Spice up your life

Put the fire in your belly with these two recipes...

GREEN LEAF WITH SPICY SWEET YOGHURT SOUP

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2–3 tbsps Flora Cuisine or 40g Flora Buttery
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 15g pack fresh tarragon, stalks removed
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 x 75g bags watercress, washed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 Knorr Vegetable Stock Cube made up with 900ml boiling water
• 60g (2½fl oz) low fat natural yogurt
• Sprinkle of traditional Madras curry powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped (optional)

Method:

1. In a saucepan, add Flora Cuisine and sweat the onion on a low heat for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add salt and pepper, tarragon, bay leaf, watercress and garlic.

2. Add the hot vegetable stock, cover and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Liquidise the soup.

4. Taste and add more seasoning if required.

5. Serve in hot soup bowls, with a drizzle of low fat yogurt, mixed with traditional Madras curry powder, and a little maple syrup or honey (optional). Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives if desired.

LENTIL AND SPINACH DHANSAK

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 25ml Flora Cuisine
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2.5cm (1 inch) piece root ginger, grated or finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry paste, or to taste
• 1 Knorr Vegetable Stock Cube dissolved in 600ml (1 pint) boiling water
• 85g (3 oz) red lentils
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, cut into cubes
• 350g (12 oz) basmati rice
• 225g bag spinach leaves
• Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lime or lemon
• Lime or lemon zest, to garnish
• 150g carton low fat natural yogurt to accompany

Method:

1. Melt the Flora in a saucepan, add the onion and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.

2. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

3. Stir in the lentils, carrots and sweet potato and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until tender.

4. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet directions.

5. Stir the spinach leaves into the cooked vegetables until they have just wilted and then add the lime or lemon rind or juice.

6. Serve the vegetables with the rice, garnished with lime or lemon zest.