My friend, Samantha Irby, of the blog Bitches Gotta Eat recently had extensive dental surgery. Although her mouth hole was rotting, she still has to find a way to sustain her beautiful body with nutrients of some kind.

I remember after my wisdom teeth removal, being absolutely sick of drinking chocolate milk and eating bland soup in order to function as a human being and I was extremely limited living in the dormitories and having to eat soft while living on a meal plan. 

For Sam, I made her a variety of soft foods that don’t require much work to eat, she can easily heat them up, while still feeling like an adult and eating delicious food. 

Bitches Gotta Eat Soft Foods Menu

Savory Selections

Carrot Pepper Soup:

What You’ll Need:

• 4 to 5 large red peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 3 to 4 red onions, chopped
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 to 4 red chillies, seeded and chopped. I used the whole can of San Marcos Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. It was so spicy that I thought I could see through time. 
• 8 to 10 medium carrots, diced
• 4 cups of broth. I used chicken, but veggie broth would be good too

Let’s Get Cooking:

1. Toss peppers with some olive oil and place on a baking tray. Roast those peppers at 350 for about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, warm a little olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add onions and garlic and soften for a few minutes. Add chillies and carrots and continue to soften for a few more minutes.
3. Remove the charred soft red peppers from the oven and carefully add to the saucepan; stir well. Season with salt and pepper, then add to stock.
4. Bring mixture to the boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until veggie are soft.
5. Blend mixture with a hand blender until smooth. Enjoy!
6. ** If it’s too spicy for you, dump in some yogurt or coconut milk. The fat in these absorbs the capsaicin in the peppers, which makes them spicy. 

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup 

View the recipe here.

Cowboy Mashed Potatoes

What You’ll Need: 

• 4  baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 jalapenos, seeded, and minced
• 1 container plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 oz. pepperjack cheese

Let’s Get Cooking:

1. Boil the potatoes until they are mushy. 
2. Add milk and yogurt to the mix to make it creamy. 
3. Drain and mash. You can put these in a blender or food processor if you need to make them extra mushy and soft.
4. Mix in cheese and peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Gourmet Spaghettios

What You’ll Need:

• 1 packet of pastina
• 1 red pepper, seeded and roasted like for the soup above.
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese

Let’s Get Cooking:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the butternut squash. Cook until soft, about 12-15 minutes.

2. Using a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the squash from the water and place in a large bowl.

3. Place the cooked butternut squash and red pepper in a large food processor or blender. Puree the pepper and squash until smooth. Add water or broth and puree until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. You may need a little more or a little less water depending on the size of your squash.

4. In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-5 minutes.

5. Add pureed pepper and butternut squash. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. 

6. Boil the pastina in water. Once done, drain and mix together. 

Sweet Selections

Green Smoothie

What You’ll Need:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 can pineapple juice
• 1 container of diced mango in light syrup

Let’s Get Cooking:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender. 
2. Blend to perfection and eat it up. 

Bread Pudding

What You’ll Need:

• 6 thick slices of day-old bread
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Let’s Get Cooking:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over bread. .
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Polenta

I get the log of the polenta. You can make it savory or sweet. Just slice it up, pan fry, and then serve with maple syrup on top for sweet, or with cheese and tomato sauce for savory. it’s really that simple. 

Jello: strawberry banana & lime flavors