Herbed Chicken in Parchment
One of the problems with having GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and a Hiatal Hernia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome is that you have to be very careful about what you eat much of the time. There are many recommendations online about what to and what not to eat. There are several different recommendations for how to time and portion meals in order to manage your symptoms. I feel like I do pretty well most of the time and only have to take acid reducers maybe 2-3 times a month. It’s a learning process to figure out what foods you can and can’t handle and in what amounts. I’ve learned that fat and saturated fat are big triggers for me. That is why you may have noticed my emphasis on reducing the fat and saturated fat in recipes. It is essential that you get enough fat in your diet in order to absorb your vitamins and synthesize your various hormones. Of course, getting enough fat is not something most people have to worry about. We are usually preoccupied with trying to reduce the fat in our diets. This can be difficult because in the culinary world; fat carries flavor. Fat also keeps food from being dry. Many recipes call for copious amounts that are sure to have me reaching for the acid reducers and hating life. Over time I’ve learned that there are other ways to impart flavor and moisture without drowning everything in oil and butter. The key is to use fat where it has the most impact. That may be to brown an ingredient or as a drizzle at the end of recipe. The technique of cooking in parchment is also a good way to lock in flavor and moisture while minimizing fat. That is the approach I took with these handy little packets of chicken and vegetables to enjoy a GERD friendly dinner. I use boneless skinless chicken breast which is notorious for being dry, but retains succulence due to its parchment protection and overnight dry brine. These little packets cook in their own juices and just need a light drizzle of herb oil at the end to make them sing. I use potatoes and greens beans which are both IBS friendly and easy to find, even in winter. I also focus on herbs to add flavor, instead onions or garlic which can irritate both GERD and IBS. As an added bonus, this technique gives you less to clean up! Yay!
Click here to watch a video demonstration of this recipe on my "Simmer and Stir" YouTube channel.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to even ½ inch thickness.
Sprinkle with ¼ tsp kosher salt cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Measure out 24 inches of parchment paper. Fold in half, widthwise and set aside.
Toss thinly sliced potatoes and green beans with olive oil.
Shingle potato slices onto one half of the parchment paper, leaving a four inch border all around.
Arrange green beans on three sides of the potatoes not including side closest to fold.
Coat chicken breast in oil remaining from potatoes and green beans. Center on top of potatoes.
Sprinkle with pepper if desired.
Drizzle with 1 TBSP vermouth or white wine if desired.
Fold parchment over chicken and vegetables.
Starting at the fold, fold ½ inch of parchment on top of itself, and continue folding around and pressing firmly until packet is sealed and edges are crimped together.
Transfer packet to a baking sheet and place in the lowest rack of a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Remove and transfer packet to a plate.
Carefully cut packet open to reveal chicken.
Drizzle with herb oil if desired. Serve immediately.
(Makes one packet.)
Ingredients:
1 (4-6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast.
150 grams Yukon gold potato, scrubbed and thinly sliced ⅛ inch thick.
50 grams fresh green bean, cleaned with ends trimmed
1 ½ tsp of olive oil
½ tsp Safe and Fast Herb Oil
1 Tbsp Dry White Vermouth or Wine
Salt and Pepper
One of the problems with having GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and a Hiatal Hernia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome is that you have to be very careful about what you eat much of the time. There are many recommendations online about what to and what not to eat. There are several different recommendations for how to time and portion meals in order to manage your symptoms. I feel like I do pretty well most of the time and only have to take acid reducers maybe 2-3 times a month. It’s a learning process to figure out what foods you can and can’t handle and in what amounts. I’ve learned that fat and saturated fat are big triggers for me. That is why you may have noticed my emphasis on reducing the fat and saturated fat in recipes. It is essential that you get enough fat in your diet in order to absorb your vitamins and synthesize your various hormones. Of course, getting enough fat is not something most people have to worry about. We are usually preoccupied with trying to reduce the fat in our diets. This can be difficult because in the culinary world; fat carries flavor. Fat also keeps food from being dry. Many recipes call for copious amounts that are sure to have me reaching for the acid reducers and hating life. Over time I’ve learned that there are other ways to impart flavor and moisture without drowning everything in oil and butter. The key is to use fat where it has the most impact. That may be to brown an ingredient or as a drizzle at the end of recipe. The technique of cooking in parchment is also a good way to lock in flavor and moisture while minimizing fat. That is the approach I took with these handy little packets of chicken and vegetables to enjoy a GERD friendly dinner. I use boneless skinless chicken breast which is notorious for being dry, but retains succulence due to its parchment protection and overnight dry brine. These little packets cook in their own juices and just need a light drizzle of herb oil at the end to make them sing. I use potatoes and greens beans which are both IBS friendly and easy to find, even in winter. I also focus on herbs to add flavor, instead onions or garlic which can irritate both GERD and IBS. As an added bonus, this technique gives you less to clean up! Yay!
Click here to watch a video demonstration of this recipe on my "Simmer and Stir" YouTube channel.
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