540 hot red pepper recipes

Hearty Texas-style chili with beef and pork, slow-simmered with cumin, oregano and cayenne. No beans, just meat and bold spices.

Fresh citrus vinaigrette with diced orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon segments in olive oil, champagne vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, pink peppercorns, and cilantro. Restaurant-quality.

Appetizers have long been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktail.

A cheesy and flavorful vegetarian quiche is made of cheese, yogurt, tofu and assorted vegetables. If you don't have egg substitute, use eggs instead.

Stir-fry chicken in red curry paste and coconut cream spiked with peanuts and fish sauce for a Thai-inspired dish that's creamy, spicy, and ready in 20 minutes.

Ginger-loaded tofu stir-fry with tree ear mushrooms, green peas, and a sweet-sour vinegar finish. A quick Chinese vegetarian wok dish with earthy, bold flavors.

Sharp cheddar and cream cheese spread with dry sherry, vermouth, Worcestershire, and Tabasco blended with softened butter. A bold, boozy pub-style cheese crock for crackers.

A Cajun-spiced tuna and egg salad mixing flaked tuna, chopped hard-boiled eggs and fresh tomato with a punchy mayo-mustard dressing kicked up with hot sauce and Worcestershire. Bold, briny and a little fiery.

Crispy Vietnamese imperial rolls (cha gio) with ground pork, tree-ear mushrooms, bean sprouts, and bean thread noodles. Includes a homemade nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Baked hot bean dip with cream cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, sour cream, and taco seasoning, spiked with hot sauce. Bubbling, cheesy, and perfect with tortilla chips.

Low cal crab dip blended from reduced-fat cream cheese, light sour cream, sharp cheddar, fresh crab meat, and a kick of horseradish. The lighter take on a party staple, no oven required.

Broiled crab melts on Melba toast rounds with lime, green onion, and hot mustard, topped with bubbling Swiss cheese. A two-bite appetizer for parties, ready in 20 minutes.

Spicy Thai cold pasta salad with red and green bell peppers, scallions, and toasted black sesame seeds in a hot sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and mirin dressing. A fast vegetarian potluck salad served chilled.

Szechuan-style pork shoulder stir-fried with cloud ear black fungus, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and ginger in hot chili sauce. An authentic Chinese wok dish.

Salmon mousse with capers and whipped cream set in a fish mold, served with sour cream dill sauce. An elegant no-cook appetizer for parties and holiday entertaining.

Grilled Hawaiian fish draped in a silky basil-coconut curry sauce with lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and homemade red curry paste. Island-meets-Thai fusion, fresh and fragrant.