Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rhythm and Food













What fun we had with food and music this week! Cancer Wellness at Piedmont Hospital and innovative musician Cindy Stark Reid hosted a creative workshop where participants made instruments out of food - and I used the same fruits and veggies to make lunch! Check out some of the food art and the lunch we enjoyed. And here's a beautiful and bright salad recipe that you can make in an instant and enjoy all week long:)

Spiced Carrot Salad

1 LB Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” Slices

½ Tsp Sea Salt, or to taste

½ Tsp Teaspoon Cumin

½ Tsp Turmeric

¾ Tsp Smoked Paprika

½ Tsp Black Pepper

4 TB Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic, Grated

2 TB Lemon Juice

2 TB Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Golden Raisins for Garnish

Step One Boil the carrots in salted water until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, and refresh with cold water.

Step Two In a medium pot or skillet, gently sauté the cumin, turmeric, paprika and black pepper in the olive oil for 2 - 3 minutes over medium heat until fragrant*. Add the garlic, and then add the carrots, lemon juice, and cilantro. Sauté over low heat for another 2-3 minutes, and remove from the heat. Garnish with golden raisins. Serve the carrots either warm or chilled.

FAST FOOD FACTS

Toasting spices in a dry pan or with oil is called “blooming”. This allows the essential oils to come to the surface of the spices and become fragrant.

When using turmeric in cooking, it’s a good idea to also add black pepper. This increases the bioavailability of the curcumin in turmeric – making it even better for you!