Spices is one of my favorite restaurants in DC, not necessarily because there is anything especially fancy or spectacular about it (although it is always a solidly good meal), but because they have a fantastic comfort food dish that I crave whenever I am sick... vegetable hot pot. Rather than trek all the way up to Cleveland Park just for this dish, I decided to try to recreate it at home tonight. I have to say, I did a pretty good job.

Vegetable Hot Pot
Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used No Chicken Broth from Whole Foods)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. (or more to taste) red pepper flakes
2 carrots, thinly slices into disks
1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded
1.5 cups bean sprouts (I used a can, which wasn't that bad, although I'd prefer to have had fresh)
1 can water chestnuts (I think I might leave these out next time... I didn't really notice them)
1 block extra-firm tofu, diced into approximately one inch pieces
4 scallions, sliced
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar

Directions:
1. Pour broth into a pot and add garlic and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.
2. Add carrots and cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add bean sprouts and water chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add tofu and cook for a few more minutes.
5. Add scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar and cook for a few more minutes. (I know, "few more minutes" is not very helpful, but I didn't check my watch or anything.)
6. Serve (with Sriracha sauce if you like it extra spicy, like I do.)

This was the perfect thing to eat with my cold... I could actually taste it even through my dulled taste buds! It was so easy, I may not have to go out to Spices anymore. (Just kidding... they make yummy spring onion cakes and I haven't figured those out yet!)