tumeric

May 12 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric

Do you have a jar of turmeric languishing in your spice cupboard? Or perhaps you're looking for ways to add it to your diet in response to all the recent studies indicating its health-promoting and disease-preventing properties. Turmeric has long been a staple in Indian curries as well as in foods like mustard (it provides that golden yellow color!), but there are lots of other ways to eat and drink this spice. Here are seven easy ideas.

1. Add it to scrambles and frittatas. Use a pinch of turmeric in scrambled eggs, a frittata, or tofu scramble. If you or your family are new to turmeric, this is a great place to start because the color is familiar and the flavor subtle.

→ Recipe: Southwestern Tofu Scramble

2. Toss it with roasted vegetables.Turmeric's slightly warm and peppery flavor works especially well with cauliflower, potatoes, and root vegetables.

→ Recipe: Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger, Turmeric, and Cumin

3. Add it to rice. A dash of turmeric brings color and mild flavor to a pot of plain rice or a fancier pilaf.

→ Recipe: Fragrant Yellow Rice

4. Try it with greens. Sprinkle turmeric into sautéed or braised greens like kale, collards, and cabbage.

→ Recipe: Cabbage in Mild Yogurt and Mustard Seed Curry

5. Use it in soups. A bowl of vegetable or chicken soup feels even more warming when it's tinged with golden turmeric.

→ Recipe: Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

6. Blend it into a smoothie. While fresh turmeric root is especially great in juices and smoothies, a pinch of ground spice is good, too. The slightly pungent flavor is usually well masked in smoothies.

→ Recipe: Superpower Morning Smoothie (the recipe doesn't call for turmeric but you can definitely add it!)

7. Make tea. Simmer turmeric with milk and honey to make an earthy and comforting beverage.

→ Recipe: Turmeric-Ginger Tea

Recipe: Turmeric-Ginger Tea

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Ahh, flu season. Aches and pains and a sore throat put me in no mood to cook right now, but I am sipping copious amounts of tea. Ginger is my old standby, which I usually mix with honey for a warm, soothing drink. This time I added another ingredient: turmeric.

I recalled that turmeric is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties and thought this warm, tongue-tingling spice might make a good addition to flu-season tea. It turns out this is not a new idea; turmeric tea is found in Okinawan and Indian cuisine and I found several recipes in herbal cookbooks and natural health Web sites.

Here's a quick little recipe for the version I made. In addition to turmeric and ginger, I added soy milk and honey, which helped balance out the slightly bitter and pungent spices. The result was earthy and comforting. Feel free to play around with the proportions, to substitute fresh ginger and/or turmeric, etc.

Turmeric-Ginger Tea Serves 1

1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Splash of milk or soy milk
Honey or maple syrup, to taste

In a small saucepan, bring water to boil. Add turmeric and ginger, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in milk and strain tea into a cup. Add sweetener to taste.