Any dump and pour crock pot meal makes wonderful left overs. Salsa verde braised pork (served over coleslaw, in tortillas, or in buns) lasts my husband and I 2-3 days. The ingredients take only 10-15 minutes to pull together, then you turn the pot on and step away. Chicken works well, too, and you can make myriad soups, stews, and chilis as well.

I hope you heal up soon! I usually roast up some chicken leg quarters and serve with roasted cauliflower when I'm tired.

It is less what you cook and more of a strategy. Sit down while doing prep. If you have a stool in the kitchen great. You could get a cheap one from target if you don't. Do you have a small rolling cart? Using crutches or a walker means you can't use both hands or, if you can for only a short time. You can move foods from the stove, oven... to the cart and then push it where you need the item to be. If you want freeze ahead - soup, stew, chili... and then package them individually for the freezer. Doing a few recipes and freezing them will give you variety instead of working your way through one pot. It would be great if you had a wheelie chair (like an office chair). You could put a tray on your lap to prep and push yourself from counter to counter.

Good luck - I hope you heal soon. You don't realize how un-universally accessible the world is until you have something like this pop up.

oh my GOSH...this made me smile, ear to ear! my hubby JUST got off crutches...so many of our posts have him in the kitchen WITH his crutches...here's him making meatballs on crutches (http://www.casacullen.com/2010/02/recipe-of-the-week-male-bites-recap-macho-man-meatballs.html) and he was SUCH a trooper...nearly TWO MONTHS!!!

we have a huge list of DIY projects for around the house that have been building up so no rest for the weary in the casacullen...we wish you luck and a very speedy recovery! it totally makes both partners see each other in a different light, so that's a cool silver lining too :) cheers

woops - link didn't work...here it is:
http://www.casacullen.com/2010/02/recipe-of-the-week-male-bites-recap-macho-man-meatballs.html

I'd probably take the opportunity with the parents there to do a bunch of slow braises and stews - get them to help you with the chopping and bending down to put things in the oven!

I had a slipped disc for months, and cooking was a real challenge.

Hope you get better soon!

I agree with LiffyAnne. I think a crock pot could be a good tool for you right now...it'll save you from having to wrangle scalding foods out of the oven while balancing on crutches.

Soups and stews are quick to put together and cook with little to no oversight. They also usually create a fair amount of leftovers for future easy meals. You can also slow cook a pork shoulder roast. You could eat it on its own the first night with your choice of low-maintenance sides and then shred the leftovers. Some can be seasoned for tacos and the rest can be mixed with some BBQ sauce for pulled pork sandwiches. You can also check out the blog A Year of Slow Cooking for more ideas.

I also second the idea of sitting down while you prep (if you can make it work in your space).

Good luck...I hope you heal quickly!

my grandmother was disabled all of her adult life, and she always perched on a bar stool in the kitchen because she couldn't stand for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. she fed her three kids and husband every night this way.

Many foot surgeries have taught me a lot about this one. Strategically placed barstools are a must. I'd recommend one by the sink and one by the stove. I scoot ingredients down the counter to get the from place to place. Similarly, by holding onto the counter you can hop from one to the other.

If your foot hurts hanging down, or gets swollen, prop it up on the counter. If you're worried about the dirt, just use a plastic bag or towel as a barrier.

I threw together a black bean chili last night that only took about 10 minutes prep. And it's vegetarian, so sorta healthy too. I think I originally found it on Cooking Light, but I can't remember. So simple it's silly:

Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans black beans, drained rinsed
1 lg. can crushed tomatoes
2tbs. cumin
1 tbs. vinegar (recipe called for rice but I used sherry)
1 tbs. chipoltle paste

sweat the onion in olive oil, add garlic, black beans, tomatoes and cumin. Turn heat down and let simmer for about 15. Meanwhile puree a can (7oz) of chipoltle peppers in adobo in the food processor. (you will only use a tablespoon, so freeze the rest). Add chipoltle paste, vinegar and salt to taste. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, crumbled corn bread on top.

Took seriously about 30 minutes with 15 unattended, so you can prop your foot up and read a magazine or better yet, have a cocktail.

Pork shoulder came to my mind, immediately, too.

Marinated, oven baked chicken comes to my mind. We like bone-in thighs, but these recipes can make use of your favorite cut(s). I marinate them in the morning before work , put them into the fridge and toss the whole pan into the oven to bake while I walk the dogs:

Lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, garlic

Pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic

Orange juice, dry sherry, juice of 1 lime, soy sauce, lemon/lime soda, salt, pepper, garlic powder, 7 spice seasoning, ground ginger

Lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red chili paste (or garlic chili sauce), a dash of fish sauce, a little brown sugar, and fresh cilantro.

No-knead bread has little standing time.

Seconding twosavoie, get yourself a stool for the kitchen, so you can use both hands.

Any number of slow cooker recipes that require minimum prep. Instead of chopping up fresh veg to go in with the recipe use frozen veg 15 minutes before end of cooking time.

Pot roast is awesome! As is chicken with black beans, salsa and corn for rice or tortillas. Soups are great too.. like chicken noodle soup or bean and sausage soup / stew. Yummy and easy.

Those lasagna roll-ups are great, and so quick! I saw a picture of one in an ad for a cookbook, and recreated it, only I used a basil pesto instead of spinach. Way more fattening (even though I make pesto very low-oil compared to store bought), but oh so divine.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I made dinner tonight while sitting on a stool and although I had my foot down a little longer than I should, it was still liberating to know I could do something.

Now I just have to put the most used tools as close together as possible. The can opener was way to far away from the tongs!

I would second the baked chicken idea--you can vary it with potatoes, various vegetables, vinegars, herbs, spices. Seems like you could do the prep work then have someone help you put it into the oven. Good luck!

Bake a ham! *Slice off 3 or 3 slices an inch or so thick to make ham steaks, (quck fry a hamsteak in a no-stick pan & serve with rice or potatoes and a veg).
*Slice thinner slices for sandwiches, grilled sandwiches with cheese (and sandwiches with just a thin coat of butter can be made ahead and frozen).
*Chop all the loose bits and freeze in small ziplocks or containers for omelets - chop onions and bell peppers, too, and freeze similarly. Add the frozen veg & ham to your pan, simmer 2 min, add beaten eggs & scramble or omeette.
A ham keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge & you can turn to these options when you are not up to fancy work.

Heal quickly. I'm holding you in the Light.

Forgot to say - use salsa and canned beans for a quick, easy vegetarian chili - no prep, no cleanup..