Learn how to incorporate a trendy new super food into your diet with a spicy turmeric latte.
Turmeric is the new Kim Kardashian. What I mean by that is there’s a buzz in the air about the health benefits this yellow plant has to offer.
However, unlike Kim Kardashian, turmeric has always been here. It’s always been the lonely spice in the aisle that nobody used. Now, everywhere you look people are talking about turmeric. Dr. Oz, Web MD, The Huffington post are all writing about the benefits of using it. You know it’s reached fever pitch when Starbucks has a turmeric latte.
Well, I know we are a little late to the party when it comes to writing about this super food, but in our defense, we actually created the recipes and did the photography for this article over eight months ago just after our book, Herbs for Flavor, Health and Natural Beauty was released. Anyway, we’re still pretty excited about this power house ingredient.
For this two part post on turmeric, we wanted to show how it can be used in everyday life to make really tasty recipes that appear pretty decadent, but in actuality have some great health benefits. At the very least, they beat the pants off a pumpkin spice latte or doughnuts and bagels when it comes to helping the body.
A Morning Boost
Today, we are creating a turmeric latte. Jena turned me on to a product called Coconut coffee. It’s basically real coconut and coffee combined. You can get it with or without added sugar. We prefer the no added sugar version since sugar seems to sneak into so many foods these days.
The latte is already packed with natural, rock-star ingredients: turmeric, unsweetened almond milk, honey, cinnamon, yogurt and the coconut coffee. It’s also really delicious! What’s surprising, is that this latte packs two teaspoons of turmeric in it. That’s a half a teaspoon per serving! While turmeric can have a very strong flavor, this latte savors the spice without being overpowering.
A Latte a Day…
I take turmeric supplements daily to combat inflammation, which popular medicine seems to point to as the root of many medical issues. The problem with supplements is they can be expensive. It’s good to take turmeric in the morning, so why not start your day off with a turmeric latte and skip the pills?
The normal use for this power-house ingredient is in savory dishes like curries or healthy dishes from India or Asia. This recipe is Americanized. We drink a lot of coffee here and a lot of the so-called “coffee” drinks are more sugar and cream than coffee. With our turmeric latte, you can enjoy a low-fat and tasty morning beverage that won’t pile on the pounds or cost you a fortune. Make a big batch of it, keep it in the fridge, then reheat a cup of it in the morning. It’s the perfect way to start the day.
Later this week, we’ll add some delicious gluten free turmeric waffles topped with fresh bananas, walnuts and a very special turmeric double nut cream that is to die for. Until then, cook with love and live to cook.
Jim & Jena
