5 surprising ways to use turmeric in your everyday cooking

If you're familiar with turmeric, you probably know it as a spice in Indian cuisine such as curry. Turmeric is mildly aromatic, with a distinct earthy, pungent flavor and deep yellow color. The warm, gingery taste of turmeric can be combined with other spices to create unique flavors that can add incredible depth of flavor for a wide variety of both savory and sweet dishes.

Here are some great ideas for adding the rich flavor of turmeric to your everyday cooking.

Breakfast

Kick-start your mornings by sprinkling a little turmeric on your oatmeal or eggs, or mix it into homemade granola for a tasty and healthful start to your day. You can stir turmeric into your coffee, tea or a smoothie for a delicious pick-me-up. Frontier Co-op Turmeric Twist Daily Blend combines organic turmeric with a number of other organic ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cardamom and Ceylon cinnamon. This blend of spices is just right to enhance breakfast dishes with a delicious boost of flavor.

Lunch

Perk up your taste buds midday by adding turmeric to salad dressings, sauces, broths or soups. The rich flavor of turmeric also complements the flavor of sweet potatoes or cottage cheese. Frontier Co-op Turmeric Twist Savory Blend offers a robust combination of organic flavors along with turmeric, including onion, garlic, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, lemon peel and chipotle for a zesty addition to any pasta or rice dish.

Dinner

Use any of the Turmeric Twist Blends to infuse your savory dinner dishes with the goodness of turmeric. You can add extra zing to your soups, gravies, casseroles, proteins or legumes for an amazing taste enhancer. Cook with your favorite blend every day to turn any ordinary dish from bland to exciting.

Snacks

Popcorn, nachos or dips take on an extra layer of deliciousness when you add turmeric to the mix. An ordinary snack can suddenly seem extraordinary with the addition of a little exotic spice.

Dessert

Perhaps most surprisingly, turmeric provides sweet dishes with a delightful zing. Frontier Co-op Turmeric Twist Sweet Blend combines organic turmeric with the delicious flavors of organic cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, black pepper, ginger and cloves. The sweet, pungent taste of turmeric provides an extra dimension of flavor to fruit, yogurt and ice cream. Use it in baking to complement an overly sweet dessert, making it taste richer and more satisfying.

Try these turmeric cookies, which play on the classic snickerdoodle:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Frontier Co-op Organic Turmeric Twist Sweet Blend
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.
2. In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium until butter and sugar are combined. Add maple syrup and egg, reduce speed to low and beat until incorporated. Stop mixer to scrape down sides as needed.
3. Add flour, turmeric blend, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Beat on low until dough starts to combine. Switch to medium-low and process until dough has come together and smoothed out.
4. Place 2 tablespoons sugar and turmeric blend in small bowl. Scoop dough to roughly 1 1/2 ounces in size. Roll into ball, dip top half of cookie in sugar and press down to form a disc. Place on sheet tray and continue with remaining dough. Cookies will spread during baking, so space about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 12-14 minutes, rotating once. If you make smaller cookies, reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes. Cookies should look set and start to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Once completely cool, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Experimenting with turmeric in your everyday cooking is easy and fun, and you may never want to go back to ordinary spices again. For more information and recipe ideas, visit frontiercoop.com.