet potato and bread crumbs – mix well.  Place the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper – roll into a 10″ wide x 12″ long sheet (I made mine bigger all around – this makes a lot of filling!).  Place the filling along the long side of the pastry and at the edge farthest from you.  Pat the filling into a log, fold/roll pastry around and tuck ends under.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut 3-4 diagonal lines on top of the loaf.  Brush milk over top and bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 until pastry is golden.  NOTE: I cooked on the parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

This will easily serve a family of 5 and it looks impressive!
NOTE:  I used a food processor to finely chop all the veggies.  And I processed the carrots, onions, and celery altogether since they are sauteed together.

Snacks Boxes for On-the-Go! by Tori

We are constantly on the go with work, family, and friends which makes it hard to sit down and eat. Luckily, I was inspired after looking up some healthy snack options on the Tasty app and found ideas for on the go snack boxes. Here are some of my own creations and ideas to hopefully inspire you for your snack boxes. Some of my favorite snack foods include apples & peanut butter, grapes, cheese, caramel rice cakes, carrots, cucumber, hummus, salami, almonds, strawberries, bell peppers, and hard boiled eggs. Please Note: if you have an ileostomy, you may want to peel the skins off your apples! You do not want a blockage! More mature ileostomies may be able to handle the skins but why take a chance. And really chew those almonds! If you’re like us and don’t have a colon, adding Activia to your diet may help your gut run healthy. Adding Metamucil Wafers will aid in slowing down digestion if you find you’re having too many bathroom visits a day. Eating the wafers in the morning and night is a good way to start. Other foods that slow digestion are bananas, oatmeal, applesauce. Let us know if these tips help or if you have some tried and true tips to share!