Will's Chipotle Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Simply Recipes & Martha Stewart

Jack Zahora

Ingredients

Flourless Chocolate Cake:
7 tsp unsalted butter
10 oz baker's chocolate
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
2.5 tbsp Chipotle powder
2 tbsp Adobo Sauce
1.5 pinches salt
Spicy Blackberry Sauce:
6 6oz packages of blackberries
3 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tbsp habanero sauce
4-6 tbsp sugar

Helpful Items
9" Springform baking pan
Double boiler
Egg beater with whisk attachment

Directions  

Flourless Chocolate Cake:

    1) Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Don't forget this step; I've discovered that bumping it up to 450 to compensate doesn't work.

    2) In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and the butter. The smaller the pieces are, the easier this will be. If you don't have a double boiler a) get one, because melted chocolate exerts more social influence than melted gold, or b) for now, just MacGyver it by placing a glass bowl as a lid over a pot of boiling water-- but make sure the bowl does not touch the water.

    3) Remove the chocolate from the boiler and let it cool. In a clean non-plastic bowl, whisk the eggs to soft peaks, or about three times their original volume. Martha says you can get a fluffier texture by throwing the yolks in with the chocolate mixture and whisking the whites only. A whisk attachment for the egg beater makes this trivial, but even the standard beaters will get things going. Unless you're a masochist, don't try and whip these by hand. We invented electricity for a reason. I can only assume this was it.

   4) Once the eggs are whipped, add about 1/4 of the eggs into the mostly-cooled chocolate. If the chocolate is too hot you'll get an awesome bubble-wrap noise, and the cake will be very dense. Next, pour the chocolate-egg mixture slowly into the remaining eggs and fold them together. Any excessive violence will deflate the cake.

   5) Add the chipotle powder and adobo sauce to taste, along with a pinch of salt. This step exists mainly to give you ample excuse to taste the batter. It turns out that small amounts of salt accentuate the other flavors in the dish and are a must for baking.

   6) Pour the combined mixture in to a 9 inch (or so) baking pan, and place it on the center rack of the oven. When a toothpick/knife in the center of the cake comes out clean, it's finished. This will probably take 40 minutes.

   7) Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes while you put together the sauce.

Editor's Note: It's worth noting that I'm not the best baker. In fact I'm probably the worst kind-- improvisational and inexperienced-- but you can trust that even if this recipe goes horribly awry it will still leave you with a delicious hunk of melty chocolate. Wiser bakers will probably point out much better ratios for the ingredients.

Spicy Blackberry Sauce: 
     8) In a large bowl, crush the blackberries with the back of a spoon, trying to extract as much juice as possible.

     9) Using a small strainer, one lump at a time, filter the juice into another bowl and set aside the seeds- they make a good garnish, and probably a great cobbler, as well.
 

    10) Using the double boiler or a sauce pan, add a half tablespoon of sugar and heat the blackberry juice until it's reduced by about half.
 

    11) Remove the sauce from heat and add in the Sriracha, habanero sauce, and sugar. If you're open to experimenting, the idea is to add Sriracha until it burns, then habanerosauce until it's unbearable, and finally enough sugar to make you want to repeat the experience.

    12) Drizzle or spread over cake, and serve. 

Editor's Note: This was made almost entirely through trial-and-error. To spare my dignity, I'm going to omit the repeated use of the phrase "buy more blackberries and start over." Since this process is, like anything poorly understood, as much ritual as science, I'm recording how I did everything. Improvements likely abound. 

Alexa Meade

Will Claybaugh teaches calculus in Vienna, Virginia. Besides writing witty recipe instructions, he models for Alexa Meade Art.

Heather's Spicy Chunky Vegetable Chili
Original Recipe

Jack Zahora

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic (or to taste)
4 large carrots, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 summer squash, cut into 3/4 in. pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 in. pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into 3/4 in. pieces

1 poblano pepper, cut into 3/4 in. pieces
 3 Cups prepared vegetable stock (I used 1/2 cup less to keep it thick)
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans

1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 can (15 oz.) vegetarian re-fried beans
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with basil
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 teas. ground cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp. Cayenne
1/2 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tbsp Italian seasonings
10 white mushrooms, quartered

10 baby portabellas, sliced
Salt, black pepper and sugar to taste
Splash of Paprika (optional for more heat)

Directions

     1) In large stockpot, heat oil and add onions and garlic.

     2) Saute for 8 minutes, or until onions are translucent.  

     3) Add carrots; saute for 8 more min.  

     4) Stir in pepper, mushrooms, squash and zucchini; saute 4 min.
 

     5) Gently stir in vegetable stock, beans, tomatoes and tomato paste.  

     6) Add seasonings to taste.  

     7) Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 min, or until desired thickness.

Heather Somerville is a freelance journalist in Washington, DC.  Her culinary side includes specialties in Mediterranean cuisine and homemade eggnog.  

