81 spicy tomato recipes

Kick up your Independence or Flag day celebration an extra notch by making your own home-made ketchup (catsup) to make your barbecued hot dogs and burgers extra special. This is an easy way to really impress your friends and family and it's much better tasting than store bought varieties.

Mexican cebiche with mackerel fillets cured in fresh lime juice for five hours with serrano chiles, tomatoes, olive oil, and oregano. A no-cook seafood dish that lets citric acid do the cooking.

Tomato and watermelon salad with cucumber, avocado, fresh herbs, and freshly ground coriander seed in an aged balsamic vinaigrette. A juicy, summery side dish that tastes like August on a plate.

Chive croute with tomato and cheese: lightly toasted cheese bread topped with fresh tomato, chives, and melted cheese broiled until bubbly. A quick open-faced sandwich for snacking, soup, or brunch.

Toasted cheese bread topped with fresh tomato, cheddar, and chopped chives, then broiled until bubbling. A 15-minute open-faced sandwich that makes a quick lunch or snack.

One of my variations of the Bisquick "Impossible Pie" type recipe. Quick and easy...great for breakfast, brunch or a light lunch.

Sweet and sour green tomato pickles with brown sugar, vinegar, and a bouquet of pickling spices. The classic end-of-summer way to use up unripe tomatoes from the garden.

Cedar plank grilled shrimp with Creole spice, red onion, and roma tomatoes, served with lemon butter. A smoky, 30-minute summer grilling recipe with head-on shrimp cooked right on the plank.

Green tomato relish with onions, red bell peppers, and banana peppers in a tangy white vinegar brine with pickling spices. A classic end-of-season canning recipe that yields 11 pints.

Cross rib roast braised with vegetables, black olives, tomatoes, red wine, and a bouquet garni for 2 hours until fork-tender. The strained pan juices make a self-thickening gravy with no extra steps.

Texas-style red chili made from dried chile pods pureed into a fiery sauce with browned meat, cumin, and oregano. No beans, slow-simmered for hours.

Par-cooked balti meat, the make-ahead base for a balti curry: lamb braised with onions, tomato, ginger and balti spices, then the aromatics blended into a thick curry sauce ready for the final balti cook.

Seared cross rib roast braised with tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, and a bouquet garni in red wine and stock. French-inspired pot roast with a built-in vegetable gravy.

A North African-inspired chicken tagine with sweet bell peppers, dried fruits, brandy, lemon juice, and warm five-spice. Marinated overnight, then baked, served over couscous or barley pilaf.

Spicy Indonesian noodles with ground beef, bacon, tomatoes, and authentic seasonings like boemboe nasi goreng and sambal oelek. This one-hour dish tastes even better the next day.

Spicy smoked spareribs with a 10-spice dry rub featuring five spice powder and ginger, parboiled then smoked over hickory with a peach preserves basting sauce.