Cooking with Arthritis pages
The easiest way to cook any meat or poultry when you have arthritis is just to chuck it in the oven and bake or roast it - no chopping and no stirring. Unfortunately, lean cuts of meat don't always taste great cooked this way. They can get dry, tough and flavourless. I try to avoid this by marinading or basting the meat before I cook it and this is one of the most popular variations I make. Luckily enough for those of us with arthritis, this actually works best with pre-grated parmesan because it is slightly drier, so there is no chopping, slicing or grating required.
Ingredients:
1 very low salt stock cube
1 1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 tablespoon rapeseed (canola) oil
2 skinless chicken breast fillets
Serves 2 (easily doubled)
In a small bowl, mix the stock cube, cheese and oil together. Line a tray with foil and place the chicken fillets on it.
Smear or brush the parmesan paste over the chicken breasts. Bake at 180C/375F for around 25 minutes or until the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink.
Arthritis diet notes:
Rapeseed oil has a relatively high omega 3 content (in the form of alpha-linoleic acid) compared to other oils which makes it an arthritis friendly choice. Omega 3 oils have important anti-inflammatory functions and a diet high in them can help mediate the pain of arthritis.
Rapeseed oil also has a high smoke point which means it can withstand higher temperatures in cooking for longer before it begins to break down. When oils exceed their smoke point they begin to break down, lose flavour and produce harmful, inflammatory chemical compounds. Pick rapeseed oil for any recipe where you will be cooking at a high temperature, like frying, grilling or roasting.
'Eat your greens' - a phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of most broccoli-hating children and brussel-sprout loathing adults. But, for those of us with arthritis, eating our greens really is important.
The cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli cabbage, pak choy and kale, all contain certain nutrients and phytochemicals that are important for a healthy body and joints.
That slightly whiffy smell that comes when you overcook cruciferous vegetables is from the sulphur compounds they contain. They might not smell good but these compounds have been shown to help reduce inflammation and activate cartilage protecting proteins in arthritis.
Many of these vegetables are also a good source of vitamin K. Several studies have suggested that vitamin K may help prevent or slow the deterioration of joints in osteoarthritis but there is little evidence to suggest it can help joint repair once the damage has occurred. There have been few studies about the role vitamin K might play in inflammatory arthritis however some laboratory experiments have suggested that it might help block the inflammatory process.
To help preserve the nutrients it is best to just cook these greens lightly - this also helps avoid any nasty smells. Try steaming or stir-frying them with a little garlic and olive oil. Throw some raw tenderstem broccoli and slice cabbage together with a ginger, sesame dressing and cashes for a delicious salad. Or, toss cauliflower florets with spices and oil and roast lightly for a completely different taste. So go on, 'eat your greens' and enjoy them!
I'm a huge fan of anything with peanut butter and having jaw arthritis is an excellent excuse to stand in front of the cupboard and eat it straight out the jar. My husband however cannot stand the stuff - except when it comes as satay sauce. So this is really a recipe for an easy, delicious, arthritis -friendly satay and marital harmony.
Ingredients:
300g boneless chicken pieces (or quorn/tofu)
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp turmeric
2tsp freshly grated ginger (optional - you can use it from a jar if grating is tricky)
Serves 3-4
In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce, turmeric and ginger. Add the chicken pieces and coat well. Cover with cling film and leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Cook the chicken either my stir-frying until cooked through or for a less 'arm-intensive' version, simply bake for 20-25 minutes.
Serve with rice or noodles and some steamed garlicky vegetables.
Arthritis diet notes:
Adding the turmeric and grated ginger gives the sauce a little more zing and the anti-inflammatory compounds in these spices may potentially help arthritis although a lot more research on the amounts and processes is needed. Scientists are trying to identify the exact chemicals in these spices that may help relieve arthritis and maybe some years into the future, we may see some new treatments based on them. In the meantime, there is certainly no harm in adding turmeric, ginger or chilli to your diet on a regular basis. You can read more about all of these spices here.
Try to use an unsweetened peanut butter or use cashew butter if you don't like peanuts. Nut butters are generally a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E which can help tackle inflammation in arthritis. They also contain good levels of magnesium which is important for your muscles and bones. On the negative side, peanut butter, particularly those that are highly processed, can contain a very high ratio of inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids - so if you like to eat it with a spoon like me, do make sure you pick a brand without added palm oil.
