The Benefits of Turmeric

My husband Matthew and I have an unspoken household rule: he does 95 percent of the cooking, and I eat whatever he makes. This rule has not only made for a successful marriage, it’s also made eating at home a culinary adventure.

Unlike me, Matthew loves to cook — and he’s always up for a food experiment. Last year, we stocked up on nori, bamboo sushi rollers, and Japanese condiments to switch to a macrobiotic diet. When we moved to the Bay Area, all the wonderful local produce inspired a more locavore menu. Then, three weeks ago, we turned vegan. (Well, almost vegan, since I still occasionally succumb to my weakness for fried chicken.)

This foray into almost-veganism has opened my eyes to the many delicious things you can do with tofu. For instance, this morning, Matthew made scrambled tofu (instead of eggs) with mock breakfast sausage. His meals always come with a mini presentation, so in-between bites I learned that the key ingredient to this scramble is turmeric. The Asian spice not only adds a kick to the dish, it also has long list of health benefits — it’s an anti-inflammatory, aids in fat metabolism, and has been proven to help prevent the spread of cancer in mice, among other positive effects.

If tofu in the morning is not for you, try a pinch of turmeric instead of salt on your eggs to add some healthy flavor.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoosvanrobin/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
—Maria Wakem, senior editor