I'm going to be cooking for others for the first time in my life really. I need ideas.

[applegrove]

What are your favourite meals? I don't need the recipes.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear applegrove...

When I have guests, I like to fix meals that I don't need to hover over. I want to be able to spend time with my guests...

So, I make stew, in the oven, or stuffed bell peppers...

Or corned beef and cabbage...

Or spaghetti...

You get the idea!

Have fun, and good luck!

[LeftyFingerPop]

2. I'll second spaghetti....

with a nice salad, warm bread, wine...perfect meal for guests.

[applegrove]

7. These are not guests. These are my parents who I am working for as they age.

Spaghetti and meatballs sounds like a nice plan.

[applegrove]

3. Those are great ideas. My parents allready like corned beef hash but haven't had it in a while.

Stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef right? Ground beef and onions and baked for about 45 minutes if I remember correctly. Thanks.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I'd be happy to supply you with my recipe...

Just say the word.

It's easy and yummy...

[applegrove]

6. Okay I want the recipe. My parents used to eat stuffed bell peppers eons ago.

I'd really appreciate it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. OK!

I use the big ripe red bell peppers, as they are ideal for stuffing.

Slice the tops off, and clean out the seeds and membranes. Cook them in boiling water (a little) for 5 minutes.

While they're cooking, assemble the stuffing. One half pound ground sirloin, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 tsp. chopped onion, and I throw in some garlic powder too...

Mix well, drain the peppers and stuff. Place in the now empty pan (water emptied) and cover. Place in a 350 degree oven. Cook covered for 45 minutes, and then remove the lid; cook 15 more minutes.

Enjoy!

And have fun with your party...

[applegrove]

9. It's not a party. I'm cooking for my ageing parents. My dad got sick, my mom has parkinson's and is

failing so I'm working for them now rather than somewhere else. Works out great. I get paid for about 5 hours a day, am there for about 8 hours a day but there is lots of downtime.

[janx]

34. Damn! Those are tasty! n/t

[jmm]

5. Typically they are filled with ground beef but

you can put pretty much anything in them you want. I usually slice my peppers in half lengthwise, cook them until they're tender, then fill them with tomato risotto but I've put everything from lamb, to seafood, or even meatloaf in them.

[hippywife]

10. Come on over to the Cooking and Baking Group

and look around, talk to folks. There's always lots of good recipes and advice to be had there.

It's a wonderful thing you are doing for your parents. I know it takes at least some of the stress off of their situation. :hug:

[applegrove]

11. Thank you for saying that. Yup I get pretty good feedback from everyone when I tell them what I am

doing.:blush:

[MajorChode]

12. Make as much as you can ahead of time

That's the key. Trying to make several dishes that all have to be ready at the same time is usually a recipe for disaster. Even if you can get it to work you're going to have a whole kitchen full of dirty dishes, pots, pans, and mixing bowls by the time you're done.

Spaghetti is great, but pasta in general is a good way to go. I like to throw in a cold pasta dish because you can make it well ahead of time and it goes straight from the fridge to the table. Fruit salad over ice cream makes a great desert for the same reason. I like to do a simple appetizer because it gets everyone to the table and takes off the pressure of getting everything ready on time.

One of my all time favorites for guests is fondue. Fondue pots are pretty cheap if you don't have one. The possibilities are just about endless and you can do almost all the prep work ahead of time. Melting the cheese only takes about 10-15 minutes and you're good to go. Just lay out the dipping stuff and give everyone a fondue fork and tell them to gather around the pot. It's loads of fun. Just make sure you try your recipe out first before you do it for a group of people. Fondue is not hard, but get it wrong and you'll wind up with a pot of goop rather than fondue.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftyFingerPop]

14. If you read the whole thread...

She will be cooking for her elderly parents.

She is looking for meal ideas only.

I'm assuming once she gets the ideas for meals...she will find the recipes herself.

Capiche?

[Richard Steele]

17. Oh, Ok ...Gotcha. It's late, and I've had a long day...I'm probably just a grumpy jerk now, eh?

Sorry for my grumpy jerkines,
and thank you for your kind explanation of the situation.

I have some stuff going on right now, and that might be
an "explanation" for my rudeness, but it is certainly no excuse.

Thanks for taking the time to explain things to me. I owe you one.

My parents aren't "elderly", but they certainly aren't young...
when I visit them, I cook some fancy 4-6 course meals, but
I concentrate on "the basics" that they served me when I was
growing up.


Meal ideas for my parents are basically "meat and potatos",
but that's not even a good description of the Meat and Potatos
they grew up with. Neither of them have ever been more than 100 miles
from where they were born, and they don't know Jack Shit
about what folks from other countries eat. I've been around
the world 6 or 7 times, and I'm just incredibly IMPRESSED
by the stuff that people eat in other countries.

Grandma Steele had an AWESOME recipe for beef roast that she made all the time...
she died without passing along the recipe, and it was 20 years until
I tasted it again, and that was a "Goat Curry" at a Kenyan restuarant.

I capiche more than I can process...Capiche?

[applegrove]

27. My parents are meat and potatoes type eaters. Is why I want ideas on what to serve

them. Cause I've already cooked enough lamp chops and baked potatoes for them allready.

[janx]

37. Meat and potatoes eaters?

Try casseroles!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. She did ask me for my recipe...

Why the snark?

I have not seen her make up stories...

But perhaps I've missed something...

:shrug:

[Richard Steele]

19. So sorry, NCP...please see my response to that post.

My life has taken a very different turn in these last
12 months...

I have one of those "job" things that all the kids are talking about,
and that's attracted the attention of some folks who go by the name
of "The IRS"....folks who lost track of me back in late 1993.

But, I'm back now, and they know it, so you can just IMAGINE
how INTERESTING they are making life for me, eh?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. I saw your response, and no worries, sweetie!

