Today’s guest post is from Mary in Minneapolis. Mary is a piano student of mine, a fantastic vegetarian cook, and writes a lovely blog called Just Want to Ride.

Hello my name is Mary and I am addicted to Turmeric….

A couple of years ago I fell into complete adoration of the color yellow. Turmeric had made its way into my life via the finding of its anti-inflammatory properties. Years before this, my brother had contracted Lyme disease and his recovery though slow, was still, importantly…a recovery. I bring this up because one of the important aspects of regaining painless movement in his every day living was understanding which foods caused inflammation and which foods reduced inflammation. It was like our family was suddenly made aware that foods could either help our bodies…or make us feel sluggish, or tired.

[Editor’s note: To read more about the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, check out this article by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Turmeric has become one of my favorite spices. I use it daily in my scrambled eggs; in my tofu, brown rice and vegetable dishes and potato dishes.

WARNING…Turmeric is quite yellow and has the unforgiving nature of staining such things as towels and clothing.

My favorite dish with the use of Turmeric is Tofu and Peppers. The dish is simple and you can switch out herbs or spices that I have listed below to ones that you prefer. The dish varies slightly each time I make it. The use of fresh garden bell peppers, yummy onions and fresh herbs if you have them…will help you create a satisfying meal every time. And the best thing about the meal…is that the tofu is crispy.

Tofu with Peppers

1 lb extra firm tofu
Remove the tofu from its package and slice into two halves. Slice both halves into cubes and wrap in a kitchen towel to remove moisture from tofu.
Place tofu in mixing bowl with the following ingredients:
1 tblsp olive oil
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper (I like the kind with peppercorns mixed in.)
½ tsp rubbed sage
¼ tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp tarragon leaves – crushed.
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ sea salt
1 tbsp Turmeric

Mix all the above ingredients together. Mix tofu and ingredients so that the tofu is covered .
Place 1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil in large skillet and heat on medium.
Add tofu mixture to pan.
Cover pan with lid and keep on medium to medium high heat.
Cook for 7 minutes.
Turn tofu and cook for another 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and chop the following vegetables:
½ cup yellow pepper
½ cup red pepper
½ cup cherry tomatoes.
½ cup onion
½ cup fresh spinach leaves. Remove stems.

After cooking tofu for that second 7 minutes…it should be crispy. Add the peppers and onions.
Do not cover, but continue to cook on med high heat for 3-5 minutes until peppers just begin to soften a bit. Remove pan from heat and add tomatoes and spinach.

Cover for 1 minute and serve on rice, or by itself.
Sprinkle with finishing salt is always nice.

Enjoy and happy cooking!!!

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