Recipes for someone who has gallbladder issues

Hello all,

My Sister-in-law is due to have her 2nd baby next week via C-section. She has had horrible gallbladder problems throughout this pregnancy and will have her gallbladder removed sometime in June. In the meantime, I was hoping to make some meals for them when she came home with the new baby. So, I was wondering if anyone had some good recipes for no-fat meals that I could make and bring over to her, my brother, and their 3 yr old daughter when my Sister-in-law gets out of the hospital. I know for the past several months she has been eating a lot of chicken, turkey, rice cooked in chicken broth, and pasta made with tomato sauce containing no oil, meat, or cheese. I was thinking of some lean protein...fish or a lean beef/pork...maybe a bean dish? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

For an all-around collection of recipes that fit your description, search Weight Watchers. The low-fat version of chicken scallopine, which substitutes cooking spray and cream of mushroom soup for the butter and heavy cream would be a good recipe (see note at bottom).

CHICKEN SCALOPINE

4-8 tablespoons butter, divided (butter is important – do not substitute margarine)
12 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat to about 1/2 inch
2-3 bunches of thin sliced green onions
1 cup chicken stock (home made, prepared or reconstituted stock is much better than bouillon cubes)
1/2 bottle dry white wine
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in large non-stick frypan. Sauté mushrooms until tender and any liquid has evaporated for pan; set aside.
2. Turn up heat on burner and melt 2 more tablespoons butter in same frypan. Depending on the heat of the burner, a bit of olive oil can be added to prevent the butter from burning (a hotter frying pan helps with the browning). Cook chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown (this browning is important, as it adds to the color and flavor of the sauce); remove from pan; set aside. Repeat this as necessary, depending on the size of the pan and number of chicken breasts.
3. Add sliced green onions to pan and sauté until tender.
4. Add wine to pan, bring to boil, stirring to de-glaze the pan and dissolve the golden brown crusties that formed when cooking the chicken.
5. Add chicken stock and stir-cook until mixture is reduced by half. Add cream to pan. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return mushrooms and chicken to sauce in pan. Reheat to serving temperature.

Serve over pasta (angel hair, spaghetti or linguini).
Accompany with the same or similar wine used to cook with (un-oaked Chardonnay works great with this).
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

NOTE: For reduced fat version, use non-fat cooking spray to cook the onions and chicken, but use 1 Tbsp. butter for the mushrooms. Also substitute 1 can cream of mushroom soup for whipping cream.

Thanks Howie!

This is Bill Spencer's recipe. I omit the flour and use a lesser amount of butter & olive oil.

Tilapia Piccata

Flour for dredging
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 T Peanut oil
4 to 6 Tilapia filets
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of 2 lemons
2 T capers
1 t minced capers
Chopped parsley for garnish

Add salt and pepper to flour. Dredge filets in flour mixture. Heat peanut oil in large skillet until hot, and sauté the dredged filets over high heat for about 1 minute each side. Remove to warm platter to keep warm. To the skillet, add the wine, lemon juice, and capers and stir, and return filets to skillet. Bring to simmer, cover and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Plate filets and pour the sauce from the skillet over the filets. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Serves 2 to 4

This is a rice dish I came up with that goes with almost everything.

Veggie Rice

1 cup regular white rice
16 oz. liquid (water, broth, etc.)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 large carrots, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (optional)
1 cup chopped onion
1 TB butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray 1½ quart casserole with cooking spray. Add all ingredients except peas and butter and stir. Bake covered at 350 deg. for 55 minutes. Turn off oven, add peas and butter and stir. Cover and return to oven for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

Yield: about 6 servings

Note: I use a 14 oz. can low-fat chicken broth plus ¼ cup water.

I was thinking of something not far from the tilapia piccata: penne cooked in broth tossed with cherry tomatoes, sauteed fish (something firm), capers, lemon, kalamatas. Maybe just a touch of EVOO if that's ok. Would be good hot or cold.

Grilled chicken or fish tacos with pico de gallo and/or salsa…. or…a vinegar coleslaw would be a tasty low fat meal. You can bake corn tortillas (instead of frying) or buy the pre-formed.

Richard

Howie,

The low-fat version of the chicken scalopine recipe would be OK, but the original is likely to send a gall bladder patient to the emergency room.

-Paul W.

Howie,

The low-fat version of the chicken scalopine recipe would be OK, but the original is likely to send a gall bladder patient to the emergency room.

-Paul W.