Jennryn's Tofu Stir Fry
Original Recipe

Jack Zahora

Ingredients 
olive oil to taste
Teriyaki sauce to taste
3 cloves garlic, or more to taste
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 marble sized piece of shredded ginger
2 zucchini, diced
1 summer squash, diced
6 oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
10 olives, chopped
splash of olive juice
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch of crushed red pepper
cracked black pepper to taste
onion powder to taste
squeeze of lemon juice
Thai sweet and spicy sauce (optional)
2 boxes firm tofu, cubed
1 Tbsp all purpose flour (optional)
fresh springs of cilantro for garnish
sesame seeds for garnish

Directions
    1) On low heat, saute garlic, red onion, and a little ginger in the olive oil and Teriyaki sauce for about 10 minutes.The onions should slightly caramelize.

    2) Add zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, olives, brown sugar, olive juice, red pepper, cracked black pepper, onion powder and lemon juice.

    3) When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add the tofu and more Teriyaki sauce or Thai sweet and spicy sauce. (Thicken the stir fry with a the all purpose flour if needed.)

    4) Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Jennryn Wetzler works for the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC. As a Boren Fellow, she conducted independent research on human trafficking in Thailand. She's also known locally as a portrait artist.

Chris' Blueberry and Raspberry Burritos
From The UnCook Book

Jack Zahora

Instructions
2 purple cabbages
1/2 cup raw ricotta
1/2 cup spinach
1/4 cup marinated mushrooms
1/4 cup raw salsa
1/4 cup curried guacamole
1/4 cup sprouted rice or quinoa
6 blueberries
6 raspberries
2 tablespoons of mango, kiwi and/or strawberry
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Directions
     1) Peel purple cabbage leaves from the bottom, taking care not to make any tears.

     2) Spread the Ricotta Cheese inside the leaf.

     3)  Place layer of spinach leaves on cheese.

     4) Fill with mushrooms, salsa, and curried guacamole. 

     5) Top with a sprinkle of sprouted rice (optional), blueberries, raspberries and/or other fruits adding a little Celtic sea salt. 

     6) Wrap the sides of each leaf around it's contents and eat
 

Chris Lemos is an outdoor enthusiast with a background in advertising and media technology. He's a Maryland native, and clearly a missing link in the human evolutionary chain.

A Look Back at January's SPICY Dinner Party!

What happens when you ask an Indian chef to host a dinner party? And then assigned 80 veg cooks to remix their favorite dishes with crushed red pepper, Tabasco, habanero sauce, and hot chilis?

You get heart burn. And one rocking HOT party!

Now don't just salivate over the video. Use the recipes during this month---they're all from dishes served at this event!

And couch potatoes or no fun! Sign up and come to our next dinner party on February 29th!

Rupen's Paneer Makhani
Original Recipe

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter

1 tbsp ginger paste + garlic paste (equal amounts)

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 tbsps full fat plain yogurt

1.5 cups tomato puree

1 tbsp finely ground fenugree leaves 

1 lb paneer cheese, chopped in 1 inch cubes

1 tsp sugar, or a little bit more

2 tbsps heavy cream

Salt to taste

Fresh, chopped coriander (optional)

Directions

    1) Melt the butter in a 3 quart pot over medium heat.

    2) Saute the ginger/garlic paste along with the jalapenos for a minute, stirring continuously. 

  

    3) Stir in the powdered spices, and saute for 30 seconds. If the powdered spices start to burn, take the pot off the heat and continue to stir.

    

    4) Stir in the yogurt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the butter in the yogurt starts to separate.

    5) Add the tomato puree, ground fenugreek and a pinch of salt. Stir well and cover. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If the puree becomes to thick before tomatoes can cook, stir in half a cup of water.  

   

    6) Add the cubes of paneer cheese, sugar and additional salt to taste. Stir gently.

    7) Stir in cream and bring to a boil.

    8) Serve with an optional garnish of fresh, chopped coriander.

Rupen Rao is an Indian chef, living in Washington, DC. For more of his original recipes, check out his Website!

Monu's Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate 
Original Recipe

Jack Zahora

  
Ingredients
   6 cups whole milk
 15 whole cardamom pods, crushed (optional)
 12 whole cloves
   2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 oz SOL Chocolate de Mesa con Azucar Morena

Directions
    1) Put milk into a cold pot.

    2) Place spices into a cheese cloth.

    3) Dip knotted cheese cloth into milk and bring to a low boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

    4) Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 20 minutes.

    5) Add cocoa powder and vanilla. Bring to simmer, whisking until blended.

    6) Discard spices and serve the hot chocolate in large mugs.



Monu Harnal is an instructional designer, consulting for the U.S. government. She's also a yoga instructor for Illume Yoga in Washington, DC.

Vina's Szechuan Eggplant Recipe

From Ching He-Huang

Jack Zahora

Ingredients 
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cm fresh ginger, grated
1 medium eggplant, sliced and cut into small chunks
500 ml water
3 tablespoons chili bean sauce, preferably doubanjiang sauce, if available
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
400 g fresh tofu, in water, drained and cubed
2 small spring onions, shredded

Directions
     1) Heat a wok with the oil over a high heat. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds.

