Thai-style coconut and chili broth

Another ideal rescue recipe for January is this coconut and chili broth, which is perfect if you're looking for something rich, fragrant and spicy. Both lemongrass and coriander have long been touted for their calming and restorative properties when cooked, while chilies are a great source of vitamin C. Ginger is well known for its therapeutic properties, and garlic for lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds. Basically a bowl of this is gonna feel good.

Makes enough for four servings
Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
Handful sliced mushrooms
One sliced red pepper
1 chopped chili
4tsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, sliced length ways
300ml vegetable broth
1 tin coconut milk
1 tbsp sugar
2 spring onions chopped
1 handful fresh coriander
Juice of 1 lime
1 portion rice noodles

Heat the oil in a wok and add the mushrooms, pepper, chili, ginger, garlic and lemongrass. Cook for three minutes, stirring to ensure nothing burns. Next add the chili, and cook for another minute.
Pour in the vegetable stock, coconut milk and sugar, and bring to a simmer, before reducing the heat and allowing to cook through for 10 minutes.
Most rice noodles will need to soak in cold water first- while they soak, remove the lemon grass and discard. Add the noodles and finally the fresh coriander, spring onions and lime juice, before serving.

Chana Masala

I'll be frank- I was making this at half eleven at night, which is why it is in my lunchbox the next morning and not on a plate. This chana masala is slightly re-jigged from the citrus-y affair you get from a take-away, this is a little warmer, moreish, and with about half the ingredients. I'm in an honest mood it seems!

The addition of spring onions takes way that strong onion taste, and instead is mellow and sweet with a tender texture like it's been simmering away for hours- when really this only takes 20 minutes.

This is the best dinner when the sky falls in and you just want to eat a huggggeee curry. Everyone feels like that at least once a week yes?

Serves 4....or 3.... or 2....

Ingredients

2x tin of chickpeas
2x garlic cloves, sliced small
2x large spring onions (these have a larger bulb, similar size to a shallot), sliced into circles
1 carton of chopped tomatoes
1 chili, chopped
3 tablespoons of vegetable curry powder
2 tablespoons sunflower/vegetable oil
Handful of parsley chopped loose or fine, however you like

Heat the oil and add your chopped garlic and spring onions. Keep the heat low, and let them cook without burning for about five minutes. Add the chickpeas and chili and allow everything to fry in the oil for about two minutes, before adding the carton of tomatoes.

Allow this to cook away with a lid for about five minutes, then add the curry sauce and reduce for another five minutes. Add the chopped parsley and you're done.