Healthy Recipes – Honey and Turmeric Slaws and Salads for Brain Food

7 November 2006

Spicy Golden Slaw

This slaw gets more colorful and better tasting over time. It is great after three and four days.

8 cups green cabbage (1 small head, about 1 1/2 lb.), quartered, cored and shredded
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch by 1/4-inch strips
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 medium sweet onion, cut in thin crescents
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger, or to taste
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Place the cabbage, pepper, carrot and onion in a large bowl, tossing until they are evenly combined.

In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, honey, ginger, turmeric and celery seed. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the honey.

Remove from heat and mix in the oil. Pour the hot dressing over the vegetables. Toss until they are well combined.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust the amount of ginger and celery seed, if desired. (A little ginger goes a long way.)
Cover the slaw and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours before serving. (It will become more golden after two or three days.)

Serves 12

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Honey and Turmeric

This dish is good with couscous. Add several pats of butter to the couscous and mix well.

About 2kgs of chicken pieces
2 large yellow onions
2 sticks of butter
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
500 gm (1 lb) dried apricots or prunes (less if you're not too fond of the fruits).
8 tbsp honey (I use much more, for a sweeter and less liquid sauce)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup peeled almonds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
oil

METHOD
In a large pot, melt the butter. Fry the chopped onions until soft, and
add the chicken, salt, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon sticks. Add enough
water to cover the chicken, about two cups. Bring to boil, reduce heat,
and simmer until the chicken is done, adding water if necessary. Remove
the chicken pieces.

Add the prunes or apricots and simmer for about fifteen minutes. Add the
ground cinnamon and the honey, stir and cook until the sauce has a
honey-like consistency. Add more honey if necessary.

When the sauce is almost ready, saute the almonds in oil. Drain most of
the oil from the pan, and toast the sesame seeds.

Return the chicken to the pot and re-heat. Place chicken in a serving
sheet, pour sauce on top of it and top with almonds and sesame seeds.

Apple Salad

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce
2 medium apples (granny smith, golden delicious, gala, or fuji)
¼ cup chopped walnuts (candied ones are good)
½ cup plain yogurt
1 tblsp honey
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground turmeric

METHOD
Place the spinach and lettuce in a salad bowl. Core and slice the apples. Add to the lettuce, toss in the walnuts. In a small bowl, blend the yogurt, honey, coriander, ginger, and turmeric. Toss with the salad. Serve immediately. Yield 4 servings.

Herb Mustard for Brassicas*

Stir fry any combination of broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, pak choi and kohlrabi and serve with this herb mustard, which will keep for months, though mustard connoisseurs say it is at its best after a few weeks.

1 oz. black mustard seed
1 oz. white mustard seed
1/4 tsp herb pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried orange & lemon peel
1 tsp honey
herb vinegar or apple juice
pinch turmeric

METHOD
Grind first 5 ingredients in mortar or blender. Mix to a thick consistency with honey and herb vinegar or apple juice. Add turmeric and store in small jars.

* Brassicas are one of the healthiest and most nutritious vegetable groups. Recent research has highlighted their strong anti-cancer benefits.

<< Back to articles page