Got a Jar of Turmeric? Here's What You Can Cook with It ...

If there’s something that just goes really well with turmeric, it’s potatoes. You only need a dash of the spice to add a really nice golden yellow color to your spuds. Not to mention the wonderful aroma and flavor it adds as well. Use it when you fry or roast potatoes. It’s also a fun way to jazz up mashed potatoes. Yum!

Have you ever tried stuffed eggplant? It might not sound like much, but I guarantee that the flavor is well worth giving it a go. There are lots of ways to stuff an eggplant, but it’s especially good if you combine rice with minced onions, celery and carrots. Then toss the mixture with a bit of turmeric and stuff it into the cavity of your eggplant. Bake until the eggplant is soft and the filling is hot.

There’s something so decadent and gourmet about shrimp, don’t you think? They have a flavor that is easy to pair with numerous herbs and spices. It turns out the turmeric is a great choice. Toss thawed shrimp with the spice, along with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of paprika. Grill or bake the shrimp until cooked through. Serve it with rice for a complete meal.

This might be rice, barley, couscous or quinoa. Whatever grain you choose makes for one beautiful side dish when you cook it with turmeric. Simply add a couple dashes to the grain and watch it transform into a lovely yellow color. You will impress everyone that comes to the table when you serve it this way.

Stir-fry doesn’t have to be Oriental inspired. Sure, it’s tasty that way and probably one of my favorite meals. However, a mouthwatering stir-fry can be done in loads of different ways. Start with your meat and veggies. Lamb is especially wonderful in this dish. Make sure everything is cut into pretty uniformly sized pieces. Cook it in a very hot pan for several minutes, adding the turmeric and other spices toward the end of cooking.

Give your favorite potato or pasta salad recipe a kick with curry. One of the main ingredients in curry is turmeric and curry is a really intense flavor that works really well with mild things like potatoes and pasta. And again, it will make the color of the dish something to rave about.

It’s always fun to mix and match spices and herbs to create new and delicious spice rubs for lamb, steak, chicken or fish. Turmeric is one spice that should definitely have a place in your rotation. One of the best ways to use it is to mix it with ginger, cumin and mint. You are going to love it!

How do you use turmeric? Too bad it doesn’t come in itty bitty containers so you could only buy a little bit. Which of these ideas do you want to try?