CANCER OESOPHAGUSI

I need recipes that are moist and easy to swallow for hubby who has just been diagnosed. He has trouble swallowing and was told to use crockpot and gravey. Need to do something nice for Christmas day. Any advice welcome

Hmmm, thinking of something special for Christmas isn't easy.

Knowing how or what to have as well just in general everyday is a challenge, especially good quality and variety.

Do suggest the following link and can add things to suit to make it special
http://britishfood.about.com/od/eorecipes/r/fishpie.htm

Also start using oven bags for cooking meats especially chickens, no stuffing used but add knobs of butter to each leg - body joint under the skin, plus a knob inside with a half cut lemon lengthways then thinly sliced inside as well, secure with toothpicks and into oven bag, bake at 180c for 2 hours at least possibly 2 1/2 hours so the meat is actually falling off the bones, why, they are at their most succulent stage and is very easy on the throat. Served with nice mash and peas with perhaps a few slices of those big beef steak tomatoes to give it that extra touch.

I Know as sometimes I get a very sore and dry throat and this is great.

Cheers and all the best this Christmas and New Year and let us know what you end up doing.

Edited to touch up my Grammar and spelling errors or wrong words though sounds the same, LOL.

Oh, the juices from the chicken with give a wonderful gravy, first a saucepan under one corner of oven bag (best if Bag is on bread board at edge of sink with saucepan lowered into the sink but under that corner of bag) snip that corner and allow the juices to run into the pan then carry on as usual.

Hmmm Editing again but one other thing to have with any meals, a nice easy drink to have handy, it helps to ease whatever foods in the throat that much easier but be wary that some drinks may not suit.

Cheers

Thought you should had some other posts by now but to continue and keeping this post up for you.

Another hint is to continue cooking normally but keep all very simple and cut pieces a lot smaller, hmmmm, what I mean is cook the veges meats etc as normal but when serving, cut his share smaller or get him to do this himself, also have some nice dressings always on the table with any meals, mainly those with some citrus in them or nice creamy ones, noted recently that Etna has Creamy balsamic, not too bad at all. Quite often a nice dressing over some firmer veges then mixed and broken down further goes down a lot better too, hmmm that was a mouthful.

Just thinking further for your Husband for a nice Christmas at least and every day should be like Christmas, Ho Ho Hoooo.

Editing again as usual, Keep away from Hams as they are very nice but they do stick in the throat and can give that gagging effect.

Recently cooked a nice piece of Pork Belly, is posted in a thread close to this first webpage of recipes and was so tender and nice that this would be nice too, no crackling at all but was nicer that if it did have crackling, check it out.

Cold smoked meats including chicken should not be served, okay in smaller pieces but too much at once and as for ham.

They say Stir Fries are recommended but these can be hard to swallow at times, noodles - yes, Pastas - unsure, perhaps Spaghetti Bolognaise, but for Christmas I like the idea of a nice Fish Dish as originally noted.

Cheers

You are very helpful, thank you. It came out of left field at a very bad time, Rest of family are away for Christmas, and do not feel like booking into restaurant for Christmas dinner.

The Big problem with the Restaurant is finding the right one that will bend over backwards in doing something special.

It would be better to go somewhere nice like a sort of picnic but being able to purchase the meals, drinks etc and simply spent a few hours at a lovely spot. Treats like (dare I say it) smoked Salmon, Roasted Capsicum pieces or strips, jar of Pickled Artichoke Heads, some nice cheeses, a nice very easy soft non-white bread, marinated sprats, and so on and not set up a meal but a platter and just nibble the first part of the afternoon admiring things around you.

To me this is the ultimate relaxing enjoyable time and with a nice bottle of. !

Cheers

Hi dottyone. There's heaps of info out there (I would have added a link or two for you but there's too much to choose from) Google the term 'easy food to swallow' and take a look at what pops up. For various reason loads of people suffer from pain and difficulty when swallowing so the subject is well covered. Meanwhile I'm sure you'll get more suggestions here on the forum and you may want to re-introduce the often overlooked concept of poaching food. Poaching can be applied to most things - not just eggs - but for some reason it's not a cooking method we seem to use a lot these days. Lightly poached or steamed chicken, for example, is nice and moist and, incidentally, also makes the best meat for sandwiches or to go with salad for the rest of the family to enjoy as well. Plus you end up with a version of home made chicken stock - bonus.

What sort of Christmas have you got planned? Having a large crowd over, going out? Offering suggestions for the day might be easier for posters if they get a feel for what you have planned already.

All the best and I hope you manage to have a lovely Christmas despite this less than wonderful news.

dottyone1 . I can't add much re recipes, but I wondered about a nutri bullet or similar. I enjoy drinking my lunch & even with kale & veges in the concoction, along with fruit & they always taste good. I add fresh ginger & lemon or lime.
I can have empathy for you both due to a scary diagnosis, especially at this time (been there) & many years on, I'm still here, so think positive & very best wishes.
eta . maybe you could ask in health & beauty for more ideas?

When I was cooking for a family member whose throat was raw from radiation treatment one of the best and tastiest soft foods was lightly cooked fresh salmon. Take the skin off a piece of salmon fillet, remove the pin bones (triple check!), sprinkle with salt and cook over low heat in butter for about ten minutes or until not quite cooked through, rest it for five minutes. It should still be soft and translucent in the centre. You probably need to avoid acidic sauces, but a little crème fraîche would be a nice condiment.

Anything poached. chicken? fish? pork?. with sauces made from the poaching liquor and softly-cooked veges and/or mash (potatoes, kumera, pumpkin. )
Really fresh fish is really tasty cooked on a covered, greased plate over boiling water(on top of a pot). There will be some juices, which you can use to add flavour to a nicely made white sauce to serve with it. Add very finely chopped onion to the sauce, if he can manage it. This fish, with mashed potatoes, was the only thing my Dad could tolerate when he was having chemo. The rest of us had extra veges, but essentially the same meal.
Good Wishes to you all.

This is where delicious jelly comes into its own for desserts; heaps of falvours to add or for a special treat with shots added in. Easy to do as well. And cool on the throat.

What heartbreaking news dottyone - wishing you and your family all the best.

Rest of family are leaving town for holidays. so only two of us. No more tests or treatments for two wks after Christmas. Only us two for Christmas, so may be a picnic and something nice for evening meal .Can have jelly Never thought of that. and may be movenpick icecream. We can do expensive but easy. Should be fun.