Food

This rich and spicy dessert soup is sure to help you break out of the winter doldrums. Originating in Asia, the tiny bird’s eye chili pepper (also called Thai chili) packs a serious punch, so make sure to use only one. You can also try using serrano chili pepper for the recipe.

The now ubiquitous and addictive Thai Sriracha sauce is smoking hot in culinary circles, so to speak. It’s surprisingly easy to craft your own fresher tasting chili-garlic sauce at home. Using smaller red chilies such as bird’s eye will produce a hotter sauce.

Ancho chili peppers are the dried version of the poblano chili and have a smoky-sweet flavour that is well suited for glazes. They are available at Latin markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

Here is a nutritional upgrade of the iconic soup that offers a fiery Asian twist. The searing serrano chili pepper is a smaller and more potent version of the jalapeno. If you want your soup to pack more of a punch, include more serrano seeds.

Jalapeno’s signature bite only serves to elevate these wholesome gluten-free cornbread muffins. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can add 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice to a 1 cup (250 mL) measuring cup. Top lemon juice with milk, stir, and let sit for 2 minutes.

Chipotle peppers are smoked, dried red jalapenos. In cans they are packed with a tomato sauce called adobo and make a wonderful smoky addition to salsas, chilis, soups, and pasta sauces. Most supermarkets now carry chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If you really want to bring the heat, up the amount of chipotle used in the tomato jam by 1 tsp (5 mL). A little goes a long way, so freeze extras for future use.

Here’s a meal worthy of a fine dining establishment. Grainy mustard is a whole seed-laced version of the condiment and is also often labelled “Dijon.” It comes in a range of heat levels from mild to nose-clearing. It adds texture and verve to mashed and puréed vegetables. Removing as much moisture as possible from scallops is the key to achieving a good sear.

This silky sweet side dish is sure to make tasters coo with delight. Mustard is the unexpected flavour booster offering a tempered kick.

Crafting your own mustard is far from a high-flying kitchen feat. Just grab some mustard seeds and good quality dark ale. Want more heat? Use more brown mustard seeds than yellow ones.

First created in Dijon, France, creamy Dijon-style mustard has an assertive yet refined flavour that can gussy up sauces and salad dressings. It’s most often a mixture of yellow and more pungent black mustard seeds that is produced according to strict French guidelines. Poaching chicken breasts, which have a tendency to dry out during cooking, is a great way to keep the meat deliciously moist. This salad can serve double duty as an elegant dinner entree or a nutritious workweek lunch.

For millions of Thailand denizens, the day doesn’t start until they have slurped up their noodle soup from open-air stalls to take a bite out of the chill in the early morning air. Here in Canada you may find this delightful soup more to your liking for lunch or dinner. To turn up the heat, the Thai will often stir in some guise of fiery paste or sauce such as the recipes that follow. And always make sure to stuff each bowl with a generous amount of lively herbs.

Pad Thai is one of the dishes that first comes to mind among Canadians when thinking of Thai cuisine. Sadly, most North American restaurant versions are little more than a big plate of uninspiring saucy noodles. A good pad Thai will be a medley of carefully matched ingredients that combine to create a plateful of sweet, sour, and salty flavours. If your wok or skillet is small, you may need to make this recipe in two batches.

The explosion of flavours and unforgettable textural contrasts makes this refreshing Thai salad one of the great gastronomic pleasures when visiting the Asian nation. Make it for a light lunch or dinner side dish. Often, the heat-loving Thai will add a handful of chili peppers. But if you’re not after revenge, it’s best to only use one or two for more sensitive palates.

Skewers of grilled meat are a staple at Thailand night markets as the aromatic smoke from satay stands lure in hungry customers. These are also perfect to serve at soirees or as part of a dinner menu. The oven broiler can stand in for the grill when the weather outside is not so tropical.

Stunning black rice is soaked before cooking, helping to give it a chewy bite and making it the perfect anchor for this especially satisfying dessert. The nutty whole grain rice is encased in a deep purple husk thought to contain antioxidants similar to dark berries. In Thai markets the rice and rich custard are often wrapped in pandanus leaves for the ultimate take-away treat. If you’d rather just enjoy the rice without the custard, try topping it with sliced mango.

Yellow Squid Curry

Pumpkin pie isn’t just for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can use canned organic pumpkin purée all year round. Rather than a dessert coffee after dinner, serve your guests this warm smoothie, sweetened with dates. Top it off with whipped cream, if desired.

Although this ice cream-like drink tastes indulgent, it’s actually loaded with good-for-you nutrients: heart-healthy monounsaturated fats in the avocado and antioxidant-rich polyphenols in the cocoa nibs.

Blend this one for breakfast for a super-charged vitamin boost. Just one serving contains 10 g of cholesterol-lowering dietary fibre, over-the-top levels of vitamins A, C, K, and B complex, as well as potassium, magnesium, and copper.

Ginger adds a spicy flair to this classic Spanish beverage. Of course, there’s no rum in this version, but don’t let that stop you from adding some on a Saturday night.

Add some spice to your post-workout smoothie with freshly brewed chai tea. Instead of brewing one cup of tea at a time, make a whole pitcher with half a dozen tea bags and store in the fridge for use throughout the week.

Bring some island flavour to your table with this recipe. The fruit salsa helps to quell the spicy shrimp and also provides a good hit of vitamin C.

These mussels are a great way to start a meal. Mussels are also a surprisingly good source of vitamin C.

This stir-fry dish comes together quickly and is a crowd pleaser. Make sure to have plenty of extra napkins on hand. You can ask your fishmonger to quarter cleaned, cooked crab for you.