Quick and easy ways to spice up your BBQ celebrations, all your guests will be gagging for your next BBQ.

We know weeknight dinner can get boring after long work hauls but these recipes will spice up your evenings with a flavour sensation.

Celebrate the Jubilee with one of these new spicy recipes, they're perfect if you're spending the jubilee chilling for cooking for others.

If you’re from the UK you’ll probably used to the idea of a roast and knowing that nobody, does it better than mum, but at Eh-co we wanted to put a twist on the traditional roast for people to try.

Ingredients

• For the chicken (1 free range chicken, about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz)

    1 onion, roughly chopped

    2 carrots, roughly chopped

    1 free range chicken, about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz

    1 lemon, halved

    small bunch thyme (optional)

    50-75g butter, softened

    Kékem BBQ spice rub 

• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Large potatoes
• Broccoli
• Stuffing box (or make your own from home)
• Frozen Yorkshire puddings (or make your own from home)
• Habanero chilli oil
• Gravy

 1 tbsp plain flour

  250ml chicken stock (a cube is fine)

Method

First step is to prep the chicken, scatter the onion and carrot (for the chicken) roughly chopped into a roasting dish or tin. Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with 2 lemon halves and a small bunch of thyme, if using. For the outside of the chicken, once sat on th vegetables stuff the skin with butter and smother the outside too coating the outside with our Kékem spice rub.

The chicken should be cooked for 1hr 20 on 190C and ensure that you leave the chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes after getting it out of the oven.

In terms of all the dressings, once chopped to your liking season the vegetables with our chilli oil and the spice rub to add that kick. Roasting will be 200C, parsnips should take around 40 mins, carrots will take 30 and the broccoli should take around 18, ensure to shake them around halfway through. The stuffing box should instruct around a 20–30-minute cooking time.  

The Yorkshires can be placed in the oven a few minutes before serving

Gravy can take many forms but to keep it simple with the juices of the chicken cooked, the flour combined to make a paste over a medium heat, following with 250ml of the stock and simmer for 2 minutes.

Women's Health, Independent & British Heart Foundation are lauding the benefits of eating chilli peppers. They can't all be wrong, can they?

When it comes to chilli peppers or spicy food, there are a number of camps at play. There are those who want the heat slow like they're simmering by the fire on a Sunday afternoon, or those who want a healthy helping of character building spiciness and then there are the chilli freaks who want it so hot, they might need to drench their entire body in a cold bath afterwards.

Which ever way, you take it or don't take it, there's no denying the fact that, gone are the days when Nando's was as hot as we thought it could get or the fact that UK palates are getting increasingly adventurous. Proof of this is in the rising demand for international cuisines including authentic dishes from around the world, a trend which is set to boost the global hot sauce market to an estimated $5.8bn by 2025! That's just 4 years away. One would be wise to catch up with that trend.

Aside from the obvious advantages of new ways to delight the customer and benefits to the bottom line, there are other previously unrecognised health benefits of eating spicy foods, specifically chilli peppers which would be worth while for retailers and consumers to know. Giant publications like Women's Health and Independent would not throw their weight behind just any claim, so it was with great delight that we read both articles sharing the good news we'd known for years. This is by no means an exhaustive list of benefits and is compiled with the knowledge that there are some for whom spicy foods will not work for gastro, preference or other reasons.

1. Boosts Metabolism: Capsaicin, the active compound in chili peppers can help boost metabolism as part of a healthy diet. For those with lower spice tolerance levels, this compound is also found in turmeric and cumin. The spiciness causes one to drink more water which will in turn help ease constipation and get things moving.
2. May Fight Inflammatory Disease: We know inflammation is at the root of a number of serious illnesses. Capsaicin has considerable anti-inflammatory properties which could help in combating inflammatory diseases such as cancer, sinusitis etc.
3. May Bring Spice To Your Libido: A recent study from the Physiology and Behaviour journal confirms that eating spicy leads to higher levels of testosterone, testosterone being the hormone tied to libido. So, if you are looking for someone who can keep up or just asking for a friend😉, here's an idea for you. This one made me chuckle actually...the number of times fans of our chilli oils have fessed up to this🥰
4. Helps Fight Fungal Infections, Colds etc: While keeping your levels of Vitamin C up is one sure way of warding off the flu, chilli peppers are known to contain antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that protect against bacteria in the body.
5. Supports Cardiovascular Health: Now this is a significant one. According to the British Heart Foundation, people who eat chilli up to 4 times per week were 44 per cent less likely to die from coronary heart disease and 61 per cent less likely to die of a stroke.
6. May Boost Your Mood: In response to the burning sensation brought on by Capsaicin,  the brain releases endorphins and dopamine via the the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Combined, these chemicals create euphoria similar to "runner's high" which helps boost mood and alleviate depression.

Whilst UK producers are catching up in this rapidly growing market sector, there is ample room for more collaboration between chilli product brands and retail outlets. More to that, there are so many taste, product form and heat range preferences to cater to in order to keep the heat seeking customers suitably spiced up. Shelf space is at an all time premium, that's a given, coupled with the combination of health considerations and issues of choice at play, merchandisers / ambient food buyers have a bit of a job on their hands choosing products which fit the relevant bills.

Customers are now more savvy than ever, therefore any product they choose to grant access to their bodies will need to tick a few key boxes. A brand such as Etinde House Company (Eh-Co) utilise only the best of premium ingredients to produce natural, delicious, vegan friendly and low calorie chilli products. Started in 2018 from a 20-yr old family recipe in honour of my late dad, a portion of each purchase goes to empower small-scale farmers to attain secure and sustainable livelihoods and raise prostate cancer awareness amongst men in disadvantaged parts of Cameroon.

Eh-Co has a range of chilli products available; chilli oil (our flagship) comes in three sizes & three flavours. We also have four hot sauce flavours, three chilli paste flavours, spice rubs and six coconut snack flavours, one of which is savoury chilli. With ingredients like extra virgin, cold pressed Rapeseed oil, great taste without any additives, artificial flavouring or preservatives, you can tell there's something for the requirements and values of plenty seekers of spice.

As our customers will happily tell you, not one of our products is just a pretty face either. We poured our heart and soul not just into product packaging, but also into a flavour range which will speak of our heritage & the soulfulness of Cameroonian cuisine. So, if you are looking for ways bring growth to your bottom line by delighting shoppers in new ways, why not consider talking to us, a challenger brand that is sure to tick the boxes for so many of your customers.

Here’s a quick, easy and delicious pasta dish that we think you should all try! It’s vegan and dairy free and can be made gluten free by switching out the pasta for a gluten free alternative. For those foodies with a taste for spicy food, a drizzle of Habanero Chilli oil will take it up just the right number of notches.

Serves 2 - 4 (depending on whether you’re having it on its own or as part of a meal)

Ingredients:

• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Eh-Co Habanero Chilli Oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 800g Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon caster sugar
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 400g penne rigate pasta

Method:

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and fry. Add garlic. Allow to cook for a minute.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree. Allow to simmer for 6 - 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the parsley, chilli oil and sugar. Season to taste using the salt and pepper.
5. In a separate pan, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.
6. Drain the water from the pasta and return it to the pan.
7. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss to combine
8. Serve immediately, drizzling extra chilli oil if required.

This is a dish where you can add extra ingredients you have such as olives, sweetcorn, peppers and a protein such as Quorn chunks if you’re vegetarian / vegan or chicken. There’s so many ways you can experiment and adapt this simple, yet delicious meal!

If you make this recipe, please tag us on social media so we can see!