Now that the holidays have come and gone, it's time to set your New Year's resolutions. After all those festive indulgences, many people decide to get on track by preparing healthier meals. New diets and recipes are always exciting, but ones that require a large amount of chopping and other physical demands may be difficult for individuals with arthritis.
To help with arthritis pain and potential flare-ups, a great idea is to look for recipes offering minimal chopping or advanced preparation, so each piece can be spaced out over time. When preparing meals and sides, look to use a food processor or specialty tools whenever possible. A food processor can cut, chop, or slice ingredients and will help avoid the arthritis pain usually associated with these tasks. Many stores offer the option of pre-chopped vegetables – an alternative that can help avoid additional kitchen work and cleanup.
A stool in the kitchen can be a great help, too. Cooking can be a long process, and when pain becomes too great, a short rest might come in handy so you can finish creating your meal.
Below you can find a recipe that offers a healthy meal with easy preparation. The dish was created by well-known Chef Danny Boome, who works to keep his arthritis under control in the kitchen by planning ahead and using the right tools.
The Perfect Omelet
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serving size: 1 person
Ingredients:
- 2 (omega 3 fortified) eggs
- 2 tbsp. whole milk
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and ground white pepper
Preparation:
- Crack the eggs into a glass mixing bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow color. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the milk to the eggs and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Then, grab your whisk and whisk like crazy. You're going to want to work up a sweat here. If you're not up for that, you can use an electric beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whatever device you use, you're trying to beat as much air as possible into the eggs.
- When the olive oil in the pan is hot enough to make a drop of water hiss, pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set. With a heat-resistant rubber spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath.
- Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left. Your eggs should now resemble a bright yellow pancake, which should easily slide around on the nonstick surface. If it sticks at all, loosen it with your spatula. Now gently flip the egg pancake over, using your spatula to ease it over if necessary. Cook for another few seconds, or until there is no uncooked egg left.
- If you're adding any other ingredients, now's the time to do it. (See note.) Spoon your filling across the center of the egg in a straight line. With your spatula, lift one edge of the egg and fold it across and over, so that the edges line up. Cook for another minute or so, but don't overcook or allow the egg to turn brown. If necessary, you can flip the entire omelet over to cook the top for 30 seconds or so. Just don't let it get brown.
- Gently transfer the finished omelet to a plate. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs if desired.
NOTE: There's no limit to the number of fillings you can use with this basic omelet recipe.
Some suggestions include:
- Sautéed red peppers
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Sautéed spinach
- Mustard greens
- Diced onions
- Cooked turkey
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