captain_slinky | Culinarily Cornered

I love to cook, but I'm feeling *extremely* cornered by the dietary requests of my family (myself included).

Can't be a Casserole because Crystal can't not eat all of it.
Can't be rice, noodles or bread as a main ingredient; rice is *occasionally* acceptable as long as it is on the side and no ine is expected to actually eat it.
No meats that have the potential to be dry, gristly, fatty or tough.
Nothing deep-fried, and even pan frying is to be avoided.
Nothing that involves Mayonnaise.

There are other "suggestions" that have been planted in my mind by such triggers as uneaten plates of food and physical pain that I also have to take in mind, which leave me with the options of Baked Chicken or Baked Pork Chops with a side of Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, plus peas and/or corn. Any derivation from this menu results in plates of uneaten food and/or us being in physical pain from getting food "stuck". Such is the life of a Lap Band recipient I guess :/

BUT I FEEL SO BORED WITH FOOD!!!

Variations that I can slip in occasionally which at least two out of three people will eat: Spaghetti, Salad, Tacos, Chili.

Bored, bored, BORED!!!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I thought I'd read that if food was chewed thoroughly, it wouldn't get stuck? If that's not the case (as it sounds to be from what you've written), that sounds incredibly painful and frustrating. Have you found that having a lap band has helped you?

What about some baked fish? That would be some variety in flavor and texture.

Yes, *IF* ithe food is chewed thoroughly it *usually* won't get stuck. Some foods, however, for different people, will ALWAYS get stuck. My darling wife is one of the few folks who will always get stuck on bread and pasta :( My problem is that I'll just forget to chew so well before trying to swallow.

Lap Band has been incredible, though, just in the fact that I now eat like a *human*. You know those hilarious Nutritious Information Panels they put on foods instead of a Bazooka Joe comic strip? The ones that say a "Suggested Serving" is ridiculously small, like a Totino's Party Pizza having 4 servings per pizza? After the Lap Band, I find that those suggested serving sizes fill me up just fine! No more "Ooh 4 for $5 that's a good price for a single meal"! It's really cool to be able to go in to any fast food joint and be terrified of the ludicrously huge portion sizes you get for a buck :)

Fish tends to be a very dry food unless it's nice and fresh, and even then it's pretty easy to over cook... we try fish every summer with mixed degrees of success.

Thanks for the advice, though

Not sure how many (or any) of these might work for you, but some meals we have somewhat frequently include:

Cassoulet (this recipe - http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_cassoulet.html )
Breakfast for Dinner (scrambled eggs or omlette, pancakes or waffles, etc)
Onions Baked in Cream - (this recipe - http://thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com/2011/02/roasted-parmesan-creamed-onions.html ) and we eat it on anything - baked eggs, toast, omlettes, whatever
Tomato Soup (have a great recipe with no link) and grilled cheese sammiches
Chicken with Fennel and Tomato (from America's Test Kitchen - easy to make ahead, too - http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1382344-Chicken-with-Fennel-and-Tomatoes )
Apple Fennel Salad with Walnuts (so springy! http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107337 )
French Dips (pretty sure you know how to make those)
Martha's Meatloaf (very tasty, not fatty if you follow her instructions - http://www.marthastewart.com/284905/classic-meatloaf )

That's all I can think of now! Maybe one or two will work for you.

Thanks! Most of those recipes involve one or more of The Forbidden Ingredients (Bread gets stuck, hard to make grilled cheese sandwiches or French Dip without it), but it's a good start and your heart is in the right place (behind the rib cage) :)

No bread, noodles, or rice as main ingredients? Three of my favorites. Spaghetti squash is pretty good when you use it instead of pasta. Cous Cous is pretty good as a side dish.

Have you tried tomatoes stuffed with tuna or chicken salad? or stuffed peppers? Nice way to use up the leftovers.

How about pot pies? You could do individual sizes. Or do they count as casseroles?

We could get back on your soup/salad phase?

I'm not saying that we can NEVER have a casserole, I just think they are generally to be avoided.

I need to learn that just because I can doesn't mean that I should (eat a larger helping)

also, I've been thinking that chicken/tuna salad with LF mayo and yogurt on a bed of lettuce would be ok.

like this
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-salad

I know that we don't generally have a large food budget, but this is something important. I am OK with us spending more money on good foods.

switch your grain to couscous- it's less calorie dense and quicker to make and easy to get in bulk- plus it takes on flavor really well or you can leave it plain for picky eaters. it's good with vegetables, fish, or other meats and not dense. when i pair it with chicken or fish i cook the couscous in chicken broth or fish broth and herbs.

try mexican lasagna-
listed as bottom layer-> top layer
cooked chicken, black beans, salsa, topped with cheese- your choice. bake until warmed. serve with sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, whatever else, tortilla chips for dipping or dump instead inside taco shells.

It's a nice change of pace and freezes well.

today for lunch i steamed some couscous and button mushrooms- really filling and i made more than i thought i'd eat. my husband is eating leftover couscous and catfish.

since you mentioned your aversion to fish. let me say that IMO catfish is easiest to make at home- it takes on flavor well- lemon juice, olive oil and dill weed, salt and pepper, no butter. tilapia is not good all the time even if you use the same brand and though cheap, it doesn't take on flavor the way catfish does. i used to make salmon with the same technique but salmon doesn't always have the same flavor as well so no matter what you add to it it can taste different even if using the same brand. i'm talking about frozen fish---fresh is a different ballgame altogether.

also, frozen catfish is hard to overcook because it's easier to tell when it's done and it retains moisture *and flavor very well so it's easy to chew (and couscous is too).

like someone else said, use spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti- you can do a lot of variety with toppings. i like it plain, with butter and/or parm cheese, tomato sauce. this is the season for it too so no excuses:).

http://kanaetkassad.livejournal.com/503531.html

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