WEEKEND COOKING – The Fibromyalgia Cookbook by Shelley Ann Smith
Weekend Cooking 05Nov16, sponsored by Candace at Beth Fish Reads, is a chance to share the food love. Follow the link to see what delish dishes other bloggers are talking about this week.
My daughter-in-law gave me this book as a gift. Thank you, Lyndsay!
The Fibromyalgia Cookbook is a small and slender soft-cover book printed on non-glossy paper. There are no illustrations or photos: this cookbook is all business! After a two page introduction in which she succinctly sets out the tenets of her cooking philosophy, and a short, two-page glossary, there are “more than 120 easy & delicious recipes”.
The first recipe I tried was Garlic Chicken Breasts. The glaze for them was made with chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and garlic, and they were delicious. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo.
So I tried again: this time with Baked Chicken [Thighs] in Yogurt Sauce
This dish was better than delicious. The chicken was moist and tender, and the sauce cheesy and creamy.
It was easy to make and needed just a few ingredients, all of which I had on hand.
Baked Chicken in Yogurt Sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1½ tablespoons prepared mustard (I used horseradish Dijon)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
2 tablespoons spelt flour
Preheat oven to 350ᵒ.
Arrange the chicken in a casserole dish. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, mustard, thyme and chicken stock. Stir well.
In a medium bowl mix the yogurt and flour together. Add the cheese mixture. Stir. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Bake covered for 40 minutes; uncover and continue to bake for additional 20 minutes.
Serves 4.
* * * * *
I can’t speak to how using strictly these recipes would affect fibromyalgia but, based on the two I’ve tried, I’m more than willing to incorporate them into my diet. If nothing else, this book seems to be full of easy recipes for yummy dishes. (If only it would lay flat!)
How about you? Do you need your cookbooks to have photos?
P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.
This book sounds like a winner, whether the dishes alleviate symptoms or not. I had to laugh at the wishing the book would open flat.
I guess you’ve been frustrated by the same issue, Candace: what to put on the book to keep it open?!
Wow, thanks for reminding me of something I should’ve looked for long ago. Even if it doesn’t live up to the hype, I can find new-to-me tasty recipes.
I was diagnosed years ago with fibro. 18/18 points, + spinal stenosis, facet-joint arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. I realize that some foods can aggravate the symptoms but maybe I should look for a cookbook that purports to be “fibro-friendly”. Couldn’t hurt, could help. 🙂
Wow, Rira, that adds up to a lot of pain! There are lots of fibro cookbooks out there to choose from.
That garlic chicken sounds amazing but baked chicken in yogurt sauce sounds pretty tasty too! This sounds like it’d be a pretty good cookbook for non-fibromyalgia suffers too!
The garlic chicken was really good, Katherine, and I should make it again and photograph it. The yogurt sauce has found its way into our regular menu rotation.
I’ve gotten picky in my dotage, and like my cookbooks to have photos as well as the ability to lay flat when open. I do think diet can make a big difference with conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. The right food is good medicine, and beats taking drugs any day. Thanks for sharing this title!
You’re welcome, Margaret. I think diet is mighty important too!
All cookbooks should be ring bound in my opinion. Have a great week. Cheers from Carole’s Chatter
Great idea, Carole!
Tasty, easy recipes are important in my estimation, as are cookbooks that lay flat!
I like my cookbooks to have photos, and love spiral bound ones, but most of mine aren’t spiral bound. This sounds like a great cookbook for anyone. Both recipes sound yummy!
I would love the ingredients for the Garlic Chicken, as unfortunately I can’t have yoghurt or cheese (for my own chronic health condition), but I can have (and do like) those Garlic Chicken ingredients.
Do you have one of those perspex cookbook holders/stands? They force the book to stay open at least. I don’t have to have photos in my cookbooks – have a lot, like those Penguin classics (Elizabeth David et al) which don’t. But, I do like them. I don’t really buy cookbooks anymore, though, I get my recipes from the web. I’m seriously thinking of decluttering my cookbook-bookcase but there are so many memories there.
I used to have one of those stands, Sue, and chucked it during one of my simplification purges. 🙁
I get a lot of recipes off the Internet now, too, but somehow I keep adding new cookbooks to my already-full shelves. Making new memories . . .