Scrambled Eggs with Turmeric and Black Pepper

Scrambled Eggs with (fresh) Turmeric and Black Pepper

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant benefits. And since turmeric, especially when raw, does not add much flavor, I throw a little bit of turmeric into a lot of different recipes!

And when I add turmeric, I always add freshly ground black pepper. That’s because black pepper facilitates the body’s absorption of turmeric. And you have to absorb the nutrients in food before you can benefit from the nutrients! For more about the importance of combining turmeric and black pepper, see the Q & A with Dr. Andrew Weil.

For practical information about turmeric’s health benefits, and some cautions for people on chemotherapy, see:

•  Huffington Post Article by Andrew Weil
• Wall Street Journal article

For scientific details and research about turmeric, see:

• Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s website – Integrative Medicine, Herbs
• NIH National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
• U of Maryland Medical Center – Complimentary Medicine
• GreenMedInfo – Turmeric

I buy fresh turmeric from my local health food store or Asian market. Then I peel, chop, and freeze the turmeric in thin layers between parchment paper. Later when I need some fresh turmeric, I reach into the freezer and just break off a piece of turmeric!

Step-by-step directions for freezing turmeric are given in an earlier post on this blog.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TURMERIC (fresh/frozen or dry powder) AND BLACK PEPPER

INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
6 eggs (or 3 whole eggs and 3 or 4 egg whites)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh or frozen turmeric (or 2-3 teaspoons dried turmeric)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (curly or flat leaf)
salt, if desired

STEPS
In a medium-size bowl, mix the eggs; set aside.

Add the olive oil to a 10-inch, non-stick pan, and then heat over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the fresh, frozen, or dry turmeric to the pan.

• If using fresh chopped turmeric, sauté the turmeric in the oil briefly. Then spread the turmeric around the pan.
• If using frozen chopped turmeric, add it to the oil in the pan and let it defrost. Then spread the turmeric around the pan.
• If using dried turmeric, add it to the oil in the pan and quickly move on to the next step.

Pour the eggs (or eggs and egg whites) into the pan with the turmeric.  Using a spatula, stir to mix the turmeric with the eggs. Sprinkle the eggs with freshly ground black pepper and stir to mix. Turn the heat to medium low and let the eggs cook a little bit. Then stir as needed. When the eggs have cooked a bit but are  still watery, sprinkle with the green onions and parsley. Stir to mix. Add salt, if using. Continue cooking until the eggs are no longer runny.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Ingredients for Scrambled Eggs with (fresh) Turmeric and Black Pepper

• Eggs – As we all know, eggs are high in cholesterol and foods high in cholesterol may raise your blood cholesterol. But is having a high, but not very high, blood cholesterol a risk factor for cardiovascular disease?  Some researchers and doctors think it is. Some think it’s not.

Personally, I tweaked my diet for years to keep my blood cholesterol level really low.  Back in 1989, I even co-authored the recipes for the first edition of the American Heart Association’s Low Fat Low Cholesterol Cookbook! For that cookbook, we limited egg yolks and drastically cut the fat, especially saturated fat.

I don’t eat a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet any more! Why not? Because there is increasing evidence that eating a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet – which by definition must be a high-carbohydrate diet – is not good for health and does not prevent heart disease. For more on this new heart health paradigm, listen to the People’s Pharmacy podcast, The Great Cholesterol Myth, where the authors of a book by the same name are interviewed. And check out the soon-to-be-released book, Cholesterol Clarity: What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers?.

• Black pepper –  While it doesn’t make a difference nutritionally, I really like Penzeys Spices Special Extra Bold® Indian Black Peppercorns.

• Turmeric – Penzeys Spices is a good source for high quality, low-cost dry powdered turmeric.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR SCRAMBLED EGGS – for breakfast or at any meal?

• In the winter, along with the eggs, I often serve sautéed or steamed greens, such as, beet greens, kale, or Swiss chard. (Yes, veggies for breakfast!)
• In the summer, I put a nice big serving of Grain-Free Tabouli on the plate with my eggs.

HOW TO STORE SCRAMBLED EGGS

• To store, place the scrambled eggs into a glass storage container, cover, and refrigerate for up to four days. Reheat before serving.

250 RECIPES CONTAINING TURMERIC –  CHECK OUT MY PINTEREST BOARD!

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to add turmeric to your diet, go on over to my Pinterest board, Turmeric in Recipes!  I’m sure you’ll get lots of great ideas!  Note: Some of the recipes contain only small amounts of turmeric, but you can almost always increase the amount of turmeric. And, if the recipe does not call for black pepper, just add some!

If you are new to Pinterest (as I was until a few weeks ago), let me assure you it’s easy to get around Pinterest. Here’s how easy:

1. Click on the link: Pinterest board, “Turmeric in Recipes.”
2. Click on a photo of a recipe that interests you, and up will come a larger photo of the same image.
3. On the larger photo, you’ll see the “website” button.
4. Click on the website button, and you will go to the website where the recipe came from!
5. To return to my Pinterest board to see more recipes with turmeric, just click on the Pinterest tab in your browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and then click on the back arrow in your browser.

And, if you are a Pinterest enthusiast like I am, you might want to follow my Pinterest board  and be notified of new recipes I put on this board.

And if you have a recipe with turmeric that you would like to share with me, I’ll add it to my Pinterest board if you leave a comment here with the URL for the recipe!

Enjoy and be healthy!
~Leni
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