Recipe Ideas, Parental Edition

[Jester]

So my older sister and I (yes, HER) are gonna be cooking for the family again. Wheeeeee! (Honestly, we get along in the kitchen better than just about anywhere else.)

But as we ARE cooking for the family, and some people have certain dislikes or foods they just can't eat (mostly the parents, due to age), I'd like some ideas. (Though of course, sis already has SEVERAL. Shocking, I know.)

Here is what we can't use or have in the dishes.

Garlic. (Yes, this one is killing me.)
Onions at a more than minimal level.
Ginger.
Anything spicy. And I don't mean what I consider spicy. Mom is not really a fan of spicy stuff at all, so anything with heat is pretty much out. Seasoning is fine, but spicy is not.
Coconut. (There goes my coconut rice idea.)
Asparagus.
Avocado. (Fine with me. I hate the fuckers.)
Beans.
Anything high in fat or cholesterol. Red meat is right out.
Eggplant. (How is this my mother?)
Goat cheese.
Anything high in sodium.

Sis already has many ideas, and I have a couple myself, but am interested in what you folks come up with, not just for this visit, but for future visits as well. One of the few things I'm bordering on being ashamed about is that I haven't really cooked for my parents, other than the last time sis and I cooked for the family.

CS.com cooks....GO!!!

[mathnerd]

How about chicken baked in a sauce made from a mixture of jellied cranberry sauce and OJ served over rice? I don't add anything else, just mix up the sauce, pour over the chicken breasts, cover the baking dish with foil and toss in the oven. Sometimes I'll add a can of crushed pineapple as well.

[MaggieTheCat]

A couple questions:

How many people are you going to be feeding and how much time will you have for prep? I ask to get a better idea for if it should be a big one-pot dish like a casserole, or if multiple individual dishes can be prepared for each guest, like a piece of protein + side dish.
Regarding coconut, is all forms of coconut out, or is it just flaked coconut? Personally I hate flaked coconut due to the texture, but I like the flavor of coconut so stuff like coconut milk, coconut oil, etc. is fine. I have a great recipe for coconut rice that just uses coconut milk (I mean, I'm sure you could add flaked coconut to it if you're making it just for yourself.)

[Jester]

I think it's the flavor of coconut that is objectionable in this case, as I was not asked what kind or coconut, but merely informed that coconut was on the No Go list.

As for the party size, it will be somewhere between 5-7, unless I missed someone. But generally we just cook family style, not individual plates. That way everyone can get their preferred portion size.

For any other ideas, please assume that anything on the list I provided in the OP is verboten. It just makes it easier.

[Barracuda]

Hmm. Chicken with curry/dill sauce? Not spicy at all, but great flavor.

[Akasa]

Chicken cooked with pineapple and pineapple juice over rice.

[Teefies2]

My picky eater kids have always liked this one ....

Put hot dogs in an oven-safe dish, cut a pocket in them. Stuff it with cheese (any kind you like, we do American), cover with ketchup - as much as you like. Bake at 350 until the cheese melts. Serve with french fries and carrot sticks. For the non-picky eaters, lay onion slices and lemon slices over the hot dogs, but below the ketchup, before baking.

Nachos is always a hit as well, as YES you can make them non-spicy! Brown ground beef (and onions, my preference, but no one else likes them). Heat up a can of refried beans (black refried beans are the best!). Place store-bought tortilla chips on a cookie sheet or pizza pan (for a crowd). Layer the beef and beans on top of the chips, smother with shredded cheese (monterey jack is good). Bake at 350 until the cheese melts. If you don't add hot sauce or anything to the meat, they won't be spicy at all ... a little salty from the chips, but NOT spicy.

[Jester]

Chicken cooked with pineapple and pineapple juice over rice.

Oh, the possibilities here are impressive. Simple, but has mad potential for the mad scientist in me....

[Akasa]

Oh, the possibilities here are impressive. Simple, but has mad potential for the mad scientist in me....

Feel free to experiment. I will usually make half the liquid used in cooking the rice pineapple juice just to give it more flavor. I could see using mint or cloves with it too. Be sure to share what you come up with. I am interested in what additions you will make to it.

[Chanlin]

A family favorite: Chicken Pineapple Stir fry

1 cup bisquick
2 eggs
1/4 cup veggie oil
1 lb chicken breast
3 mediumish sized carrots sliced
1 small-medium bell pepper sliced
1 smallish onion (this one is optional, we leave it out if my grandma is eating since she dislikes onions) sliced
1 can of pineapple chunks drained (I think 20 ounce)

You will need a large bag or container to coat the chicken.

Crack eggs in a bowl large enough to stir in chicken. Cut the chicken into cubes and put in with eggs, stir till the chicken is coated. Then use a slotted spoon or other strainer to put the chicken into a container with the bisquick. Shake till the chicken is coated.

Use 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated add carrots. Let those cook a couple minutes 1-3 ish, then add the bell pepper and onion, cook for another 1-3 ish minutes. Take all of that out of the skillet. Add the remaining oil, let it heat. Add chicken let it brown and cook. One its golden brown, no more pink re-add the veggies. After another 1-3ish minutes add the pineapple chunks. Let those get nice and warm.

