Senior fare

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Pam Stosur is a caregiver for David Rozencwajg of Northbrook. She makes dinner for him and his wife. | Tamara Bell~Sun-Times Media

Pasta Primavera

(From Pamela Stosur)

6 ounces whole grain pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup fresh basil, slivered

1 clove garlic chopped, to taste

1 cup carrots, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen peas, rinsed

1 ½ cups zucchini, diced

1 cup diced red and yellow bell peppers

¼ cup reduced sodium vegetable broth

¼ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 boneless chicken breasts pounded flat (can substitute any kind of fish)

Spray pan with olive oil cooking spray, and sauté chicken breasts.

Cook pasta al denté, according to directions on box. Reserve ½ cup of water from pasta.

In non-stick skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic, carrots, peppers and zucchini in olive oil for approximately eight minutes. Add peas and stir.

Add broth, pasta and basil. Toss. Add reserved water if needed to keep mixture moist. Cook for additional one to two minutes.

Place mixture in large bowl. Slice chicken and place on top of pasta mixture.

Serve cheese on the side for sprinkling on top.

Article Extras

Updated: August 31, 2011 3:19PM

Pamela Stosur’s pasta primavera showcases fresh basil, zucchini, peppers and carrots. Opting for whole grain pasta makes the dish even healthier. The simple recipe, one of many Stosur, a senior caregiver, prepares for a senior couple living in Northbrook, provides a nutritional meal and companionship, two of the most significant issues seniors face.

“Many seniors need help planning and preparing nutritious meals,” said Mike Melinger, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving the North Side of Chicago and the North Shore. “But that’s only part of the story. Research reveals that seniors who live alone want good-tasting, nutritious food and stimulating conversation.”

To help raise awareness of those important issues, Home Instead invites submissions to its Homemade Memories recipe contest through Sept. 15. The winner will receive $500.

Stosur’s pasta should score points for versatility.

“You can change it around, making it with chicken, scallops or shrimp,” she said.

Stosur visits with her clients while cooking for them, sometimes hearing their Holocaust survival stories.

“You have no idea,” she said. “These people have stories that you hope don’t get lost because people don’t listen. I’ve always enjoyed older people; they’re a wealth of information.”

Melinger’s wife Jackie appreciates Stosur’s special relationship with her parents.

“Pam spends hours listening to stories about the past,” Melinger said. “She pulls out old photo albums and encourages my mother to remember her happier days with my father. From all that she has learned about them, Pam is able to think of them as the people they once were.”

Melinger also values Stosur’s ability to make healthy foods taste good for her parents.

“My mom did not love to eat lots of vegetables, especially salads. Pam has experimented with all different ways of preparing salads and cooking vegetables to get my mom to enjoy them. My mother’s health is much better due to Pam’s cooking and care,” Melinger said.

Home Instead caregiver Arlene Anderson finds ways to encourage her clients to eat more vegetables. A popular dish the Skokie resident prepares for clients is baked fish (flounder, sole, tilapia or other white fish) with broiled fresh mushrooms, broccoli or zucchini. “Cut up whatever vegetables you like,” she said. One client had only oranges on hand, so Anderson used the juice of an orange, instead of a lemon, to sprinkle over fish before baking it at 350-400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. She broils vegetables sprinkled in olive oil and a drop of soy sauce 15-20 minutes, stirring them occasionally when they start to singe. “They get a nutty flavor,” Anderson said.

“It is our hope that through this contest, both family and professional caregivers will be conscious of what they are serving to a senior and how that senior is eating,” Melinger said.

That message will be spread through a cookbook of recipe submissions that will be available for purchase later in the year. Cookbook sale proceeds will benefit North American seniors through the nonprofit Home Instead Senior Care Foundation.

“Once the cookbook is in print, many family recipes and healthy versions of popular dishes will be at our fingertips,” Melinger said.