Chicken Curry with Ginger and Turmeric

I have be getting some great results experimenting with ginger and turmeric in my cooking.   When I research ingredients that are supposed to reduce inflammation and help the symptoms of arthritis ginger and turmeric are always high on the list. Pairing these flavors together in a curry served over rice is a real favorite of The Arthritis Kitchen.

I planned to serve this with broccoli on the side but when I got everything all prepped I realized that I had a good amount of veg already so made this a great one dish meal.  Using ginger and turmeric as the main flavor ingredients in this curry gives it all the flavor you are looking for but without the heat that is usually associated with madras curry powder which I used to use.  This is a big hit in my house as my man who is not fond of anything spicy absolutely loves this.  I thought I was over zealous with the ginger (having too much fun with my new microplane) but in the end it was just perfect.

Turmeric Ginger Chicken Curry

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced tossed in seasoned flour
• 1 cup rice
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 small carrot
• 1 red onion
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 generous Tbs grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp madras curry
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of sugar
• pinch chili flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup milk or light cream
• 2 Tbs flat leaf parsley

Got a new Microplane

Do you have a Microplane for your kitchen?

I added to my kitchen gadget and tool collection today with this beauty and I can’t wait to use it.  It  has an ergonomic grip for the handle and also a rubberized foot at the bottom.  I find it lightweight for its size while also being very stable to use.  This one has larger size teeth than my original citrus zester microplane and is supposed to be terrific for hard cheeses, fruits/veg and even coconut.

Arthritis Kitchen Tip - Why you want a Microplane

• Super easy to use
• Saves you from having to do a lot of chopping
• Very effective and fast
• Rinses clean easily under running water

I use my microplane(s) for garlic, ginger, nutmeg, citrus zest, hard cheeses, chocolate, carrots for starters and I’m sure I’ll find more.

Stuffed Peppers with Ground Chicken

Tonight I made stuffed peppers.  I used a mixture of   ground chicken, onions, celery, garlic, diced fresh tomatoes  and rice as the filling.  Topped with montery jack cheese and broiled to perfection.

I cut off the tops of the red peppers, halved the yellow pepper and removed the seeds.  Then I brushed with oil and grilled on the BBQ til slightly charred and beginning to soften.    For the filling I first browned some diced onion, then added diced celery, chopped garlic and sauteed until translucent.    I seasoned with salt, pepper, Watkins Chicken Seasoning, and an  Italian Seasoning blend – I also added several generous shakes of turmeric because this is the Arthritis Kitchen after all and turmeric is high on the list if inflammation reducing ingredients.

To this mixture I added about 1 cup cooked rice and some fresh diced tomatoes.  Topped with grated cheese.  Bake at 350 until bubbly, then broil until cheese is slightly browned.  Grilling the peppers added such a great favor to this dish.

Arthritis Kitchen Tip – Breaking up ground meat in the pan.  Ground chicken is rather sticky when beginning to brown.  I was needing to do way too much hand work with a spoon to break it up.  I grabbed my potato masher and worked through the mixture without having to do a lot of hand or wrist movements.  I’ve seen a device designed to do just that – break up ground meat in the pan.  Until I have one of those, using the potato masher is my cooking with arthritis tip of the day to save strain on your hands and wrists.

Arthritis update – three months on Gold Injections

I’ve been receiving gold injections once per week to treat my rheumatoid arthritis.  It is supposed to take 3-6 months to see the effects.  I am now 3 months in to my treatment.  While I am not symptom free and still have inflammation in my knee, I am significantly better than I was 3 months ago.   My Rheumatologist feels I am doing well and says the next step is to see if I can continue to improve or have reached a plateau.  I am feeling very lucky not to be experiencing any of the typical side effects which are itching, rashes and mouth sores.  I’m also hoping I continue to improve and have not reached a plateau.  It feels so good to have some of my energy back.  I find the fatigue factor one of the most challenging part of having RA.  When I start to feel better and get my energy back after a flare I find that I feel so happy.  I work full time and this week was particularly draining so I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend and am staying close to home.  There will of course be cooking going in the Arthritis Kitchen during the weekend.  Tonight I’m going to be making stuffed peppers.  I’ll post pic’s and recipes later.

Chicken with cinnamon and turmeric

I was making chicken thighs and wanted to try a bit of a different spice combo.  I chose cinnamon, turmeric along with the standard salt & pepper.  Both the cinnamon and turmeric have those nice warming flavors that I like.  Served this with baked yams and baby bok choy.  Turmeric is making its way into almost everything I cook these days.  Wonder where it will show up next?  Stay tuned.

Pork Chops with Rosemary, Sage and Turmeric

Tonight the butcher shop had really nice, thick, bone in pork chops at a really good price.   In my ongoing quest to cook with ingredients that fight inflammation and support health in general I seasoned them with a dry rub consisting of sage, rosemary, turmeric, salt and pepper.   I pan seared to brown on both sides  then finished in a 400 degree oven for 15 min, let rest tented with foil for at least 5 minutes.

Spice rub: 1 Tbs ea sage, rosemary, 1 tsp turmeric and salt and several grinds for black pepper.

The turmeric gave the chops a distinctive yellow hue.   I found that I had a bit too much turmeric when I seasoned this side.  The other side was more of a balance of the rosemary and sage.  The recipe for the rub reflects the correct amounts.

Pork Chops with mushrooms

I topped the chops with mushrooms sauteed with tons of garlic and a side salad.

The spice combo on this was fantastic.  I will be using it again.  Regardless of  anything about ingredients for arthritis…this dish was really good!