Let us spice up the Forum!
Next issue of MPNforum Magazine arrives on our screen September 15.
It contains the first MPNclinic Special Section…columns…features but what it doesn’t contain yet are recipes for good eating.
I’m talking about recipes for food that lift the spirit, gladden the heart, and strengthen the body….but mostly recipes that stimulate the appetite.
It’s rare and always a pleasure when one of our cyber company materializes in my remote corner of North Carolina. It happened yesterday and while sitting across from each other at a favorite Indian restaurant we got on to the subject of spicy foods. Each of us, with MF, periodically crave spicy foods. In addition, my basic food group is cream in multiple cups of coffee. I can forget about a regular meal until I smell garlic frying in oil suffused with cumin and chile. Suddenly, I’m setting the table.
Sometimes it’s a craving for a cinnamon roll, or Breyer’s cherry vanilla ice cream that rings the wake up call to appetite. Sometimes it’s my stand-by home made salsa and frijoles on a taco shell with shredded asiago cheese. Whatever it is, whenever it happens, my body’s happy to be back in the game.
So what have you got to share in your recipe box? Whether cooking for yourself or putting together a meal to tempt the patient you’re caring for, how about bringing a bit of your kitchen into the Forum.
Just type it in as a Comment right here or send it along to ourMPNforum@gmail.com and we’ll see what we can cook up for the September 15 issue.
Bon appétit,
MPNforum Magazine 
Comments on: "Let’s spice up the Forum" (6)
As an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and (since 2008) also an PV patient, I love cooking and sharing healthy, delicious food with family and friends. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes…
Grilled Salmon Fillets with Quinoa Salad
1 cup of white quinoa (or 1/3 cup of each of red, white and black quinoa)
1 red capsicum, finely diced
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
400g tin of four bean mix or black beans, drained
400g tin corn kernels, drained,
zest and juice of 1 lemon or lime
3 spring onions chopped
2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tbsps of whatever fresh herbs are avilable in the garden-parsley, thyme, mint etc chopped.
4 150g fesh salmon fillets, grilled
Method:
1. Bring 3 cups of water to the boil, add quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until fully absorbed. Set aside to cool then drain excess water.
2. Put drained quinoa in a salad bowl and mixed with all other ingredients except salmon.
3. Grill salmon until golden.
4. Serve quinoa salad topped with grilled salmon fillets and freshly cracker pepper.
Serves 4
This is a tasty, colourful summer meal which is high in protein, fibre, antioxidants and healthy omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Quinoa is a very nutritious grain-like seed which originates from South America. It is known as a psuedocereal rather than a true cereal or grain because it is not a member of the grass family. It is high in protein and is considered a complete protein, because it contains all the essential amino acids. Quinoa is high in fibre, has a great nutty taste and is also gluten free.
Wholegrain Apple and Berry Crumble
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced.
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 cups or fresh or frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup whole meal self-raising flour
1/2 cup ground almond meal
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 tbsps desiccated coconut
25g butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 180 C
Method
1. Stew apple slices and berries in 2-3 tbsp water over medium heat until soft. Add juice and zest of orange.
2. Spread stewed apples and berries in a shallow baking dish, greased with cooking spray.
3. Mix all other ingredients together and sprinkle over apple mixture.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
5. Serve warm with ice cream, cream or natural yoghurt.
Serves 6-8
This is a warming, nutritious winter dessert which includes wholegrains, antioxidants and is high in fibre.
Bon appetit! Nathalie C Cook
My husband I love these banana muffins and they are healthy, too. Not hard to make
once you have all the ingredients assembled:
Preheat oven to 375
1 1/4 c. flour (I use white pastry flour from Whole Foods because it’s whole grain)
1/4 c. ground flax seeds
1/2 c. oats (reg., not quick cooking)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Whisk above together in large bowl and stir in 2/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
In a smaller bowl, whisk together:
2 large eggs
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 1/3 c. mashed bananas (2-3, whatever you have that is too ripe)
6 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Stir eggs, etc. into large bowl of dry ingredients, stirring until just blended – do not
overmix, but batter should be smooth. Pour into a muffin pan (line with paper cups or
grease with butter)and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 16-18 min. Ovens
vary, test at 15 min. Recipe can be doubled – use three eggs but double everything else.
Good for breakfast.
Elizabeth Goldstein
Thanks, Elizabeth… I just made banana bread and have it marinating in rum but I could have used this recipe, I love the addition of oats and nutmeg!
Zhen
Hi Zhen and All! This is the first recipe that comes to mind as I made it the other day with fresh blackberries that were given to us. These were wonderful and go very well with a cup of coffee in the morning if I may say so myself! Blueberries would work too if you’re out of the blackberry season.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Blackberry-Muffins
Way to go Chris! I like a guy who kicks off a feast with desert. Sounds delicious…and thanks for converting those grams to oz.
A Lesley special that goes down well.
Carrot Walnut and Pineapple Cake
Ingredients:
225g (8oz) Carrots
1 x 432g tin unsweetened crushed pineapple
75g (3oz) chopped walnuts
225ml (8fl oz) vegetable oil
275g (10oz) soft brown sugar
4 eggs
150 g (5oz) plain flour
150g (5oz) Wholemeal flour
2 level teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the lemon glaze:
175g (6oz) icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F or gas no 4). Grease one 23cm x 32.5cm (9 in x 13 in – as in original recipe or can also use 14 in by 11 in) shallow baking pan. Pare and coarsely grate the carrots. Drain the juice from the pineapple. Set carrot, pineapple and walnuts aside.
Put oil, brown sugar and eggs into a large mixing bowl and stir to blend.. Set a sieve over the bowl and into it sift both flours, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Add any bran still left in the sieve. Using a wooden spoon stir to blend, then beat to a smooth batter. Add the carrot, pineapple and walnuts and blend. Pour mixture into the pan and spread level. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in the pan.
Combine the sifted icing sugar with sufficient lemon juice to make a smooth icing. Spoon over the surface of the carrot and pineapple cake in streaky patches rather than a uniform coating. When set, cut the cake and lift from the tin.