Can serve with or without rice.

This serves 4-5 so you may need to increase since you have a larger party. Though with rice it may work out just fine.

[Kaylyn]

Off topic, but I read the title as "Recipe Ideas, Prenatal Edition". Was about to say, congrats? :P

[NecessaryCatharsis]

For a group that size my standby is: fish du dans papier (or tinfoil). Super easy, can customize each bag to certain diet needs if you want, and if you actually use parchment paper it can look (and smell) impressive when people open their own little package

Whole small fish, or two small fillets, put slices of lime, lemon and/or orange in the middle or in between, with what fresh spices you like, cut up what raw veggies you have place all on top of sheet of parchment or tinfoil about three times what you think you'd need, squeeze the rest of the citrus fruit you used on top, and sprinkle with any dry spices you want. Fold the tinfoil over the top, and push the edges together, fold them down together at 3-5 times, bake or bbq about 20 minutes (depends on size of fish). Serve unopened on the plate, let each diner open their own. I serve with something like broccoli/grape salad, and basmati rice

The other choice I would serve with that list of no-no's, only for special occasion ($$$) is bison. Bison is super delicious, has less fat, cholesterol and carbs then chicken or beef, has higher protein and iron than chicken or beef. Because it has so little fat in it, the best way to cook most cuts is hot and fast, and leaving the middle very rare (like a good cut of steak) but flavour wise it can be used in place of beef in most recipes, and if you know a good butcher you can get cuts that can be stewed for a more family style recipe.

One of my favourite bison recipes: - use for 7 people
Re hydrate some dehydrated mushrooms (save water after removing mushrooms)
In frying pan, sear top and bottom of three bison steaks, set aside
In same pan fry top and bottom of 5 portabella mushroom, finish in oven
Cook some egg noodle, drain and set in bowl, add cut up portabella,
In the same pan fry rehydrated mushrooms, add to bowl
finish steaks in oven
in the same pan add mushroom water, some jack daniels and a tiny bit of cornstarch, let thicken a bit
cut up steaks, add to bowl, add sauce to bowl, and stir
Serve with green salad

If that is too rich for your tastes you can add raw diced tomatos or bell peppers at the last minute, and because it is half meat/half mushroom it is less costly

(sorry I don't have actual recipes with amounts and times and things!)

[auntiem]

My family is Scot/East Coast so the usual family dishes are rather bland (no ginger for example). These are big hits with my family:
Do you have a slow cooker? Lamb stew with fennel (just the bulb - I put chopped up fronds on the table if people want to garnish). Make it like "regular" stew but sub the quartered onion with a quartered fennel bulb.
You probably only get Atlantic salmon where you are - but it is just past season so you may be able to get flash-frozen Pacific Salmon. Make tinfoil packets for each filet and add wine, lemon and fresh dill. Grill or bake (grill is better).

Is the sodium, fat or cholesterol issue on doctor's orders? Most of my family are under the same orders. It didn't stop my Dad from inventing this amazingly yummy "event" dish:
6 half chicken breasts pounded to 1/4" thick
2 sticks butter (yes I know - you can use unsalted but it doesn't turn out as well)
1 cup sherry (slightly better than cooking sherry please)
Poach chicken in melted butter/sherry sauce until done
Take chicken out, place on jelly roll pan (pyrex) sprinkle with shredded Parm to cover and broil until "nice".
Serve with egg noodles and veggie (usually peas) on the side.
My Dad is a retired Dr. and swears that the sherry counteracts the butter content. But then again, my folks have a special two week diet they designed to "pass" cholesterol tests. They really don't want to take Lipitor.

For super special occasions we have Haggis - but I can't make that in this state (no inspector for the ingredients) and order that so I don't know how to make it even if you wanted the recipe - which I doubt

[Jester]

You probably only get Atlantic salmon where you are...

Where I am, that is mostly true. But I won't be cooking where I am. I'll be cooking where the parents are, and that is in Arizona. In other words, closer to the Pacific than to the Atlantic. So anything is possible.

Is the sodium, fat or cholesterol issue on doctor's orders?

Yep. And my parents are really, really strict about adhering to it, other than the occasional treat that they'll choose for themselves. I won't try to make something that violates it, not just because they'd object, but because that would cause a fight betwixt my older sister and myself, and we'll have enough of that as it is!

They really don't want to take Lipitor.

I'm pretty sure my parents don't, though I could be wrong. But if they don't, it's largely due to them sticking to their diet. And I won't mess with that.

[auntiem]

Well, then the chicken dish is right out - sorry about that.
Here is a link for the American Heart Association:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Gettin...01_Article.jsp
Salmon is a super heart healthy fish. If you can get Pacific salmon - I'd go with that unless you think cooking fish with your sister would be a PITA. If they are forgoing beef per doctor's orders there are a few heart - healthy beef dishes on that site.
The bonus is that any recipe you pick from AHA has that backing going for it and they have some delicious dishes that seem decadent and aren't.
I've found that website very useful for advice - I'm down from 6 BP pills to 2 in part because of advice (and following it) found on that site.