summer Red hot

Chili-infused recipes to kick up your health

VEGETARIAN

A papaya salad from a Thailand street market or a fragrant curry dished out by a family restaurant in southern India wouldn’t be the same without their chili punch. Just imagine eating street tacos in Mexico if they didn’t induce a few drops of sweat. What we typically eat in North America is relatively tame in comparison.

You don’t have to be a heat freak to enjoy eating chili peppers since their “spice” levels vary greatly—enough to suit all tastes. Beyond their culinary virtues, research suggests that hot peppers may literally be the “spice of life” by improving the chances for healthy longevity.

Grab a glass of milk and settle in—it’s time to bring the heat into the kitchen.

Minty Chili Pea Soup

This brightly coloured soup for chili lovers is the perfect way to welcome back warmer weather. Looking for a little less heat? Substituting serrano pepper with jalapeno will make a slightly less spicy soup. Garnish options include pea shoots, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, sliced roasted almonds, chives, or a swirl of sour cream.

Paging Dr. Pepper

SERVES

Ingredients

1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil or sunflower oil

1 leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1/2 lb (225 g) new potatoes, quartered

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 serrano chili peppers, or jalapenos, seeded and chopped

3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground coriander

1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper

4 cups (1 L) low-sodium vegetable broth

3 cups (750 mL) fresh shelled or frozen peas

1 cup (250 mL) fresh mint

Juice of 1/2 lemon

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add leek and salt; cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add potatoes and garlic; heat for 3 minutes. Add serrano pepper, coriander, and black pepper; heat for 1 minute.

Add broth to pan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low, covered, until potato is tender, about 15 minutes. Add peas and continue heating until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in mint and lemon juice. Using blender or food processor, purée soup in batches if necessary. Thin with additional broth or water, if needed. Ladle into each of 4 bowls.

For flaming hot health, go ahead and turn up the heat. A recent study from the American Heart Association found that people who eat chili peppers regularly may be 26 percent less likely to die of heart disease and 23 percent less likely to die of cancer than those who don’t. While this investigation can’t prove cause and effect, nor did it nail down how many or which chili peppers lower the risk the most, it’s believed that capsaicin—the compound that gives chilies their fiery kick—can be good for our health by reducing inflammation and even bolstering metabolism. More research is needed, but if you like to spike your meals with chili peppers, you may reap some health and longevity rewards for doing so regularly.

Blend Master

If you find yourself making many batches of puréed soups, consider investing in an immersion blender. This handy tool lets you blend soups in the pot they’re made in to help streamline prep.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 185 calories; 7 g protein; 4 g total fat (0 g sat. fat); 31 g total carbohydrates (8 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 447 mg sodium

BELL

0 SHU sweet with no detectable heat

BANANA

0 to 500 SHU tangy with very mild heat

CHERRY/PIMENTO

100 to 500 SHU sweet and mild

PIMENTO

100 to 500 SHU sweet with very little heat

CUBANELLE

100 to 1,000 SHU sweet and mild to slightly hot

POBLANO

1,000 to 1,500 SHU mild heat

ANAHEIM

500 to 2,500 SHU mild to slight heat

JALAPENO

2,500 to 8,000 SHU mildly hot to medium hot

FRESNO

2,500 to 10,000 SHU mildly hot to medium hot

SERRANO

10,000 to 23,000 SHU hot

CAYENNE

30,000 to 50,000 SHU medium hot to hot

THAI/BIRD’S-EYE

50,000 to 100,000 SHU very hot

PERI PERI/AFRICAN BIRD’S-EYE

50,000 to 100,000 SHU very hot

HABANERO

100,000 to 350,000 SHU scorching hot

SCOTCH BONNET

100,000 to 350,000 SHU scorching hot