Food for a jawsome recovery

So this is Sean here. An update on Michelle - she is doing great, although the recovery, like many aspects of life, has its ups and downs. One minute Michelle is feeling great, the next she is once again in pain. Such is the road to recovery. Michelle's swelling has gone down considerably, and I assure you no one would now mistake her for a chipmunk.

One of my duties over the past week or so has been cooking for Michelle. This gave me the opportunity to try some recipes for soups. I myself am a fan of the soup - any meal you can eat entirely with a spoon is entirely okay by me. Who wants to chew, especially after having both your upper and lower jaw broken and held together by some IKEA-like screws? I don't, and neither does Michelle. So I have made a few tasty soups that are worth trying for those of you who are looking after a loved one who has gone through orthognathic surgery. And who knows? Maybe with a little inspiration you can improve on these humble recipes and become the next Wolfgang Puck or that asshole on Hell's Kitchen.

Let me preface these recipes by saying that there is one item completely indispensable to any person helping someone through this surgery. The one thing that you need to get through this period is a hand-held blender like this:













OF course, and as is usual, it was not my insight that led to this handy gadget. It was a post-surgery gift from Dr. Wong, Michelle's orthodontist. He rightly stated that this implement would be more useful than flowers, because flowers die, but you'll need a blender for at least six weeks. And this guy must be an angel - having one of these devices has made life easier for all of us. Thank you Dr. Wong - you were definitely not wrong!

So far, my favorite recipe comes from my mother, who for the past year has been making chicken noodle soup like its no tomorrow. I modified the recipe (not wanting to give away her secret) but I believe this is a nutritious meal that Michelle really enjoyed, which freezes well and provides vitamins and minerals that will help in the recovery process. So here is the basic recipe.

Chicken soup for the orthognathic soul

About 3 pounds of split chicken breast, with bone
About a half dozen carrots
About a half dozen stalks of celery
About three small onions, chopped
About a tablespoon of garlic powder
About a handful of parsley
About a teaspoon of salt and pepper, to taste
About 1 big can of crushed tomatoes
Anything creative you find in your friend's cabinet (oregano, basil, curry)

Clean chicken. Put in stock pot, skin and all. Cover with water to about 2 inches above the chicken. Put to a boil. While waiting to boil, chop up carrots, onions, and celery (leaving the leaves on the celery). Once chicken comes to a boil, skim the scum on the surface. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic powder, parsley, salt pepper, crushed tomatoes, and other inspirational ingredients you find in the cabinet (don't use anchovies). Simmer for 2 hours while you play with your friend's dog. Occasionally stir. Then take out the chicken and break off the meat into a tupperware container. Then use a spoon with holes in it and transfer the vegetables in the stock pot to a sieve. Save the carrots into a separate container and place in the fridge. Use a spoon and crush the vegetables through the sieve into the stock pot so that the resulting soup has all of the nutrients from the vegetables. Then take off the stove and allow the cool considerably. After cooling, place in the fridge over night, allowing the fat to rise to the surface. The next day, skim the fat off the surface. Now you have your stock. When making the soup, combine chicken and carrots and stock. Heat on the stove, and once warm, take your hand held blender and grind it into a pulp that can fit through a straw. Bring it to your friend who just had orthognathic surgery, and I promise, he or she will enjoy!



Save a little for yourself, too. Remember - you might be looking after someone who went through the surgery, but you need nourishment yourself. Don't forget to eat!