Tips and Recipes for Cooking with Turmeric

Of the thousands of spices on market shelves, it can be difficult to decide which seasoning will best compliment your fine cooking. Many people forget to take into account the positive health affects that spices such as Turmeric can have on your well being. Turmeric is a South Eastern Asian spice that is dark yellow in color, and is a fine powder in consistency. This seasoning is used mainly in Indian, and Moroccan dishes but can add a dash of intriguing flavor to many other types of cooking. The health benefits of turmeric include findings that this spice may slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is attributed to the accumulation of knots in the brain, and that a chemical called curcumin which is found in Turmeric helps to reduce the plaques that cause the formation of the knots. The other benefits of turmeric include but are not limited to: aids in prevention of heart attack, aids in digestion, and helps fight infection and inflammation. (BBC News)

Turmeric can be a tricky spice to work with so a few tips would be to: Use this seasoning in small amounts at a time until you work up to your desired flavor, and taste the dish as you go to ensure you do not overpower your food; as well as asking friends and family if they have a special recipe that contains turmeric so that you may taste this spice in a dish you will know for certain tastes great.

What better way to reap the benefits of Turmeric than to test out a few new recipes? The following are some great recipes that can be added to any dinner table with ease. Yellow rice can be a simple yet tasty addition to some roasted chicken and vegetables, Turmeric lime Shrimp are great served over some white rice, and lastly some Turmeric Mashed Potatoes are a welcome change to any holiday feast.

Yellow Rice

2 cups long grain rice

4 cups water

1 small onion sautéed

1 ¼ Tablespoons turmeric

2 Tablespoons minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon Salt