Hot Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs small new potatoes
  
• 1 jalepeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
  
• 1 1/2 inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
  
• 1 garlic, peeled and minced
  
• juice of 3 limes
  
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  
• 3 Tbsp. Spicy Island Hot Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. honey
  
• 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  
• 4 oz montery jack cheese with peppers
  
• 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Directions:

Drop potatoes into a large pot of boiling water.
Cook for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are tender (but not falling apart).
Combine jalepeño, ginger, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce and honey. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly.
Drain potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl.
Toss warm potatoes with dressing.
Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes.
Add onion, cheese and cilantro to potato mixture.
Toss and serve.

Devilled Eggs

Devilled eggs in true, flavourful, Polyphagous Dragon style.
These ain't no church-lady devilled eggs!

Ingredients:

• 5 large eggs, hardboiled, cooled & peeled
  
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  
• 4 teaspoons HOT Caribbean style sauce (such as "Jamaica Hell Fire" or "Susie's Calypso")
  
• 1 teaspoon hot curry powder
  
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Directions:

Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks.
Mash yolks with a fork and mix with mayo, hot sauce, basil and spices.
Spoon (or pipe from a bag) yolk mixture back into wells in egg whites.
Serve chilled. (Just not at your church luncheon -- unless the attendees have been suitably warned!)

Sesame Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

Sesame and ginger compliment one another perfectly in this simple chicken stir fry.



Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh or 1 lb dry rice noodles*
  
• 1 garlic, minced
  
• 2 inches ginger root, minced
  
• 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips
  
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
  
• 1 bok choy, shredded
  
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
  
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  
• 1/4 cup sweet chili pepper sauce**
  
• cilantro
  
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  
• olive oil for frying
  
• sliced spring onions for garnish

Notes:

* I use fresh udon noodles when I can get them. If not available, a dry rice stick noodle is an acceptable substitute.

** Amount of chili pepper sauce can be adjusted depending on the heat level of your sauce and your personal taste. I use President's Choice "Memories of Thailand" Fiery Chili Pepper Sauce in my dish.

Directions:

If using dry noodles, place them in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. (Fresh noodles do not require pre-soaking.)
Allow noodles to soak 5-7 minutes (or as directed on package for preparing noodles for stir fry).
Drain noodles and set aside.
Heat olive oil in large skillet or wok.
Add garlic and ginger and stir fry 1-2 minutes.
Coat chicken strips in corn starch.
Add chicken to pan and fry until heated through (5-6 minutes).
Add shredded bok choy and continue stir frying, 1-2 minutes until cabbage has wilted.
Add soya, sesame oil, chili pepper sauce, cilantro and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and mix well.
Stir in noodles and heat through.
Serve immediately, garnished with spring onions and reserved sesame seeds.

Gazpacho

This cold tomato soup is the perfect dish for a hot summer day. Full of flavour and fresh-from-the-garden goodness.



Ingredients:

• 5 large tomatoes
  
• 1 red bell pepper
  
• 1 green bell pepper
  
• 1 red onion
  
• 1 garlic
  
• cilantro
  
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  
• hot sauce such as Susie's Calypso
  
• 2 cups cold vegetable stock
  
• seasoned croutons for garnish

Directions:

Dice tomatoes, peppers and onion.
Mince garlic and cilantro, reserving some cilantro leaves whole for garnish.
Toss vegetables and minced cilantro together.
Pour oil and vinegar over vegetables and mix well.
Fire it up as desired with hot sauce.
Mix in cold vegetable stock.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to allow flavours to blend.
Serve cold, garnished with croutons and whole cilantro leaves.

Firey Fajitas

A splash of hot sauce adds a spicy twist to my take on this favourite dish. These fajitas are simple to prepare and ready to eat in under ten minutes. Fast food can be flavourful!

Ingredients:

• 10 inch diameter whole grain tortillas
  
• yellow onion
  
• cooked chicken breasts, cut into strips
  
• red bell pepper
  
• avocado
  
• feta cheese
  
• Dan T's WhiteHot Inferno sauce
  
• olive oil for frying

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet.
Slice onion lengthwise and stir-fry until soft and translucent.
Add strips of cooked chicken and continue cooking until chicken is heated through and onion begins to carmelize.
While the chicken and onions are cooking, slice pepper and avocado into thin strips and crumble feta.

Place onion, chicken, pepper, avocado, feta and hot sauce across the centre of a tortilla, leaving one edge bare.


Fold the bare side of the tortilla up over the fillings.


Fold the near edge of the tortilla up over the fillings and folded bottom edge.


Beginning with the side you have folded over, roll the fajita away from you until it is fully wrapped.


Enjoy!

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

I just cannot get enough of thick, hearty soups in the winter time! This soup provides a double dose of heat from its warmth and its spice. It's perfect for chasing away the winter chills!

If you cannot get a hold of fresh habaneros, substitute a favourite, flavourful hot sauce such as Susie's Calypso.



Ingredients:

• 1 buttercup squash
  
• 1 butternut squash
  
• 5 - 6 habanero peppers
  
• 1 large yellow onion
  
• 1 stalk celery
  
• 2 carrots
  
• 1 garlic
  
• 2 inch piece ginger root
  
• olive oil
  
• 4 tablespoons honey
  
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground: cardamom, anise, cloves, turmeric & cinnamon
  
• 1 mango
  
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  
• 1/2 cup peanut butter*
  
• 1 cup whipping cream
  
• juice of one lime
  
• sour cream
  
• fresh cilantro

Notes/Substitutions/etc.:

* Real peanut butter is made from peanuts and nothing but.

Directions:

Wrap squash in tin foil and bake at 400°F for an hour (or more if needed).
Peel onion, garlic and ginger.
Remove stalk and seeds from habaneros.
Dice habaneros, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and ginger.
Sauté in oil until soft.
Peel and dice mango.
Cube squash, discarding skin, stringy pulp and seeds.
Place vegetables, spices, honey, mango and stock in a large pot and cook until squash is soft.
Purée soup in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.
Bring to a boil.
Stir in peanut butter, cream and lime juice.
Simmer soup for 1/2 hour or more to allow all flavours to blend nicely.
Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro leaves.

Spicy Vegetable Juice

I have been staying at my parents' home the last couple of weeks. My father has a brand new 1000 watt Breville "Juice Fountain Elite" and my mother an enormous refrigerator which is perpetually stocked with more produce than they can eat (and crammed so full that my mother can seldom find what she has hidden away in there!) I felt this was a good combination for experimenting with some new juice recipes *. Here is the first:

Ingredients:

• tomatoes
  
• carrots
  
• red pepper
  
• celery
  
• cilantro
  
• hot sauce **

Notes:

* I did a fairly good job of cleaning out my mother's fruit and vegetable drawers during the course of these experiments, but they were chocker-block full again the next day!

** I used Dan T's Inferno White Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce. If it's heat level is not to your liking, any cayenne/tomato-based hot sauce would make a suitable substitution.

Directions:

Cut the stalk out of the red pepper and scrape out the seeds.
Wash the cilantro, squeeze into a bundle.
Stuff red pepper with cilantro bundle.
Juice carrots and celery on high speed.
Juice tomatoes and cilantro-stuffed red pepper on low speed.
Add a dash of hot sauce and mix well.
Enjoy fresh-squeezed or chilled same day.