Arthritis Friendly Recipe: Parmesan-crusted Chicken

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. 

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