Indeed it may, but it may almost be worth it. But the low fat version can be tasty.

Indeed. If you have to go--what a way to go!

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Maria,

As much as I love the foods others have suggested, I have to caution you that acidity such as wine and lemon juice in quantity can also be irritants for people with gall bladder problems. Will your friend be breast-feeding?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and recipes!

Jenise - UGGHHH...I didn't know that about the acidity. I know she has been eating tomato sauce with no oil for awhile now, with no problems, but I know this gallbladder thing gets much worse after you have a baby. No, she won't be breast-feeding.

I spoke with brother today to find out what she likes and doesn't like. It seems she isn't a big fish fan, so that is out...she also doesn't like mushrooms.

I had come up with 4 dishes for her...tell me what you think, and if you think I should leave out acidity.

1) Brined boneless grilled center cut pork chops (brined in a sugar/salt/herb marinade), Steamed broccoli with lemon juice, garlic mashed potatoes (potatoes cooked in fat-free chicken broth with a few cloves of roasted garlic).

2) Soy/Maple grilled Shrimp, Yellow brown rice (Brown rice cooked in fat-free chicken broth with tumeric and saffron), Dry-roasted string beans.

3) Chicken cutlets (thin-sliced chicken breast, marinaded in fat-free Greek yogurt, covered in homemade fat-free bread crumbs [made from ciabatta rolls] and baked in the oven), creamy noodles (no-yolk egg noodles cooked in fat-free chicken broth and some white wine. Then some Fat-free Greek yogurt added at the end), Minty peas.

4) Sheppard's Pie - Ground turkey, Fat-free beef broth, tomato paste, corn starch, peas, carrots, onions, topped with browned Fat-free mashed potatoes.

The poor thing has been eating chicken/turkey, california rolls with no avocado, pasta with tomato sauce made with no oil or cheese for 7 months now! She will have to endure the fat-free diet for 8 more weeks AFTER her C-section! I have been told by others that after the baby comes, she will not be able to tolerate ANY fat...this is certainly a challenge!

[Jenise]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and recipes!

Jenise - UGGHHH...I didn't know that about the acidity. I know she has been eating tomato sauce with no oil for awhile now, with no problems, but I know this gallbladder thing gets much worse after you have a baby. No, she won't be breast-feeding.

I spoke with brother today to find out what she likes and doesn't like. It seems she isn't a big fish fan, so that is out...she also doesn't like mushrooms.

I had come up with 4 dishes for her...tell me what you think, and if you think I should leave out acidity.

1) Brined boneless grilled center cut pork chops (brined in a sugar/salt/herb marinade), Steamed broccoli with lemon juice, garlic mashed potatoes (potatoes cooked in fat-free chicken broth with a few cloves of roasted garlic).

2) Soy/Maple grilled Shrimp, Yellow brown rice (Brown rice cooked in fat-free chicken broth with tumeric and saffron), Dry-roasted string beans.

3) Chicken cutlets (thin-sliced chicken breast, marinaded in fat-free Greek yogurt, covered in homemade fat-free bread crumbs [made from ciabatta rolls] and baked in the oven), creamy noodles (no-yolk egg noodles cooked in fat-free chicken broth and some white wine. Then some Fat-free Greek yogurt added at the end), Minty peas.

4) Sheppard's Pie - Ground turkey, Fat-free beef broth, tomato paste, corn starch, peas, carrots, onions, topped with browned Fat-free mashed potatoes.

The poor thing has been eating chicken/turkey, california rolls with no avocado, pasta with tomato sauce made with no oil or cheese for 7 months now! She will have to endure the fat-free diet for 8 more weeks AFTER her C-section! I have been told by others that after the baby comes, she will not be able to tolerate ANY fat...this is certainly a challenge!

Maria, it was true for me--but mine wasn't pregnancy related, so maybe that's a difference? Anyway, your poor sister in law. Your menus sound wonderful. What does occur to me, though, is that fresh herbs and spices would be an excellent way to introduce different flavors. Like, what if you put seasoned the yoghurt marinade with curry seasoning or dried oregano and cumin? And what if you put some fresh basil, chives or parsley into the mashed potatoes for the shepherd's pie? Also, consider pickling raw veggies with onions, caraway, mustard or fennel seeds. All by themselves, carrots are absolutely wonderful tossed in lemon juice with a little sugar. And lemon juice and cilantro combined is an excellent dressing for warm boiled pototoes.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and recipes!