I have a wonderful new toy to review - a shiny, slinky, slicing mandolin - the OXO Good Grips Premium Mandolin.
What does it do?
The mandolin makes slices and julienne strips of vegetables,. To adjust the thickness of the slices, you simply rotate the knob on the side to the desired setting, which includes ridge or waffle cuts There is a separate blade which you slide in to make julienne strips. There is a plastic hand guard with a spiked plunger to grip whatever you are slicing safely. The Good Grips mandolin also has adjustable legs so you can position it over a board but pack it away flat easily in a drawer.The whole lot can be washed by hand or thrown in the dishwasher.
Does it work?
I've tried all the functions and the Good Grips mandolin slices and juliennes effortlessly. I've made wafer thin slices of potato and shredded onions for a gratin in about a quarter of the time it would normally take me in the food processor - and let's not even compare it to how long it would take me by hand...The handguard does takes a little bit of getting used to but makes sliding the vegetables along the mandolin a doddle and ensures you don't waste anything.
Does is make it easier to cook with arthritis?
It has certainly made it easier for me to slice large quantities of vegetables. It requires very little pressure to slice and the sliding mechanism is very fluid and easy so it's gentle on your hands and wrist. .I will confess to having an accident with it when I first got it out. It says very clearly 'caution sharp blade' but I somehow still managed to slice my hand on it. However, really that was down to me fiddling on and not a fault with the mandolin.
Overall verdict?
B+ Utterly worth it if you you make lots of gratines or salads.
I bought mine at John Lewis with 20% off, but Lakeland and Amazon also both stock the Good Grips Premium Mandolin and some decent cheaper versions too.
PS. I'm looking for a good, arthritis friendly standmixer after dropping my faithful hand mixer into a cake mix. Any recommendations? I'm currently choosing between a Kenwood K-mix or KitchenAid...
Apparently we are currently now in officially enjoying BST (British Summer Time or Bleak Snow Trudge as it is more commonly know). As a result, I'm feeling pretty fed up with being cold and fighting a horrid arthritis flare in my ribs. I'm sure many of you with arthritis, like me, normally welcome summer and a good blast of sun - it transforms me from winter wimp into sunny super-woman.
To fight off the cold, I've been looking for excuses to turn the oven on and making lasagne was the best I could come up with. Lasagne has a bit of an unfair reputation for being a hassle to make. I certainly wouldn't attempt the traditional version with a bechamel sauce and meat ragu on a bad cooking with arthritis day, but you can knock up a lovely fresh vegetarian version in a around 20 minutes with no chopping involved. This arthritis - friendly recipe has the added bonus of being far, far healthier than the traditional lasagne and I think it is far, far tastier. So, rejoice in BST, embrace the cold, turn your oven on and get cooking.
Ingredients:
250g tub of ricotta or mashed/blended cottage cheese
350g tub of tomato sauce (or you can use homemade)
9 sheets of quick cook lasagne (about 180-200g dry weight)
350g frozen spinach (or cooled, cooked fresh spinach)
50g grated cheese
Black pepper and nutmeg to season (optional)
Serves 4
Defrost the spinach and drain off all the excess water. Put in a bowl with the ricotta and mix together. Season with a little black pepper and pinch of nutmeg.
Spoon a half the tub of tomato sauce into the bottom of the large making dish. Layer three sheets of lasagne over it. Top with half of the spinach mixture. Add another layer of lasagne sheets, then the rest of the tomato sauce. Put a final layer or lasagne sheets down and top with the rest of the spinach mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.
Pop the whole dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
Arthritis diet notes
Whilst traditional lasagne might be delicious, it's absolutely full of saturated fats from all the cheese, beef, butter and milk. Saturated fats can exacerbate the inflammatory processes in your body so are not ideal for arthritis and diets high in these fats are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases like health disease and stroke.
This easy, arthritis-friendly lasagne is a much better choice. The ricotta is low in fat and an excellent source of protein and calcium. The spinach is rich in folate and the tomato sauce is packed-full of vitamin C and heart-healthy lycopene.
