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01 December 2016

Overcoming MS Cookbook recipes

Overcoming MS Cookbook is for sale on Amazon and Book Depository.

We’re excited to say the Overcoming MS Cookbook is on sale on Amazon and Book Depository and it will be available in February 2017 in the UK, Europe, Australia and NZ, and in March 2017 in North America.

The Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Cookbook gathers over 200 favorite recipes from the overcoming MS community from around the world. They are delicious wholefood, meat- and dairy-free recipes for home cooks. And there’s something for every occasion.

Please check the Cookbook page for more information. Ingrid Adelsberger, the editor of the Cookbook, notes: “The two recipes below are from the book and give a flavour of the format and diversity of content.”

NB: The book is listed on Amazon India but not available for pre-order. Please note that the book can be pre-ordered from Book Depository.com for delivery anywhere in the world.

GHANAIAN FISH STEW, Serves 4, from Jill Pack, London, United Kingdom I have cooked Ghanaian fish stew for almost 40 years.

I was given the recipe by a Ghanaian friend when I was at university in the mid-70s. She made it with chicken, a few years later a friend cooked the same recipe with fish and ever since it has become a staple fish stew for me. I make it now with almond nut butter (no butter just pure nuts) but originally I made it with peanut butter, groundnuts in Africa.  

I don’t fry the onions anymore. I was diagnosed with MS in 2012 and started following the Overcoming MS Program later that year, gradually refining my diet as I learnt more. I’ve always cooked from scratch and eating a meal each day with family or friends around a table has been part of my life.

I am very lucky as my husband has adopted the Overcoming MS diet along with me and nowadays cooks more than I do. I love fish. The Overcoming MS diet means that I now experiment with cooking and especially flavours – it keeps me interested in food, especially as I can no longer rely on the fat/sugar combo to tempt me.

 1 onion, chopped  ½ teaspoon chilli flakes  400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes  3–4 tablespoons almond butter  250 g (9 oz) firm white fish fillets (even coley will be fine), skin removed, chopped into large bite-sized pieces  Steamed brown rice and steamed broccoli, to serve

Cook the onion in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat until translucent. Make sure to add a bit of water if the onion begins to stick too much and take on colour.

You are just looking to soften the onion at this stage and remove its raw flavour. Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Ladle 2–3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce into a small bowl and gradually mix in the almond butter to create a smooth sauce, making sure it is not too thick and dry – if it is, just add some more tomato sauce.

Pour the contents of the pan into the tomato sauce and mix well – taste and add more almond butter, in the same way as before, if the flavour is a bit bland and not particularly nutty. Add the fish to the sauce and cook for 10–15 minutes – the fish will break up, but this is fine. Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli. Note: Any leftovers are good on toast the next day.

IRISH WHISKEY CAKE, Serves 8–10, from Jessica van Esch, County Kerry, Ireland I have been following the Overcoming MS Program for about four years now, and life is good! I started Overcoming MS within a year after diagnosis, and ever since I have been quite healthy, improved even, and had no major MS-related problems. I have a very sweet tooth (I blame my mom for this!) and I love cakes, sweets, biscuits, ice-cream and lots more! My husband bought us a book (The ultimate fat-free cookbook by Anne Sheasby) and I found a recipe for an Irish Whiskey cake in it. I adapted it to make it Overcoming MS friendly, and as I had no Whiskey I put honey on top. And it was delicious! I now usually call it Irish Whiskey cake with no Whiskey. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Jessica  300 g (10½ oz) sultanas (golden raisins) or a mix of glacé cherries, sultanas, raisins and currants  175 g (6 oz) sugar (can be a mix of white and brown if desired)  1 tablespoon whiskey  300 ml (10½ f oz) cold tea  2 egg whites  300 g (10½ oz) self-raising flour  3 tablespoons honey (or more) or 3–4 tablespoons whiskey (optional)  Glaze  ½ cup icing (confectioners’) sugar  1 tablespoon orange juice

Mix the sultanas or glacé and dried fruit, sugar, whiskey and tea in a large bowl and set aside to soak for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours, until all the tea has been absorbed into the fruit.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4). Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin, or line a muffin tin with paper cases. Stir the egg whites, then the flour, into the fruit mixture and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake the cake for 1½ hours or the cupcakes for 40 minutes. The cake/s are ready when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If you want, prick the top of the cake/s and drizzle the honey or whiskey over the top while still hot.

Allow to stand for five minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack. To make the glaze, whisk the sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth, then brush on top of the cake/s while still warm.