Recipes

TURMERIC: THE WONDER CURE

Fortunately, I don't have the discipline to develop orthorexia, but I am a huge health freak. My bathroom shelf is full of dietary supplements and I try to eat as healthily as possible every day, with the occasional (okay, daily) indulgence in fries and Tony's. One of the foods I've been reading a lot about lately and that I'm now trying to use as much as possible is turmeric.

Turmeric is also known as yellow root or curcuma. You probably know it as the substance that makes curry yellow. But what you may not know is that turmeric is a true wonder cure that helps with just about everything.

To begin with, it helps against a whole range of age-related ailments that I won't bore you with too much, but I will mention Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and arthritis. What is interesting for us young folks (I still consider myself part of that category) is that turmeric has anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Specifically:

– It is liver cleansing. Turmeric supports the liver and gallbladder in secreting toxins. Ideal to counterbalance the festival season.

– Turmeric is good for your skin. Your skin will glow, and you can also tackle issues like psoriasis with this wonder ingredient. Tip: make a mask of honey, egg white, and a hefty amount of turmeric. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes. Be careful not to make stains, as turmeric is quite difficult to remove.

– It helps against candida. Unwanted fungi disappear like snow in the sun, including the arch-enemy of cats: the candida fungus.

– It prevents the formation of fat cells. This has been shown in mice, but not yet in humans. What has been shown is that turmeric lowers blood sugar and combats type 2 diabetes, so there's a good chance (haha, what a great pun) that this story is also true.

– It is a pain reliever, especially for muscle and joint pain. Turmeric is recommended for rheumatism, but it's also a good idea to throw a tablespoon of the yellow gold into your post-workout smoothie.

– It helps against colds. Because: it reduces mucus, is antibacterial, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

– Turmeric is an antidepressant. I can't quite figure out why, but if you can eliminate all the aforementioned ailments, that would certainly boost your mood, I would say.

Convinced? Well, then I assume you can't wait to add turmeric to your daily diet. It's important to know that turmeric is better absorbed when combined with fat and pepper. You can start by sprinkling it on everything. For example, over boiled eggs, avocado, and potatoes, but you can also add it to your smoothies. Also fun: throw a tablespoon of turmeric into the water when cooking white rice. You'll get bright yellow rice, very festive.

Because I love cooking, I've specially created and cooked a meal for you that also looks very cozy on a rainy summer day.

Savory turmeric pancakes

You can use these pancakes as wraps or tear off pieces and use your pancake instead of cutlery, very India-style. And to make it extra healthy, the pancakes are gluten- and lactose-free.

What do you need:

200 g buckwheat flour

300 ml almond milk (or coconut milk)

4 eggs

1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

2 tbsp turmeric

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

How to make it:

Mix all the ingredients together. Check if the batter is too thick or too thin and then add some extra flour or almond milk. I don't need to explain to you how to make pancakes, right?

Sexy cauliflower

We mainly know cauliflower as the somewhat soggy vegetable from your grandma (with cheese sauce). My cauliflower is prepared in the oven and is delicious.

What do you need:

cauliflower

coconut oil

2 tbsp turmeric

2 tbsp cumin

salt

pepper

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Sprinkle everything over it and toss it together. Bake it for 20 minutes. If you stir it with a wooden spatula every 5 minutes, everything will turn a nice even yellow. Optionally, sprinkle fresh mint over it for flavor and color.

Green beans

Because you don't want only yellow on your plate, add a green accent. I always cook green beans briefly. Then I sauté a shallot and stir-fry the green beans for a bit. Finally, add a pinch of salt. Really tastier than boiled.

Bright yellow hummus

I love hummus. My favorite afternoon snack is raw vegetables with hummus. However, the hummus you buy in the store is very high in calories because it contains a lot of oil (you didn't know that, did you?). That's why it's a good idea to make your own hummus, so you can make it a bit leaner, and you won't taste the difference. Moreover, it's ready in 5 minutes.

What do you need:

can of chickpeas (400 g)

2 tbsp tahini (or more or less to taste)

3 tbsp olive oil (you can't completely avoid it)

splash of lemon juice

pepper

salt

3 tbsp turmeric

water (check the description for the amount)

toasted and finely chopped pine nuts

How to make it:

Grab your hand blender or blender and make a creamy mixture of the above ingredients, except for the pine nuts. If the mixture is still too thick, add water to thin it out (this is where you'll make your calorie savings). Finally, stir in the pine nuts with a spoon for crunch. Optionally, sprinkle fresh coriander over it.

Lamb

Since my son was eating with us and, as a seventeen-year-old alpha male, refuses to eat vegetarian, I also prepared some lamb. To be honest, I lazily bought lamb skewers from Marqt and cooked the cubes.

Put everything in nice bowls and the cozy meal with the pancakes can begin.

Since I'm far from done writing about turmeric, you can expect more recipes from me in the coming time, such as a turmeric cake (with bright yellow icing) and a turmeric latte.

Written by Marion Pauw