Our best healthy spicy recipes

Source: Web exclusive: December 2009

Spicy Chocolate Energy Bars
These homemade energy bars offer the taste of chocolate’with a bit of a bite. The macadamia nuts help replace lost electrolytes while the jalapeño pepper creates a feeling of warmth in the body.

Swordfish with Spicy Almond Crust
A spicy-citrus crust with almonds adds texture and flavour to baked swordfish steaks in this quick-to-make dish.

Spicy Tomato Fish Chowder
This spicy tomato fish chowder recipe makes a speedy main dish that is hearty and healthy.

Hot Chili Chocolate
Warm up a cold winter day with a cup of this spicy hot chocolate. The added chili peppers give this drink an extra boost of vitamins A and C.

Cod with Spicy Puy Lentils
Dark-green Puy lentils, grown in the south of France, have a unique, peppery flavor that is enhanced by chile. They do not disintegrate during cooking and their texture is a perfect complement for the flakiness of fresh cod. Serve this cod with spicy Puy lentils dish with warm crusty bread.

Spicy Stir-Fried Duck
Here, strips of duck are stir-fried with onions, water chestnuts, bok choy, bean sprouts and pear. Very little oil is needed for a stir-fry, and adding lots of vegetables keeps the quantity of meat down. Serve spicy stir-fried duck with rice noodles.

Spicy Garlic Vegetable Stir-Fry
Has your passion for vegetables faded lately? This lively, spicy garlic vegetable stir-fry will make the sparks fly again! Fresh, crisp broccoli, bright red pepper and tender baby corn are flash-fried with tantalizing Asian seasonings for a speedy side dish.

Jerk Chicken Salad
This tasty and healthy salad twist on jerk chicken can be put together in just 30 minutes.

Roasted Apple and Sweet Potato Soup with Spiced Walnuts
A harmonious blend of sweet apples, creamy sweet potatoes, savoury spices and hot chillies, this velvety soup is a perfect lunch option on a cold, wintry day.

Spicy Jamaican Barbecued Chicken
Because the flavour of chicken is mild, it benefits from a tasty baste when barbecued or broiled, such as in this recipe for spicy Jamaican barbecued chicken. Basting also helps to keep the outside from burning until the chicken is cooked through’especially when cooking over charcoal.

Spicy Chicken and Vegetable Pastries
There are lots of variations on these savoury Mexican pastries, which are similar to Cornish pasties. The filling here is a blend of lean, spicy chicken and vegetables, subtly flavoured with nuts and dried fruit.

Chicken Curry with Chili Peppers
This flavourful curry gets a healthy boost from chili peppers, which are loaded with calcium and may help reduce cardiovascular risk and boost metabolism

Spicy Chicken Tostadas
‘Tostadas’ comes from the Spanish word for toasted. These flat, crisply toasted corn tortillas can be topped with all sorts of savoury things. Here a delicious spicy chicken, pepper, bean and tomato mixture is used.

Spicy Steak with Garlic Toast
This is a delicious combination of juicy sliced steak, confetti-bright corn relish, and a hefty hunk of garlic toast, all totally heart-healthy. You can cook the spicy steak and garlic toast under the broiler, or barbecue them outdoors.

Spicy Chicken Satay
Moist, gingery cubes of chicken and crunchy vegetables are cooked on skewers and served with peanut sauce. Wedges of lime are included so the hot juice can be squeezed over the cooked chicken satay just before eating.

Hot and Spicy Black Bean Dip
Update your party menu with a chili-laced black bean dip that’s practically fat-free and an excellent source of fibre. The dip can also be spooned onto plates and served as a light lunch, accompanied by warm whole-wheat pita bread.

Vegetable Chips with Spicy Peanut Dip
Oven-baked vegetable chips are not only healthier than those that are fried, their flavour is fresher and more concentrated, too. Here, thin slices of beet and potato are baked in a hot oven to make dippers for an Asian-inspired spicy peanut dip.

Julienne Salad with Chipotle Shrimp
This dish is full of diversity: The sweetness of the mango, tartness of the lime and smoky spiciness of the chipotle complement each other and create a crunchy burst of flavour.

Chili-pepper Oil
Add this spicy oil to sauces, stews or any time you want to add heat to a dish

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