Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Tortellini Soup

This creamy tomato soup highlights spinach as the primary brain food and a hint of cayenne pepper.  Spinach has nutrients in it that are linked to better brain function and helping dementia such as lutein, folate, and beta-carotene. Cayenne pepper has many health benefits including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Ingredients

6 cups milk
3 oz fresh spinach
17 oz frozen cheese filled tortellini (I used plain and multi-colored)
1 jar (8 oz) oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and pureed
5 white sauce balls (recipe provided below)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 fresh tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste
4 dashes cayenne pepper

In large pot, place all ingredients. Stir until thickened and heated through. Serves 6-8.

White Sauce Balls

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 lb butter or margarine, softened
2 Tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls and freeze on cookie sheet. Put in zip lock bag when frozen. Can use to make sauces and soup bases.

Chewy Peanut Butter Crisps

I asked David what his favorite cookie was. He said it was peanut butter cookies. I found these in the Cookie Cookbook from Taste of Home. They are a flourless, eggless cookie so I thought he might be able to get them down easier, especially fresh out of the oven! They were a success, and he helped me make them so it was a "therapeutic moment" too!

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

4 teaspoons corn starch

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

In medium bowl, stir sugar and peanut butter together until smooth. Add evaporated milk, corn starch and chocolate chips. Stir until mixed well. Scoop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield 3-1/2 dozen

Confetti Pumpkin Chili

In time with the season, here is a delicious chili that is wholesome and warms from the inside out!

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground Hot sausage
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can spicy black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
1 small can of pureed cooked pumpkin
1 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder

sour cream, green onions and shredded cheddar cheese to garnish

In large pot, place meat, peppers and onion in over medium heat. Cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Add the rest of ingredients. Stir until heated through. Serve with sour cream, chopped green onions or cheddar cheese, if desired.

Puree for dysphagia diets.

Balanced Breakfast

This blog isn't about the latest trends in dieting. It's about finding ways to provide wholesome, great-tasting food for my husband who suffered a brain injury. There's foods that create a brain "fog" and there's foods that enhance thinking clarity, memory, mood, etc... My husband has difficulty swallowing so I need to incorporate good foods into a pureed substance and still make it taste good. The things I come up with aren't perfect.

For this breakfast, I incorporated a grain, fruit, protein and brain-healthy foods while making it dysphagia-friendly. The brain foods highlighted in the meal are the unique fats in coconut milk and blueberries.

Berry Coconut Oatmeal

   1/2 cup dry baby oatmeal
   1/4 cup vanilla coconut milk
   1/4 cup pureed unsweetened fresh berries (blueberries are a great brain food with a relatively low glycemic index compared to other fruits)
   Enough water to bring to desired consistency

   Warm on stove or microwave to desired temperature.


6 oz of Greek yogurt (flavor of choice)

Chicken Asparagus Quinoa Soup

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
5 oz fresh baby spinach
8 oz vermicelli, uncooked and broken into 3 inch pieces
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped
8 cups chicken broth
pepper to taste

In large skillet, sautee asparagus and spinach in 3 tablepoons olive oil until tender crisp. Set aside. In large pot, brown vermicelli. Place in bowl and set aside. In same pot, cook quinoa in broth for 10 minutes. Add vermicelli and chicken. Cook for 7 minutes. Add asparagus, spinach and chicken. Stir until warm.

Serve as is or puree in food processor for dysphagia diets.

8 servings