This delicious spicy bean soup is flavored with tangy lemon and sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander. It’s ideal for the entire family or for parties to fight off the cold.

Serves 4

Spicy Bean Soup Ingredients:

1 cup black-eyed beans
2 chopped onions
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium hot chillies, chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 1/2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
250g fresh or canned tomatoes, diced
25g fresh coriander or cilantro leaves, chopped roughly
juice of 1/2 lemon
bread of your choice, for serving

Spicy Bean Soup Cooking Instructions:

1. Put the beans in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to stand for 2 hours.

2. Heat oil in the pan then add the onions, garlic and chilli. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Stir in the cumin, turmeric, tomatoes, stock, half the coriander and the beans. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

3. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining coriander. Serve immediately while still hot with your choice of bread.

This delectable dessert is perfectly complemented with spicy cinnamon and nutmeg.

Serves 3

Spiced Nutty Bananas Ingredients:

6 ripe, but firm, bananas
2 tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts
2 tbsp chopped unsalted cashew nuts
1 tbsp butter or margarine double cream, for serving
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup orange juice
4 tbsp rum
1 tbsp demerara (raw) sugar
2 tbsp desiccated coconut

Spiced Nutty Bananas Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to Gas 6. Slice the bananas and place in a greased, shallow ovenproof dish. Mix together the cashew nuts, peanuts, coconut, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Pour the orange juice and rum over the bananas and sprinkle with the nut and sugar mixture. Dot the top with butter or margarine. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bananas are golden and the sauce is bubbly. Serve with double cream.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour & 10 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Spareribs with Sesame Seeds Ingredients:

1 kg pork spareribs, cut into 3 cm pieces
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp shoshoyu
2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/4 cups hot water
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp oil
2 spring onions,chopped finely
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh grated ginger
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic

Spareribs With Sesame Seeds Cooking Instructions:

1. Trim the pork with excess fat. Dry-fry the sesame seeds over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Shake the pan gently until the seeds are golden then remove to allow to cool. Grind in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle.

2. Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Brown the spareribs over high heat. Turn regularly, until golden dark.

3. Drain any excess oil from the pan then add half of the sesame seeds with the spring onion, ginger, garlic, sugar, rice wine, shoshoyu, sesame oil and water. Cover and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4. Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make a smooth paste. Add to the pan and stir occasionally until the mixture boils and thickens. Sprinkle with the remaining crushed sesame seeds.

5. Serve with steamed rice.