I can imagine, and it's not fun...

:hug:

[applegrove]

32. I don't make up stories Peggy. Never have. Never will.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. I believe you...

[wickerwoman]

16. Anything parmesan.

Coat it in egg and breadcrumbs and bake it. Pour on tomato sauce and mozzarella. Voila.

Also, poaching is easy and very forgiving. Drop chicken breasts in boiling water with five or six whole black peppercorns, a bay leaf and something acid (like white wine, lemon juice or vinegar). Let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through. I do a bunch this way on the weekend to have cold cooked chicken sitting around and then I use it in chicken salad, sandwiches, tacos, stir fries, whatever throughout the week.

I also love poached salmon with garlic, ratatouille with chicken and pasta, stew (especially scotch broth- lamb and barley stew), quiche, gazpacho with chicken or turkey shredded in it.

For lunch, I love to do Greek salad (chopped up cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese) but I mix a huge bowl of it with couscous and some Italian dressing and then eat it for lunch all week with a little cold chicken or a burger thrown on top. You don't have to worry about the grains and veggies each day. Just broil some protein and add it.

[rucky]

18. Add the cheese powder to the macaroni gradually as you stir.

And don't use as much milk as the box says.

[applegrove]

28. I knew that one!!! Seriously I know how to follow a recipe I just need ideas.

[question everything]

21. Any pasta dish

You can make plenty and will be enough for several meals.

Lasagan is good one and, I think, the recipe is on the box of the lasagna sheets.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used for many meals, either as a whole or sliced and mixed with vegetables, or rice or salad.

[grasswire]

22. familiar foods might be good

Does your mom have a favorite cookbook? If so, you can probably tell her best recipes by the stains on the pages. :-)

You don't say how old they are, but I'll guess on some ideas.

Salmon patties and baked potatoes

Swiss steak

Pork chops in mushroom gravy, and a wild rice combo

Vegetarian lasagne

Omelets to order (a favorite is jack cheese and green chile)

Scalloped potatoes au gratin with ham

Salad plate with shrimp cocktail, macaroni salad, and fresh fruit -- serve with hot dinner rolls.

Cube steak with grilled mushrooms and red onion

Halibut with lemon and dill butter

Just some thoughts, based on what my MIL might have liked to eat.

[MissMillie]

23. Cook what you like to eat

unless, of course, you're used to eating cheerios for dinner

Don't experiment too much unless you have time to do a test run.


I love meatballs and gravy served w/ mashed potatoes (and they take less time than a meatloaf)

A good stir-fry is easy (just a little prep-work involved w/ the veggies).

Roasts are easier than they sound as long as you have a digital meat thermometer, rice pilaf and a veggie or a salad--GREAT MEAL

Grilling means less dishes.

Baked fish (haddock or cod) is done is about 20 minutes and really only involves some bread crumbs, some butter and some dill (and a wedge of lemon on the plate).

Good luck

[peacefreak]

24. Roasted Chicken is always good.

You can use the carcass after for soup. Do your folks have any dietary restrictions? You might want to find out if they have any special needs.

[PRETZEL]

25. How about going back to the meals you mom used to cook when you were a kid

even with her Parkinson's, if her speach wasn't affected, I bet she would love to be in the kitchen with you when you're doing this.

[applegrove]

29. She looked for her recipe box tonight and found it. I think she would love to help because

she hasn't cooked for years. My father has done the duties until he got sick in August.

[janx]

36. THIS IS THE KEY!

;-) You and she can review what's in the box and have some fun with new recipes along those lines!

[Mopar151]

26. A good cheap roast

Mashed potatoes, a nice vegetable... I just did a bottom round (cheap as 'burger) with a spice 'n tenderizer rub - delicious, low fat, yeilds 4 meals for us. Coupla tips - Preheat the oven to 500 degrees for roasts, turn down to 250 after 1/2 hour, cook to desired internal temp - a nice sear on the outside, but cooked evenly through. To slice thin, refrigerate roast and use very sharp knife. Roast beef hash is excellent, BTW..
Roast chicken and turkey are both excellent Multi-meal items - main dish, leftover casseroles/pies (chicken pot pie with buscit crust - yum!), sandwiches, soup ( I could go for a turkey rice!)
Sheperd's pie is a fave in these parts - Half 'n half ground pork with the beef is good, as is plenty of garlic in with the meat - and use about 1/2 creamed corn to canned corn.
Meatloaf tip - shovel a bunch of chunky salsa in with the burger, bread crumbs, egg, and so on.
And it's pot roast season! Root vegetables are fresh now, and it's a good time of year for the smell of simmering stock...

[janx]

30. First time?

Spaghetti, salad, and some good bread. ;-)

[applegrove]

31. My OP was misleading. I am going to be cooking for my ageing parents from

here on in and I'm interested in ideas on what to cook. I'm looking for variety. I can find the recipes online once my parents agree to the menu.

[janx]

35. Bless your heart and spirit!

You need a good cook book or two. You can go through them with your parents, though I'll bet you remember what they like to eat.

Soups, chili, etc.--these are things you can make in quantities and freeze so that they can be thawed and eaten again.

[Swede]

33. French toast or pancakes might be something they like.

Roast beef with mashed potatoes. Home made macaroni and cheese. Potato salad or macaroni salad.

[madmom]

38. I make a pork chop potato dish my hubby really likes, don't know where I found the recipe but

it's quite simple. Thin slice a couple potatoes ( about one good size one per person) slice a med to small onion, brown pork chops,in large skillet, put potatoes and onions and sliced mushrooms on top pour on a can of mushroom soup mixed with 1 can of milk. cover medium heat, cook about 45min-1 hour till pork chops are done. Usually VERY tender.