A dear old friend here in Chiang Mai is having most of her teeth extracted and repaired in preparation for the new dentures that will see her through to the end of her life. At 77 years of age and being just 3 years into her recovery after a lifetime of alcoholism, it's fair to say she's in very poor health.
6 weeks without functioning teeth to chew with? Yikes! She weighs just 35 kgs (77 pounds) and her biggest worry (apart from affording her new mouth) is what to eat in the meanwhile as her gums heal.
I was able to hook her up with a GREAT Thai dentist who gave her a local price for his international standard work, and I'm driving her to and from appointments for the 8 week process. And cooking for her.
The worst part? She's an American 🤣 with 1960s western food tastes. Rarely eats fruit or veggies and also is constrained at being unable to eat beans & legumes after recent abdominal surgery.
My soup de jour for her this week? Spinach, potato and bacon. Fresh spinach and bacon for nutrition and fullness, and the bacon as a major enticement for her American tastebuds. 😆
Beginner level easy.
Start with spinach obviously. Fresh, organic spinach. 2 bunches.
Rinse & roughly chop.
And then the potatoes. I used 3 big potatoes.
Add to that some bacon, fresh garlic and red onion. All chopped.
All of that went into my big, trusty, stainless steel soup pot.
I then added mineral salt, some black pepper and a spoon of dried oregano.
And then added enough water to just cover everything.
Bring it to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 mins until potatoes are very tender.
Transfer the cooked ingredients to a blender, and add 1 cup of pure coconut milk.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
We put it into recycled takeaway containers to take over to our old friend...
and enjoyed the rest for lunch. Yummy!!
Filling, a fabulous blend of flavours and perfect for someone who's recovering from surgery, unable to eat and needing hearty soups. Or just because.
Enjoy your kitchen time and be sure to spend some time cooking for those who can't. It's what helps keep communities alive.
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