Chile

This easy-to-make dip is also great as a topping for burritos and enchiladas. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

You can prepare this brightly colored dip up to two days ahead.

Use a cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet to make this recipe. Serve the bubbling cheese right from the pan, and partner the whole meal with icy Margaritas.

Traditionally, chiles rellenos are batter-coated and fried. This version is baked with a lighter cheese filling.

Add chicken or pork to turn this side dish into a satisfying main course. Chopped roasted peanuts are a nice garnish.

This recipe is from Cafe Annie in Houston, TX.

I first tasted this Cantonese pickle in a commercial version that I bought in Seattle's International District. The pickle contained stem ginger, in thick pieces so tender that you could eat them right along with the other vegetables. If you happen to grow your own ginger, by all means use the stems in this recipe. Otherwise, include the ginger just as a flavoring. The children who have tasted this pickle love it just as much as the adults do.

This bright, piquant sauce is also delicious spooned over sautéed chicken, fish, or steak. This recipe is an accompaniment for Cheese- and Shrimp-Stuffed Roasted Poblanos with Red Bell Pepper Sauce.

Pork fillet, or tenderloin, contains about as little fat and cholesterol as chicken. Available now in most supermarkets, it is tender and moist. In this recipe, the pork is marinated in honey, jalapeño peppers, and nuoc mam, the fish sauce of the Vietnamese, then grilled.

Roasted green chilies add spice to this do-ahead dish, which happens to be a great way to use up leftover chicken.

Mole, a classic Mexican chili sauce, gets streamlined here. Chipotle chilies (available canned at Latin American markets and many supermarkets) add heat, while unsweetened chocolate provides subtle sweetness. Serve the stew in shallow bowls with steamed rice. Add an arugula, orange, and red onion salad and a basket of warm corn tortillas. For dessert, offer cinnamon-spiked hot chocolate and wafer cookies.

Grilled steak with late summer corn and a squeeze of lime juice. Sound wonderful? It is. Grilled potato wedges make a terrific side.