Holiday entertaining won’t be a chore if tapas are on the menu. Because they don’t take a lot of skill or effort to whip up, tapas are ideal for people with rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, says celebrity chef Seamus Mullen, who has appeared on a variety of Food Network shows and was until recently the executive chef and partner at two trendy New York City restaurants, including Boqueria.
The prep work for tapas is sometimes as simple as opening a can of tuna. What’s more, you can prepare tapas in advance, or guests can pitch in.
“Tapas are about being social,” says Seamus, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, several years ago and is working on a cookbook about inflammation-fighting foods. “The whole tradition of tapas is to go from one bar to the next, grazing on little bites of food while you socialize.”
Here are a few of his favorite tapas recipes.
Pan con Tomate – traditional Spanish bread
1 baguette, halved lengthwise and cut into 4" pieces
2 beefsteak tomatoes, halved through the waist
1 clove of garlic, peeled and halved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Toast the bread and rub with the cut side of the garlic clove. Then rub with 1/2 half cut tomato to cover. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with course sea salt and serve.
Marinated Cheese
1 pound hard Italian cheese, such as Manchego, Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano, cut in half-inch cubes
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig roesmary
1 sprig cup thyme
1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns
2 dried guindilla peppers (substitute 1 tsp. red pepper flakes if guindilla are unavailable)
Mix all ingredients together marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Serve with toothpicks.
Marinated Lamb Skewers
1/2 pound lamb top-round, cleaned and cut into 1" cubes
2 cups olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 cup packed chopped herbs (mint, chives, parsley)
1 pinch saffron
1 Tbs. toasted coriander, ground
1 Tbs. toasted fennel seed, ground
1 Tbs. toasted black cumin seed, ground
1 Tbs. toasted mustard seed, ground
1 Tbs. guindilla pepper, ground (1 Tbs. red pepper flakes can be substituted)
4 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Method: Skewer the lamb cubes on 6” bamboo skewers. Combine all other ingredients and marinate overnight. Preheat a sauté pan or grill over medium high heat and cook two minutes per side, or until desired doneness.
I find I am getting treated terrible by the teachers at the culinary school I am in because of my RA. What advice do you have?
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