5 Recipes to celebrate Hot & Spicy Day!

Ingredients: 1 jalapeño chile pepper, 2 ounces tequila (I used a Blanco, or white, un-aged tequila for this), 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 ounce watermelon puree, 3/4 ounce agave nectar/syrup, Hickory smoked salt for rimming the glass

Directions:
Muddle the jalapeno in a shaker or a pint glass. Add the tequila, lime juice, watermelon puree and agave nectar.  Shake with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass filled with fresh ice and rimmed with hickory smoked salt.  Garnish with a slice of watermelon and lime wedge. 

Recipe courtesy of Boulder Locavore.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup green & red serrano chiles (8 to 10), finely chopped and seeded (wear protective gloves), 2 hungarian hot wax peppers, seeded & finely minced, 5-6 small tomatoes, diced, 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, 1/2 medium onion, diced, 1/2 cup sweet corn, 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced, 2 small orange peppers, diced , juice of one lime, dash of salt

Directions:
Combine all vegetables in a non-reactive bowl. Season to taste with salt & lime juice. Allow to sit, chilling for about an hour before serving. 

Recipe courtesy of Vegenista.

Ingredients: 1 pound dried black beans, soaked in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soaked (procedure follows) and drained, 1 ham hock, 2 large garlic cloves, minced, 1 bay leaf, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried orégano, crumbled, 3 cups coarsely chopped onion, 2 green bell peppers, chopped, 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste, 1 tablespoon chili powder, a 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped, 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh coriander, or to taste, red-wine vinegar to taste, cooked rice as an accompaniment, chopped radish or red onion as an accompaniment

Directions:
In a kettle combine the beans, the ham hock, the garlic, the bay leaf, the orégano, the onion, the bell peppers, the red pepper flakes, the chili powder, and 8 cups water and simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours, or until the beans are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and salt to taste and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, or until the mixture is thickened. Discard the bay leaf, remove the ham hock from the mixture, and chop the meat. Stir the meat into the mixture with the coriander and the vinegar and serve the beans over the rice with the radish or onion.

To quick-soak dried beans: In a colander rinse the beans under cold water and discard any discolored ones. In a kettle combine the beans with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil, and boil the beans for 2 minutes. Remove the kettle from the heat and let the beans soak, covered, for 1 hour.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com.

Ingredients: 1 medium onion, chopped, 3 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 8 ounces fresh chorizo, removed from casing, 1 tablespoon harissa, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 3/4 cup white wine, 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, 2 to 3 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded, 1/2 cup heavy cream, French bread, for dipping

Directions:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chorizo to the onions and cook until the sausage loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Add the harissa and red pepper flakes, and then turn up the heat to high. Once fragrant, deglaze the pan with the wine, allowing to bubble for a minute. Lower the heat to medium, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the prepped mussels and cover to steam until the mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Serve immediately with plenty of sliced French bread for dipping. Cook's Note: If harissa cannot be found, substitute 1 tablespoon of tomato paste plus 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com.

Ingredients: 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, 4 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

__Directions:
__1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water,  melt the butter and chocolate together, whisking until glossy and smooth. Alternately, the butter and chocolate can be melted in the microwave (in a microwave-safe bowl) in 25-second increments, whisking between each interval. Cool the chocolate mixture to room temperature.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer), beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and eggs on low speed until well combined. Pour in the cooled chocolate and continue to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate batter and mix on low speed until just combined and no visible flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Working in two batches, scoop 12 balls of dough (preferably using a small ice cream scoop with a spring handle, about 1 1/2 tablespoon size) onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, for approximately 14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. The cookies should be puffy and still fairly soft when removed from the oven.

4. Immediately slide the cookies, still on the parchment paper, onto a wire cooking rack. Cool just a bit before serving, 5 to 10 minutes. Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to three days, but I prefer them on the day they are baked.

Recipe courtesy of CookingChannelTV.com.