Kelsey Bushong, Author at Ambuja Yoga

As a young girl, my mother dated a man from Pakistan. With this relationship came a really awesome point in my life, food wise. This was when I discovered my absolute favorite thing to use in my kitchen; turmeric.

My mother made potatoes doused in it and the glass dish would be covered with neon yellow oil while they cooked. The intense color blew my little mind. Along with the taste.

So, 20 years later I am still using it in everything that I can think of. Sweet or savory, you can find it a place.

The health benefits of turmeric are widely regarded in Ayurveda and many remedies call for this nifty little gem of a root. Anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and it’s ability to heal those stomach issues that ail you, turmeric should become your new BFF.

Here are some delicious ways I utilize turmeric in my cooking:

Turmeric Hummus

My children will demolish an entire container of this in a day. It usually never even makes it into the fridge. This recipe is ridiculously easy and not to mention, SO YUMMY.

2 cans of chickpeas; drained & rinsed.
1 clove of garlic (or more if you like it intense)
Juice of 2 lemons
Approximately 1/2 cup of tahini
Turmeric (the amount is up to you. I add maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons and will add more if I feel it needs it)
Sea salt (to taste. I would start with 1 tsp and adjust)
1 cup avocado oil (add more to adjust thickness. avocado oil is my preferred choice since it’s mild, but olive oil is traditional)

*Throw ingredients into your blender and turn it in. It’s really that easy. Adjust your salt and oil and then dig in with fresh veggies or crackers. I also love a big dollop on top of a salad.

Carrot-Orange-Turmeric Juice

You’ll need a juicer for this, or else you can use a powerful blender such as a ninja or vitamix and then strain it.

Carrots (I buy a big bag of organic juicing carrots. I will usually use about half of a 5lb bag for this juice. And save the pulp! It goes great in muffins.)
Turmeric root (If you can’t obtain fresh turmeric, feel free to use powder in an amount that suits you. Fresh turmeric is intense so I usually use about a 1 1/2 inch piece)
Ginger Root (I like it ginger-y! Feel free to use as much as you like.)
Orange Juice (I buy organic fresh squeezed oj and use about 2 cups or more depending.)

*Juice all of your ingredients and either chill in the fridge for a few hours or serve over ice!

Golden Mylk

This is one of my favorite treats before bed time. On days when I make fresh almond or cashew mylk, this is most definitely a must.

Milk alternative (Avoid milk substitutes that contain the icky ingredient carrageenan gum. Califa Farms almond milk is a great choice and can be found in the refrigerated section of whole foods and the like. Otherwise, soak some almonds or cashews and make your own!)
Vanilla extract (Or vanilla bean)
Maple syrup
Turmeric
Black pepper
Cinnamon
Cardamon

*This “recipe” is really up to your own taste. I’ve simply listed what I use in my golden mylk and then I think it’s up to you to see what your preferences are for the spices. Heat up in a saucepan and then enjoy warm.

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There are so many delicious ways to use turmeric – curries, ice cream, golden mylk, hummus…the options are endless!

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Kelsey Bushong

Kelsey is a stay at home mother to two young boys, Silas (3) and Felix (1.5). As someone who always loved to cook, Kelsey really dove into health and wellness during her first pregnancy. Going back to school after Felix was born, Kelsey altered her plan from Nursing to Nutrition and was accepted to the National College of Natural Medicine this past Spring to complete her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition. With her studies being heavily guided by ancient Ayurvedic practices, Kelsey is most interested in how food can be used as medicine and how diet and diseases relate. She hopes to spread the idea that clean eating and wellness are very much achievable for everyone and cooking clean and healthy does not have to be difficult!

Latest posts by Kelsey Bushong (see all)

Turmeric in everything, please! - July 25, 2016
Smoothie bowl: 101 - July 20, 2016

Smoothie bowls. They are everywhere. Or at the very least, posted up on every foodie-nutritionist instagram/blog. So, here I am telling you that, yes, you should make them. And yes, I am totally down with this food fad.

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Here’s the thing I really like about the smoothie bowl craze, it’s a process (if you want it to be). Now, I’m not saying they are hard to make, I am saying that you intentionally pick out your ingredients, blend, pour, and decorate with all the goodness you can find. Have you ever heard of mindful eating? For me personally, making these delicious, nutrient dense bowls of vibrant color are the epitome of mindful eating. Consciously deciding on the flavors and colors, arranging the toppings in an artful pattern, and then enjoying and being grateful for the fact that you get to consume such goodness. Amen to that!

Anyways, let’s get down to it.

First off, you need a base. Now, with my smoothies I tend to add a bit more coconut water, but with smoothie bowls it’s nice to leave them thicker so that they hold up everything on top. I more often than not use all frozen fruit in order to achieve that thickness and I always use coconut water as my liquid. I also try and add some sort of superfood to my base such as spirulina, maca, camu camu, probiotic, fish oil…you get the idea. Spirulina makes a deep and intense green which adds to it’s amazingness!

Smoothie bowl base ideas:

Green: kale (fresh or frozen), frozen banana, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, spirulina, ginger, coconut water.

Acai: acai (you can buy frozen packets at health food store; near the frozen fruit!), frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, frozen blueberries, water.

Purple: Kale (frozen or fresh), maca, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, coconut water.

The options are really endless. You can find young coconut meat in the frozen section and add that with coconut water, raspberries and banana and you’ve got a gorgeous, vibrant pink base. Really, it’s all about experimenting!

Now onto my favorite part…toppings.

I more often than not buy these in the bulk section at my grocery store, but lately I’ve been seeing the brand nutiva popping up at target for SUPER cheap and they have great hemp seeds, cacao nibs, goji berries, mulberry, and chia seeds. When it comes to the fruit, I like to mix both fresh and frozen fruit for texture. Fresh banana and frozen raspberries are a favorite combo of mine.

Some other great toppings: Hemp seeds, bee pollen (local source!), pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, granola.

And last but not least, a new favorite thing of mine to do is adding a nice swirl of almond butter on top. You achieve so much texture with creamy, crunchy, and soft when you add something from each of these categories. The next thing to do is to get after it and be creative with placement, which is super fun 🙂

Some inspiration: