Cranking Up the Heat with Chipotle Coleslaw

It's well known that when it's hot outside, eating spicy food will cool you down. That's why notoriously hot spots serve up some of the hottest food around.

I'm thinking of all those delicious and fiery Indian and Thai curries, Mexican salsas, Jamaican Jerks, North African Harissa and of course, my adopted Cajun eats.

Adding heat to food isn't only about kicking up your metabolism and firing up that internal air conditioning (hot foods cool us off), but peppers and pepper products have immense health benefits.

Capsaicin, a natural property in hot peppers, is a know anti-inflamatory and adding hot peppers to your diet can provide relief from rheumatoid arthritis, lower your blood sugar and cholesterol, prevent heart disease, heal an ulcer, and even promote weight loss. An added benefit is capsaicin releases endorphins, creating a sense of well being; it's also a natural pain killer and it stimulates your circulation.

So if you're hot today, whip up a batch of my highly addictive and super hot (you can tone it down) Chipotle Coleslaw and give your taste buds an awakening.

Gazpacho and Hot Summer Nights

Okay, so part of that title is a big fat lie. It hasn't been hot at all (but it was) and we are in fact enjoying some pretty darn gorgeous, albeit, cool summer weather. But it's July and I always make gazpacho in July--August, too--so in spite of 70 degree weather, I concentrated on the blue skies and sunshine and got my blender out.

What I'm sharing with you is the simplest, tastiest, and best of the best gazpacho recipes. It's not only delicious, but super healthy, so you'll definitely want to make some soon.