Lately it seems that many of my newsfeeds are filled with recipes and articles boasting the health benefits of turmeric. So, I finally decided to see what this little root is all about! I read up on the spice in a book that is dear to me, Healing Foods, a gift from a preceptor during my dietetic internship. A few pages in (yes, pages!) I quickly realized why turmeric has been all the rage.
In a nutshell, the curcumin (a.k.a. the yellow part!) in
turmeric has beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in the body, as well as
the ability to zap free radicals that lead to cell damage. This is important
because early research indicates that curcumin may be instrumental in
abating tumor growth. Other research has found that turmeric may have a
role in preventing heart disease (cholesterol-lowering effects), multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's.
Health benefits aside, I love spicy food and curry and have wanted to do a little more with turmeric in the kitchen. We frequently add curry powder or turmeric to eggs, but what about those other recipes I have been eyeing lately?
My first attempt at experimenting with turmeric was tumeric milk. I was a little hesitant about this one, yet have heard it is the next best thing to hot tea. I found a recipe that called for almond milk, turmeric, ginger, honey and a dash of black pepper. It smelled amazing. It looked beautiful. First sip. Wow pretty good. Second sip. Gag reflex kicked in and I gave the rest to my hubby (who did not finish it) and cozied up to a glass of wine. Maybe it needed more honey? We decided we would come up with our own recipe using vanilla bean infused almond milk and possibly Cardamom (I will share if we perfect it!).
My second attempt at experimenting with tumeric was my own design--a coconut, raisin and turmeric oatmeal. I brought two cups coconut milk and two cups water to a boil with 1 cup steel cut oats. I stirred in fresh grated ginger, about 2 tsp. ground turmeric and 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes. I covered the pot and stored in the fridge overnight. The next morning I added raisins and heated it up until thickened on the stove top (about 20 minutes) and served with a sprinkle of coconut on top. It was quite yummy and even toddler approved!
Next on our weekend menu was turmeric blackberry muffins. You can find the recipe at greenkitchenstories.com (I used whole wheat flour, frozen blackberries and honey in place of the dates).These were also delicious and next time around I'm going to add more turmeric for extra color and flavor.
All in all it seems this health-boosting root is pretty versatile. I'm already thinking of adding it to chili, roasted vegetables and air popped popcorn!
What ideas do you have?
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