Jenise - UGGHHH...I didn't know that about the acidity. I know she has been eating tomato sauce with no oil for awhile now, with no problems, but I know this gallbladder thing gets much worse after you have a baby. No, she won't be breast-feeding.

I spoke with brother today to find out what she likes and doesn't like. It seems she isn't a big fish fan, so that is out...she also doesn't like mushrooms.

I had come up with 4 dishes for her...tell me what you think, and if you think I should leave out acidity.

1) Brined boneless grilled center cut pork chops (brined in a sugar/salt/herb marinade), Steamed broccoli with lemon juice, garlic mashed potatoes (potatoes cooked in fat-free chicken broth with a few cloves of roasted garlic).

2) Soy/Maple grilled Shrimp, Yellow brown rice (Brown rice cooked in fat-free chicken broth with tumeric and saffron), Dry-roasted string beans.

3) Chicken cutlets (thin-sliced chicken breast, marinaded in fat-free Greek yogurt, covered in homemade fat-free bread crumbs [made from ciabatta rolls] and baked in the oven), creamy noodles (no-yolk egg noodles cooked in fat-free chicken broth and some white wine. Then some Fat-free Greek yogurt added at the end), Minty peas.

4) Sheppard's Pie - Ground turkey, Fat-free beef broth, tomato paste, corn starch, peas, carrots, onions, topped with browned Fat-free mashed potatoes.

The poor thing has been eating chicken/turkey, california rolls with no avocado, pasta with tomato sauce made with no oil or cheese for 7 months now! She will have to endure the fat-free diet for 8 more weeks AFTER her C-section! I have been told by others that after the baby comes, she will not be able to tolerate ANY fat...this is certainly a challenge!

Maria, those sound good, and it's super sweet of you to be so concerned. One thing about the Sheppard's pie, remember to check the ground turkey for fat percentage.

Ground turkey comes in several types, so read the label to be sure you get what you want. The leanest (about 3% fat) is white meat only, with no skin. It's labeled "ground turkey breast." Regular "ground turkey" is made from white and dark meat with some skin, and is about 10% fat (similar to ground round). Frozen ground turkey is usually all dark meat with skin, and is 15% fat, similar to ground sirloin.

Also, if you google "gall bladder diet" you will find several helpful links (as well as some contradictary information). One thing that keeps coming up is Omega 3 fish oil capsules. I would recommend only the enteric coated ones.

Good luck!

Before I had my gallbladder removed, one staple dish for me was a chili I made with the lowest fat content ground beef I could find (Trader Joe's), Bush's pinto beans, chopped onion, and some Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes & chiles. The only fat came from the beef and I'd cook, then rinse it with hot water. I seasoned it with some Penzey's bold taco seasoning that I buy for my spouse. It was a quick dish although I normally am not fond of using too many canned items; if time allowed, I'd soak a pound of dried pintos for inclusion.

Chris,

Have you ever tried using TVP in place of the ground beef? My buddy's wife uses TVP in her chili and it works well.

Chris,

Have you ever tried using TVP in place of the ground beef? My buddy's wife uses TVP in her chili and it works well.

I will preempt Cowboy on this one: That Ain't Chili!! TVP is an abomination anyway, IMHO. *Shudder*

Chris,

Have you ever tried using TVP in place of the ground beef? My buddy's wife uses TVP in her chili and it works well.

I will preempt Cowboy on this one: That Ain't Chili!! TVP is an abomination anyway, IMHO. *Shudder*

Robert,

Should I take that to mean you would not like her recipe?

My buddy's wife is a vegetarian and takes a hell of a lot of grief for that in these parts where many people hunt and fish. I give her an enormous amount of credit for hosting football parties and going out of her way to make dishes that are vegetarian but also satisfy the meatatarians such as myself and the rest of our friends.

My chili (which I make with beef tenderloin and venison sausage) may not be what she considers chili, but she would not tell me, "That Ain't Chili", nor would I say anything of the kind to her regarding her chili.

Now tofu hot dogs...That ain't a hot dog!

Thanks everyone!

Jenise - thanks for the tip...I will add some herbs and spices.

Linda - Thanks for the heads up about the fat content of turkey..I had no idea! I will definitely double check before I purchase it. Thanks again!

btw, It's a BOY!! I am over the moon. They already had a little girl, and he has the same name as my son...doesn't get better than that. I am a very happy Auntie!

Hooray! Boys are nice. We had 5 sons and a grandson until my granddaughter was born last June - first girl in the family in 62 years.