Chicken breast with green olive tapenade is a delicious way to incorporate those healthy fats and nutrients that are so essential to joint health and basically health in general. The Arthritis Foundation advocates following a Mediterranean diet to help combat osteoarthritis as well as other rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Although diet does not replace the use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), following a Mediterranean diet can help reduce pain and increase physical function in people living with rheumatoid arthritis.
Adapted from Carne: Meat Recipes from the American Academy in Rome by Christopher Behr.
Chicken Breast with Green Olive Tapenade
2 lbs of chicken breasts
1 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 tsp of chili pepper flakes
1 cup of green olives, pitted and minced
1/2 cup of parsley
Zest of one lemon
1/4 small red onion, finely minced
3 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cut them horizontally in half. Then, cover with a layer of plastic and gently pound the meat using the flat side of a meat mallet to achieve very thin and even slices. Follow the link to learn how to make chicken cutlets.
Toss the cutlets in a bowl with the salt, oregano, chili pepper, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cover, and let marinate for about 3-4 hours in the refrigerator. I’ve made this without allowing the time to marinate and it turned out well.
Make the tapenade. In a bowl, mix the onions, apple cider vinegar, parsley, olives, and the lemon zest. Add enough olive oil until the mixture glistens. Reserve until ready to serve. Let tapenade come to room temperature before serving.
Putting it all together. You can either grill this on the barbecue or in a cast iron pan. Heat the grill or pan on a medium flame. Lightly oil the pan with avocado oil or a little butter. Cook each cutlet approximately 3 minutes on each side making sure to not crowd them. The meat should be lightly browned.
When all the meat is cooked, remove to a platter and garnish with the tapenade and finish with a glug of olive oil.
Serve with an arugula salad or other green salad.
Serves 4
References
Forsyth C, Kouvari M, D’Cunha NM, Georgousopoulou EN, Panagiotakos DB, Mellor DD, Kellett J, Naumovski N. The effects of the Mediterranean diet on rheumatoid arthritis prevention and treatment: a systematic review of human prospective studies. Rheumatol Int. 2018 May;38(5):737-747. doi: 10.1007/s00296-017-3912-1. Epub 2017 Dec 18.
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