TIP: Add Turmeric To Foods
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Turmeric is a rhizome with edible roots that grow underground horizontally. It’s related to ginger, which it somewhat resembles in external appearance.
Most Americans know turmeric as a deep gold spice that gives its intense color to curry powder. It’s been used for millennia to impart its color to foods. In the last century, it was used to give ballpark mustard its bright yellow color. Turmeric has a peppery, bitter flavor and a mild aroma with a hint of its cousin, ginger, a note of orange. More recently, turmeric has been discovered to be a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancinogen. It may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. Its active ingredient, curcumin, is extracted and used in clinical studies for arthritis and cancer. (More on turmeric’s health benefits.) HOWEVER: Turmeric can stain! It is also used as a dye. Don’t get it on your clothes, and scrub pots and pans immediately after cooking with a large does of turmeric. |
Turmeric root. Photo courtesy Malaysian Kitchen. |
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WAYS TO USE TURMERIC
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 Ground turmeric. Add it to salad dressings and dips for crudités. Photo courtesy McCormick. |
Turmeric Tea Dr. Weil made a terrific ready-to-drink turmeric tea that unfortunately didn’t catch on. But you can buy turmeric tea bags or make your own tea by simmering a teaspoon of the powder in four cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain through a very fine strainer and drink it hot or iced. Add some ginger root for even more flavor and health benefits. You can also buy turmeric-ginger tea bags. Try this creative roasted chicken salad recipe from Woodhouse Chocolate. Ingredients For the Dressing regular paprika) |
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For The Roasted Chickpeas 1. MAKE dressing: Whisk together the ingredients. Heat the oven to 400°F. 2. DRAIN the chickpeas and dry them on a paper towel. Discard any stray skins. In a small mixing bowl, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil until evenly coated. Lay them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place them in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until a nice dark golden brown. While the chickpeas are roasting… 3. COMBINE the salt, cocoa powder and paprika. When the chickpeas are done, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of this mixture evenly over the chickpeas, moving them around to coat evenly. Save the rest of the salt for the next time you roast chickpeas. 4. REMOVE the meat from the chicken. Slice the breasts and shred the leg/thigh meat. 5. TOSS the greens with dressing in a large bowl. Add dressing to taste. On 4 dinner plates, fan out the chicken breast slices. Drizzle a little extra dressing over the chicken. Divide the greens evenly on the plates. Artistically place the dates, bacon, tomatoes and red onion over the salad. (Add some more of the shredded chicken if you like). Sprinkle some roasted chickpeas over and around the salad and top with a few leaves of cilantro. |
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