     2) Add the eggplant to the wok and continue frying for 2-3 minutes.

     3) Pour over 500ml of water, followed by the chili bean sauce, soy sauce and tofu.

     4)Simmer for another 1-2 minutes, garnish with spring onions and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Vina Vo is a graphic designer for Al Jazeera English. Check out her motion design portfolio. When she's not doodling on her wacom tablet, she enjoys a  good bonfire and porch party. 

Katrien's Vegetarian Kefta Briouats
Adapted from About.com 

Jack Zahora

Ingredients
1 12-ounce meatless ground mock meat
1 cubanelle pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
olive oil
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 preserved jalapeno pepper, very finely chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons tomato paste
1 package fillo dough
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 lightly beaten egg

Directions:
    1) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers, and saute them, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or more, until they begin to soften.

    2) Add the tomatoes, garlic and ground mock meat. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat into fine pieces, until the meat is well-browned and thoroughly cooked.

    3) Stir in the spices and the jalapeno pepper, and taste. Adjust the seasoning if desired. Add the tomato paste, mixing well to bind the mock  meat, and continue cooking for two or three minutes to blend the flavors.

    4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And in the meantime, fold the briouats.

    5) With scissors, cut the phyllo dough into strips about two-and-a-half inches wide.

    6) Place two layered strips of phyllo dough – on your work surface.

    7) Lightly brush butter on the dough strip.

    8) Place a teaspoon of filling towards the bottom of the strip, and fold the bottom up to enclose the filling.

    9) Fold the bottom left corner of the enclosed dough upwards to the right, aligning it with the right edge of the strip. Then flip the bottom right corner upwards to the left, aligning it with the left edge of the dough. You should see a triangle take shape. Continue folding the triangle, flipping right and then left in this manner, until you reach the end of the dough.

   10) Trim any excess length off the edge of the dough, dab it with a little of the beaten egg, and tuck the end of the dough into the "pocket" formed by the open edge of dough on the briouat.

   11) Bake the briouats in a preheated oven on 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes -make sure to check on them to avoid that they brown too much.

Katrien teaches Arabic, and she's writing a dissertation on contemporary poetry from the Arabian Peninsula. She's been cooking vegetarian food for 16 years. 

Sara’s Thai Red Curry Tofu 
Original Recipe 

Tan Wiratchad/Tan Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
3 T cooking oil
1 pkg (19 oz) Firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes 
1 onion, finely chopped
1T Thai red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can coconut milk (13.5 fl oz)
1 T soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 bunch of broccoli
1 medium zucchini, sliced into thin rounds or julienne
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 T cornstarch  mixed to a paste with 1 tablespoon water or veggie stock
Salt and pepper to taste

EDITORS NOTE: Freeze and then thaw the tofu to give it an even firmer texture.


Directions
    1) Heat the vegetable oil until hot. 

    2) Add the tofu, cooking to a golden brown for approx. 3 to 4 minutes.  Tofu should be golden brown on all sides.

    3) Place tofu on a paper towel lined plate and let excess oil drain. Set aside.

    4) In a wok, heat 2 T cooking oil, and saute 3/4 of the onion until tender.
 
    5) Add remaining vegetables until they reach the desired tenderness (start with the carrots and broccoli, as
they take longer to cook, then add the zucchini and mushrooms). Then set aside.

    6) In a saucepan, heat 1 T cooking oil and saute the garlic, and the remainder of the onion over
medium heat. Let the onion sweat for a few minutes (until clear).

    7) Add the curry paste to the onion mixture, and stir through.

    8) Add the coconut milk, stirring to be sure that the paste dissolves into the liquid.

    9) Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Let simmer for a few minutes.

   10) In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water or veggie broth, until it forms a paste.

   11) Stir paste into curry and until it thickens.

   12) In a wok, add the tofu to the vegetables over medium heat.

   13) Mix in the curry sauce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This mixture can then be served alone, or over basmati rice.

Sara Thompson is a PhD student in theater history at the University of Maryland. A Shakespearean by trade, she escapes the dramatic through vegetarian cooking, the occasional vow to become a competitive 5K runner, and investing too much concern in the day-to-day life of her kitten, Emmylou.

Gaura's Spicy Vegan Goulash 

Adapted from La Dolce Vegan!

Jack Zahora

Ingredients

4 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 small onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups mock ground "beef"

2 tbsp Sassy Spice (See Editor's note)

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1 5.5-oz can tomato paste

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mix these ingredients to make 1/4 c of "Sassy Spice."

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

    1) Boil a medium pot of water.

    2) Add pasta (cook according to box directions).

    3) While pasta is cooking, put a large saucepan on medium heat. Saute the onion and celery in oil until onions are translucent. 

    4) Add the ground "beef," spices, tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer until celery is cooked. 

    5) Drain noodles and add to the "beef" mixture. Stir together until well combined and serve immediately. 

Gaura Coupal is a radiologic technologist in Washington, DC. Her interests include kittens, snooty English cheese and walks on the beach... at sunset, of course.