Libby’s Favorite MS-Friendly Recipes
I have come up with some great recipes that are designed to keep you cool and full of all the nutrients that will help you to thrive right through until fall!
First of all, we do not need to be stuck in a hot kitchen. It is important that we keep our food fresh, easy and quick to prepare. If we need the stove, it should only be briefly. Get in, get out and nosh on some goodies!
Breakfast
My favorite start to a warm day is with a fresh plate of eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin A, folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc. Coming in at only about 80 calories each, you have yourself an incredibly versatile and deeply healthy start to your day.
Here is my go to egg recipe that is always sure to please!
Spicy Eggs Avocado
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs (farm fresh if you can find them)
- 1 avocado (pitted and roughly chopped)
- 1 chili pepper (seeded and diced)
- 2 green onions (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot sauce of your choosing
Directions:
- Begin by warming up your pan on a medium/low heat. Add the butter and let it melt.
- While your butter is melting, beat all of your eggs with a little salt. The salt will help break up the egg whites and create a fluffier egg.
- Once the butter is melted, pour your beaten eggs into the pan and add your chili pepper, green onions and regular pepper.
- Keep your eggs moving by folding them with a fork. I like to cover the eggs at this point for a minute or two. The steam that gets trapped by the lid creates a super fluffy egg. Remove your lid and give the eggs another stir.
- Once they are cooked to your liking, pour the eggs onto your plates. Garnish with your chopped avocado and hot sauce of your liking and enjoy your morning feast!
Makes: 3 Servings
I love these eggs on any morning. I think I love the burn of the chilis the most. They give such a boost to my morning. The creaminess of the avocado is out of this world, and the flavor and texture are great for replacing your need for a high calorie cheese.
Avocado itself is a super food that shouldn’t be ignored! You get loads more potassium from a serving of avocado than you would ever get from a banana. They have no cholesterol, sodium or saturated fats, which is heads and shoulders above any cheese out there. And don’t even get me started on the amount of fiber and nutrients that these beauties serve up. Seriously, eat more avocado, your body will thank you for it!
Lunch
Moving onto lunch, I love to go for a nice bike ride and have a cool picnic in the park with my family. My favorite lunch consists of finger foods that travel well and fill us up on the go.
To begin with we are always sure to pack lots of fresh, cold water. Because of the heat sensitivity that accompanies MS, when I get out in that hot sun, my body wants to shut down in a jiffy! I hate to risk having to stop somewhere until my husband can get back to the car and return to save me from the side of the trail. That is a nightmare that I never want to live through. So I like to fill our water bottles the evening before and toss them into the freezer. This way, they slowly melt during our ride and we are always blessed with a cool-down drink.
As for the lunch itself, I really do stick with certain go-to finger foods. Our family favorite is ham sandwiches with edamame spread.
Ham with Edamame Spread Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- Sliced whole wheat bread
- 1 pound sliced lunchmeat ham
- 12 ounce bag frozen edamame
- 6 ounces kefir yogurt
- 1 lemon
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a medium bowl warm up your edamame in the microwave for about three minutes.
- Once it is warm, add your garlic and the juice of your lemon. Feel free to add the zest of your lemon too – it all depends on how much citrus you prefer.
- Give it all a good stir and pour in your kefir yogurt. I like to use a stick blender, but you can use any kind of blending method. The goal is to gain a very smooth consistency.
- Once you have that nice, smooth consistency, stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread a tablespoon or two onto a slice of bread, add your ham and then put the top slice of bread on your sandwich.
The spread will yield enough servings to make several sandwiches. You can make these babies up ahead of time and keep them nice and chilled to eat whenever.
I love these because the edamame are full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin K, protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, thiamin and folate. The kefir yogurt is also full of nutrients and is known for helping your immune system - which is great for us MSers!
This meal will leave you fully satisfied while it feeds your whole body the way it’s meant to be fed. All of this and not a moment standing over a hot stove!
Dessert
Finally, lets move onto my favorite part of spring and summer. I’m talking about the fruit! You name it, it is all good for you in many ways. Fruit is nature’s dessert and it is our job to enjoy that without ruining it.
We absolutely adore meringue in my home. The consistency you achieve by cooking your meringue on a slow, low heat setting is a dream come true!
Mini Fruit Meringues
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cups raw honey (you can use sugar instead)
- 1 teaspoons raw honey (for the topping)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (for the topping)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Butter for greasing
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound of your favorite fruit – we use blackberries, raspberries and blueberries in our house
Directions:
- Spoon dollops of the meringue onto your cookie sheet. Place the tray in the oven and then turn it off as soon as you close the door. The meringues will cook while the oven cools. They should remain in the oven for the day, at least 4-6 hours. This is something that you can make up in the early morning and let sit for the day until you are ready to assemble them.
- The meringue will continue to grow in volume. Continue to beat the mixture until your meringue is shiny and thick.
- Add your honey, cream of tartar and vanilla slowly and lightly while continuing to beat your egg whites.
- Whisk your egg whites with your salt until soft peaks begin to form.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and grease your cookie sheet with butter.
- When you are ready to assemble, add the heavy cream to a cold bowl and whip in the remaining honey and cinnamon. Whip on high speed until the cream is super fluffy.
- To assemble, take one of your soft meringues, place a dollop of the whipped cream on top and then dump your fruit on top.
These are super luxurious treats that you will never forget and the best part is the meringue is fat free. Also, sweetening with raw honey is a great substitute for cane sugar because it is known for being loaded with organic enzymes and antioxidants which is all part of eating well with MS. And if you buy locally it can help you fight off any allergies that come with the warmer months.
The honey creates a more dynamic flavor and is actually sweeter than regular sugar, so you can make the same recipes with less sweetener. Add in all the nutritional benefits of loading up on your favorite fruits and you have yourself a wonderful dessert that you will be reaching for time and again.