RECUPERATIVE FOOD

Here in the UK we seem to have suffered the vagaries of a long winter and indifferent spring by succumbing to various viruses and infections – family, friends and colleagues have faced the quandary of needing to recover from various ailments while suffering a loss of appetite. 

It’s difficult for foodies to deal with lack the energy and enthusiasm they usually feel in the kitchen just when they need to sustain themselves or their family through illness!

Here are a few store cupboard saviours and suggestions we found useful on the road to recovery.

Lemons or concentrated lemon juice and jars of honey

Useful to make hot honey and lemon drinks to soothe throats and increase fluids and Vitamin C – alongside paracetamol and milky drinks can help over first stage of illness when too weak for food.

Eggs

If still fairly fresh, a poached or soft boiled egg with a little toast can be such a restorative, with minimum effort to prepare or eat.

If the eggs are more elderly hard boiled eggs with a little mayonnaise, or an omelette, or scrambled eggs may help.  Eggs are a gentle and easily assimilated protein to help aid recovery without upsetting the stomach.

Porridge

A humble bowl of milky porridge may also soothe and offer protein.  A spoonful of compote or honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon, plus a dollop of Greek yoghurt may help to make it a little more special and more nutritious.

Tins

It’s worth having some tins in store during the flu season in case you are hungry after sleeping all day and the rest of the family are  in bed and you don’t know really what you fancy, or the online shop hasn’t arrived yet or you’re snowed in!  Of course it is essential to have also in store a good working can opener…

Tinned evaporated milk

Useful for the milky porridge or a variety of milky drinks. Its extra richness may be welcome or it can be diluted for making sauces, custards etc

Tinned Soup

A variety of tins of soup in the store cupboard may tempt anyone who protests they really are not at all hungry to try something nutritious – soothing on sore throats too.  Our favourites are tomato soup, chicken soup (of course), chicken consommé, clam chowder, lobster bisque and game soup.

A simple soup can be cooked from scratch with some chopped onion, garlic, celery, carrot and a can of plum tomatoes.  The addition of a finely chopped chicken breast rescued from the freezer, or even a little sliced chorizo can help the protein intake for non vegetarians.

Tinned fruit

Tinned fruit can offer vitamins and soft eating which is gentle on sore throats.  Tinned peaches are the classic but pears are good too.  Serve neat or with a little tinned evaporated milk. Jars of cherries in syrup are also a favourite too, these can be warmed with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream from the freezer can make a comforting treat.

Tinned fruit in its own juice is preferable to those tinned in sugar syrup as they offer more vitamin C.

When you feel up to something more solid.

Tinned red salmon.

A tin of wild red salmon can make the simplest easy to prepare solid food, perhaps with the addition of a few olives or a few thin slivers of cucumber.  A slice of bread and butter may help.  If there is no fresh bread in the house an oat cake or ryvita may help if not too scratchy.

Tinned Baked Beans

Baked beans on toast with a slice of cheese on the side may offer some comfort and protein, also easy to prepare for the recuperative.

Tinned plum tomatoes

Can help to make a basic soup (see above) pasta sauce or if you want something more substantial can offer some vitamin C alongside some bacon and egg.

Tinned chickpeas

These can be blended with a little garlic and olive oil to make hummus.  Or you could rustle up an easy gentle curry using frozen spinach and a tin of chickpeas.  First fry finely sliced onion using warming spices such as fenugreek cumin and coriander, and then add the chickpeas and defrosted spinach – a few chunks of cheese (we like feta) can help up the protein content and make it easier to digest.

Once you are feeling stronger the traditional comfort foods – roast chicken, egg custards, rice puddings and jellies – may help you regain your appetite without upsetting your stomach.  And it’s always worth a few seasonal treats to celebrate your return to health – the freshest on offer!  We loved raspberries and blueberries warmed gently on pancakes, or smoked salmon and quails eggs, thin slivers of honey roast ham with vine ripened cherry tomatoes, mushrooms on toast, cauliflower cheese…I am sure you can think of your own suggestions once your appetite returns.  Even a buttery mashed ‘neeps (carrot swede sweet potatoes) with a well grilled lamb chop and wilted spinach is delicious. Or how about spaghetti carbonara?

Hope this helps all those recuperating to recover their strength and their love of food – we shall be referring to it for our next bout of flu. 

May we wish you all a healthy and vigorous summer! And it’s lovely to be ‘on’ food again…