First off, everyone knows that you are supposed to "eat the rainbow" and orange is one of the hardest colors to find. (You can only eat so many carrots, right?) Replace the orange with turmeric! It counts towards your Food Rainbow in my book. This spice may be foreign to you, but I bet you have eaten it without even realizing it. Turmeric is the gives curry its orange color and has been used as a spice and medicinal herb in India for thousands of years. Turmeric is filled with compounds called curcuminoids, or curcumin. This is the main active ingredient in turmeric which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong antioxidant. Besides it's main benefit of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant results, Turmeric contains a few other benefits that are crucial to everyday health.
- Turmeric and Curcumin can protect against heart disease. Studies have showed that curcumin can improve the health of the thin membrane which covers the inside of the heart and blood vessels. This membrane is most important in regulating blood pressure.
- The duo, with it's anti-inflammatory properties, can ease symptoms of osteoarthritis. People who take turmeric supplements have experienced improvements in stiffness and physical function after just eight months.
Fun Fact: Based on the picture above, it looks like turmeric comes from ginger, but really, turmeric just has a very similar appearance to ginger! The only real difference in appearance is that ginger is a brown/tan shade inside and turmeric has it's iconic orange glow.
Recipes:
Easy Turmeric Tea (Downshiftology.com)
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 cups Water
- 2 teaspoons raw Honey
- In a small pot, add water, turmeric, lemon juice, and black pepper. Whisk together and heat over high heat. When the tea just starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Once the tea is finished simmering, turn off heat, add honey, and let the tea cool for a minute or two.
- Pour tea into a mug through a strainer to remove the black pepper and enjoy.
Honey Turmeric Chicken (Rasamalaysia.com)
- 4 Chicken Thighs, deboned but skin-on
- 2 cloves Minced Garlic
- 1.5 tablespoons Honey
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce or Soy Sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- Add the garlic, honey, oyster sauce, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt to the chicken. Stir to combine well.
- Heat up a skillet on medium heat and add oil. Transfer the chicken to the skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown, crispy on the bottom and nicely glazed and browned on the skin side. Dish out and serve immediately.
- If baking, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the chicken is slightly charred.
Creamy Turmeric Pasta (NY Times Cooking)
- 1lb Spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
- 1 large Shallot
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1.5 teaspoons Turmeric
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 cups lightly packed Parmesan
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or chives
- Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add thinly sliced shallot and thinly sliced garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook. stirring until golden-brown, 3-4 minutes. Add turmeric and stir to toast, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half then bring to a simmer.
- Whisk in the 2 cups freshly grated parmesan, then add the cooked spaghetti and all of the reserved pasta cooking liquid and toss to coat. Serve with chopped parsley and more parmesan.
