Ways to bring more turmeric and other herbs into everyday life?

A friend of mine gave me a seasoning mix a while ago that included turmeric along with mustard seeds and other herbs and spices, it was really tasty and we used it a lot on roasted vegetables, didn't notice the turmeric taste at all, and this made me wonder about hiding other medicinal herbs and spices in spice blends like this.

I like the benefits of turmeric a lot but I don't want to eat curries every day - what are other ways to add more turmeric to everyday life?

One way I've found other than spice blends to eat turmeric is as 'golden milk'. I use a teaspoon of turmeric and a sprinkle of black pepper, mix in a tiny bit of boiling water, then add a cup of milk or kefir.

Lots of culinary herbs are medicinal, are there any extra special superfood herbs that would be great to add in to herbal seasoning blends for everyday health?

What are other ways to bring more medicinal plants into daily routines?

A drink of elderberry oxymel diluted with water is one way. Elderberry gelatin gummy sweets are another. Do you have any ideas for other herbs?

I grew up with herbal teas. I started to collect and dry them when I was in Elementary school, so I like their taste even if taken in a pure form.
For ways to "hide" them: I think a pasta sauce can take up quite an amount of herbs. I also use quite a lot of herbs in my garlic/herb butter.

Regarding turmeric:
I like it finely sliced with roasted cauliflower. I probably found the recipe on the internet or in a book of Yotam Ottolenghi (love his way of cooking).

The golden milk sounds fine, never tried it though.
I sometimes use turmeric together with ginger when I mix my ginger fizzy beverage. As I don't use a recipe or measure the ingredients, it sometimes comes out as fizzy, sometimes as slightly alcoholic - so I try it before I allow my kids to drink.
In any case the turmeric does have a distinctive taste which I don't mind but my kids don't love it.

I use turmeric sprinkled in the fry pan with a bit of olive oil when frying potatoes, bacon and eggs. It can also be added to 'bubble 'n squeak' as a colouring agent if there's no pumpkin.

Similarly, used in cake mixes, scones for colouring - sweet or savoury.

It could be added to the pan when making gravy too.

An Indian mate mixes it with water and feeds it to his kids each day as a tonic - must be obedient kids!

Some Chai recipes include it as well.

Herbs and spices are great replacements for 'bad' flavourings like sugar and salt.

I am intrigued with the beneficial effects of turmeric e.g. being anti-inflammatory and boosting circulation.  I have heeded what a nutritionist has said to fully access these properties, notably that it should be combined with a fat and black pepper!  

To this effect I make very tasty scrambled eggs!  I start off with melting some butter (in a non stick pan), adding crushed garlic, some turmeric and black pepper.  After a minute or so, I'll add the beaten eggs, with some salt, and scramble over a lowered heat.  The turmeric adds more colour and provides a subtle undercurrent taste to it all which I really like.

I use turmeric and black pepper in soup quite a bit.  If you dislike the taste it or want to take more, you can get a supplement or just get some empty gelatin capsules and fill your own supplement - this is really easy with any powder..

Amy, take a look at this detailed post by Sharol Tilgnor about the whole herb Tumeric and black pepper. She just simplified my life. I need that simplification!

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Amy, take a look at this detailed post by Sharol Tilgnor about the whole herb Tumeric and black pepper. She just simplified my life. I need that simplification!

Sharol is certainly very qualified and knowledgeable!  I note that black pepper is to be used in moderation with turmeric and I would not be endorsing heavy usage of it anyway.  Where indicated however, I remain sceptical of results springing from one study though i.e. that it needs further corroboration.

I think the pepper thing is kind of like the toxic bitter melon hybrid issue. Listen to your tastebuds. If they're in the midst of a revolt, your ratios are probably off.

Piperine has been noted to inhibit the cleansing of some toxins from the body, which is why it probably slows the expulsion of curcumin, if the body is identifying it as something of which it has too much.

For me, I love my curries. I would have to eat my own homemade indian food for a long while before I even had to revisit a recipe, let alone before I tired of the flavour palate.

The way I get my turmeric is really easy. I tried it in my coffee, and that could do, but I need to get the ratios right if I don't want a curried butter coffee (I do something like the bulletproof coffee thing). I tried turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon, but I really enjoy the taste of my coffee, and those additions made it taste like not-coffee. Maybe like a chai something or other.

But I eat oatmeal every day, usually with just a bit of salt, pepper, and a dash of cream. So I tried adding the turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon to my oatmeal with the salt and pepper and it goes swimmingly.

I have also tried the golden latte, golden milk, golden teas, and I find their palatability relies upon one's sense of taste, and how well one uses that to dial in herb ratios.

Thanks for the link to Sharol's turmeric spiel. She dismisses it as an useless tangle of information, but there's a wealth of information there for those who care to read it.

-CK

F Agricola, thank you for putting me on onto bubble and squeak, I hadn't ever heard of it before!
Funny thing about the fat enhancing the effect of turmeric, I find turmeric needs fat with it to avoid feeling "dry" in my mouth.
It almost has a tannin feeling to me.

Fortunately we love the fats anyway.
I suggest it as part of a rub placed under chicken skin before roasting.
I like it in my sour cream based coleslaw, along with garlic powder and hotsauce.
Makes for a mean slawdog.

I wonder how it would do along side mustard in a vinaigrette dressing.
If it's good,  that makes it into a condiment, which can get used during cooking or after.

If fresh turmeric is at hand, thin slices,  cured in salt,  could be ground up and turned into a turmeric salt of sorts.
A similar process might work for sugar.

Turmeric/Black Pepper spiced butter could go on so many things, and it sounds delicious.

I  brush my teeth with a baking soda and coconut oil mix.
Adding turmeric could be beneficial to gum health,  but it's liable to stain ones teeth!
I might try it anyway...

For my golden milk, I make a paste of 2prs@ dried turmeric & ginger, 1pt cinnamon, and just enough black pepper to be able to taste it, subtly, and just enough coconut oil to turn the powders into a paste. To serve, add a tablespoon or two to a mug of hot milk ( dairy or non both work well), and sweeten it to taste with honey, stevia, molasses, maple syrup, or monkfruit. When I was doing this regularly, (usually right before bed, because it seemed to also be relaxing) there was a distinct improvement in my joint pain, gut health, and overall feeling of wellbeing. I really ought to get back to doing it, but am drinking enough herbal teas, therapeutically, that I'm already having trouble getting them all in, lol.

Other great ways to eat your herbs include making them into vinegars &/or oils, to make dressings, as well as adding herbs directly into the dressings; incorporating them into meatballs, falafel, veggie loaf, veggie burgers, hamburgers, or meatloaf; adding them into sauces, soups, stews, or gravy; baking them into breads, muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies, bagels, etc. They can also be added to dips, spreads, or other condiments for sandwiches, chips, topping baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. Dried herbs and spices can be blended and kept by the spice and even on the table, to add extra flavor, health benefits, and nourishment while cooking, or eating. If you're not sure what other herbs or spices to blend a specific one with, just taste it. Think about what other flavors it would go nicely with, and try it. The only thing limiting how we get them into our diets is our own imaginations.

I used to be fond of turmeric, and l am going to use only extracts now...

Why do you think indians use herbs in Chai? Because of milk. Milk has calcium that binds to plants anti-nutrients. Turmeric is loaded with oxalate. Black tea also has a lot, and again is traditionally taken with milk. As we tend to have increased our consumtion of numerous oxalate rich foods, l see it as a good idea to use less herbs and more essential oils, or to use medicine when needed and not so much as prevention. Also turmeric is good to the liver because of stimulation and hormesis effect which means it is not really meant for a regular use by everybody. If you cannot use milk or dairy WITH anti-nutrient rich foods, you can take clacium citrate (unless you have anemia due to low ceruloplasmine because citrate lowers ceruloplasmine).

Amy Francis wrote:]  To this effect I make very tasty scrambled eggs!  I start off with melting some butter (in a non stick pan), adding crushed garlic, some turmeric and black pepper.  After a minute or so, I'll add the beaten eggs, with some salt, and scramble over a lowered heat.  The turmeric adds more colour and provides a subtle undercurrent taste to it all which I really like.

This is pretty much how I've enjoyed scrambled eggs over the years and I never thought I would find a vegan alternative.  (We still eat eggs when our chickens are laying, but it's the time of year now when that's a scarce item.)  The key for my own palate has been himalyan black salt (the sulphury one).  Mix up ~1/2 cup of chickpea flour with water to form a thin paste, then add about 1/4 tsp of black salt.....more if you really like the taste.  Add additional spicing if you like...I like a chili-lime southwest blend added into the paste and this is where I add ~1/2 tsp of turmeric.  Saute onion, red/green pepper, tomato, etc. in butter or a vegan substitute, then add 1/2 block of tofu of your desired consistency.  Use the spatula to mince the tofu into small 'scramble' pieces, then add the chickpea paste mix and scramble all together.  For whatever reason, the chickpea paste under these conditions tends to clump, lending itself to a more scrambled egg texture along with the tofu.  The black salt gives the sulphur taste to the scramble and the turmeric lends color to the meal.  Worth a try if you've never given it a spin.....

William Bronson wrote:F Agricola, thank you for putting me on onto bubble and squeak, I hadn't ever heard of it before!

Bubble & Squeak is one of the great things we've inherited from the UK/Ireland.

Traditionally, the veg are leftovers.

Although the combinations are endless, the aim is to find a mix with the best combinations for taste, texture and appearance - potato, cabbage, peas, carrot, Brussel Sprouts, brocoli, cauliflower, maybe a little sweet potato.

All roughly mashed together with a fork, salt and pepper to taste (turmeric!). Piled into a frypan and well cooked till brown on both sides.

It's not something that really suits herbs/spices, or strong flavours like onion and garlic, but each to their own.