Full Liquid Diet Ideas and Suggestions

Ideas to spice up your liquid diet • Blend carrot and parsley into a juice. • European spices – oregano, thyme, marjoram, • Tomato soup doesn’t have to be bland; add garlic and onion powder, parsley, bay leaf, basil, Italian or Mexican seasoning for a punch of sage (go easy on garlic and onion powder) flavor. • Indian spices – cumin, coriander, turmeric, • Add ghee or butter with cream and parmesan garam masala, green curry (go easy on the cheese to mashed potatoes. Use hot milk or spice) cream to make a thinner liquid. • Moroccan spice blend – cumin, ground ginger, • Mash baked sweet potatoes with maple syrup, salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon, ground brown sugar and vanilla; thin with milk or cream. coriander, cayenne, allspice (go easy on the Add pumpkin pie spice for a great warm spice) dessert. • Grated parmesan cheese or any melted cheese Fruits • Nutritional Yeast Seasoning – Bragg’s or available in the bin at the health food area • If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can peel your fruit, add juice — apple or even • Ghee (clarified butter with all the milk solids and fruit nectars — to your fresh fruits and blend. water removed) can be kept in the refrigerator or on the counter • Make homemade apple sauce: peel and core 6 apples, slice, add to a pan with ¼ cup water on • Nutritional yeast and ghee (clarified butter) are medium low heat for 30 minutes, watch closely the best topping for blended vegetables and stir often. Sweeten with sugar, honey or Agave, add apple pie spice or cinnamon for a Equipment punch of flavor. Or, you can add red hot • If you don’t have a good blender, consider cinnamon candy to melt in the sauce. getting one. Ninja is a cheap model but works • Mango, pear, peach and berries blend very well as well as a Vitamix. Immersion blenders work in a smoothie – add Greek yogurt for added fairly well. protein, thin with whole milk or cream and • Use a strainer if you choose to use the old Oster sweeten as you like. type blenders • Canned fruit blends just as well as fresh. Use or discard the juices from the can. Vegetables • A refreshing juice is blended watermelon; you • Put your pre-washed greens (e.g, spinach, kale) can do this with any melon to make a juice. in the freezer. They will last longer and you can just grab a cup to put in your smoothie. Pasta — Yes, you can blend pasta • Bake your vegetables (e.g., parsnips, carrots, • Homemade mac and cheese – liquefy with milk/ asparagus, green beans and added herbs for cheese sauce or use Kraft Mac & Cheese and extra punch) for more intense flavor. Then blend. liquefy with milk or cream. You can thin them out with vegetable broth or • Chef Boyardee – Lasagna, ravioli and spaghetti www.swedish.org any broth you may have in the pantry. • Hormel or LaPerferida canned tamales – thin out • Bake or steam broccoli, cauliflower and blend with the sauce but avoid over spicing. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or with cheese, making a puree. disability in our health programs and activities. • Make your own pasta sauce, such as alfredo or pesto.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP CREAMY SALMON SOUP QUICK AND EASY CREAMY VEGETABLE SOUP Quick soup makings 1 lb. fresh asparagus spears 1 medium sweet onion, diced 1 large onion • Pre-cooked chicken – buy rotisserie chicken from 1 medium onion, diced ½ tsp diced garlic 1 lb. carrots, peeled (4-5) the grocery store or a 2-lb bag at Costco 1 stick butter 4 celery sticks 1 Tbsp butter • Frozen or canned vegetables 3 cups chicken stock 1 can boneless skinless salmon 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium potato, peeled and diced or grated 1 Tbsp Paul Purdhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends Salt • Broth in a box has a long shelf life and can make a good soup base 1 rib celery, chopped “Blackened Redfish Magic” ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme 3-4 Tbsp flour 1 lb. thin skinned potatoes (3 medium or 6 small) • Many stores have milk and cream in the boxes; they 1 cup cream or milk 2 cans evaporated milk, such as Carnation 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved won’t spoil if you don’t use them in 5 days Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock Preparation instructions: • Pre-cooked meats; ham, turkey, beef from the deli 2 bay leaves case Preparation instructions: Sauté onions and garlic with the Magic Seasoning in ½ 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dry thyme Soak and rinse asparagus. Remove top 1 inch of each stick butter until cooked well. Pour into blender, add the • Ground meats – chicken, beef, turkey cooks quickly ¼ cup half-and-half, cream or coconut milk spear, discard tough lower part, reserving middle portion salmon (undrained) and blend well. Melt the remainder of and will process well in the blender of stalks. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, sauté the butter and add enough flour to absorb the butter; do Preparation instructions: onion in butter for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent. not brown. Add 1-1½ cans of the milk, stirring well, and Chop the onion, carrots and celery into ½-inch chunks. Can’t cook? Live alone? Here are some Add chicken stock, asparagus tips and stems, potato, simmer until thickened. Add the salmon mixture to the Chop the potatoes into ½-inch chunks, but set aside products that can help: celery, thyme and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. pot and stir well. You may have to add a little bit more from the other vegetables. Trader Joe’s: Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or milk to get the consistency that you desire. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Toss Jaques Beef Bourguignone until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let cool. AVGOLEMONO – GREEK LEMON SOUP the onion, carrots and the celery around in the oil. Butternut Squash Soup Remove asparagus tips and set aside. Place half of the Sprinkle with a ½ teaspoon of salt and add the red 4 cups of chicken broth (homemade or store bought) Beef and Barley Soup with Vegetables soup at a time in a blender container. Cover and blend at pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the ¼ cup of uncooked orzo (may use rice or pastina) Northwest Territory Beef Stew high speed for 20 to 30 seconds or until very smooth. vegetables sweat, soften and smell sweet, 5 to 10 3 eggs Fresh Mushroom Maderia Soup Pass through a fine sieve and return blended soup to the minutes. 3 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice saucepan. Add reserved asparagus tips and cream (or Roasted Red Pepper Soup Salt and pepper to taste Stir in the potatoes, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook half-and-half or milk) and heat thoroughly, or refrigerate for 5 minutes. (Add more oil if the pot seems dry). Progresso: to be served cold. Preparation instructions: Rich & Hearty Chicken & Noodles In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add the orzo, Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer Serves 4 14 gm protein, 28 gm carb per can rice or pastina and cook until tender (very soft in this and cook until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a Note: Half-&-half or milk may be substituted for the case, not al dente) about 10-12 minutes. Season with fork, about 15 minutes. Rich & Hearty Loaded Potato/Bacon cream if fat content is a concern, although it might lack salt and pepper. Reduce heat to a low; simmer. 8 gm protein, 38 gm carb per can Remove the soup from the heat. Take out the bay leaves flavor. Be sure to adjust the seasoning after you add the In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon and thyme sprigs and discard. Use an immersion Rich & Hearty Steak & Vegetables cream (or half-&-half or milk), especially if you plan to juice until smooth. blender, stand blender or food mill to puree the soup 10 gm protein, 30 gm carb per can serve it cold. until smooth. This is the trick — ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into Rich & Hearty Pot Roast & Vegetables the egg and lemon mixture, then whisk to combine. Stir in the half-and-half. Taste for seasoning and adjust 14 gm protein, 34 gm carb per can This step keeps the eggs from becoming egg drop soup with more salt and pepper if necessary. Any of these can be blended; if it’s too thick, add by not quick-cooking the eggs when added to the pot. (www.inspiredtaste.net) more broth. Add the egg/broth mixture into the pot. Stir just until the soup becomes opaque and thickens as the eggs cook, 1-2 minutes. Taste for flavor, add more seasoning if In the market for a blender? desired. Let cool for 20-30 min. (Epicurous) Consumer Reports offers an objective online buying guide for blenders: https://www.consumerreports.org/ Use either an immersion blender or your Ninja to blend cro/blenders/buying-guide/index.htm. to a drinkable state. Warm up to a desired temp.