Southwestern

Maple syrup lends sweetness and chipotle chilies add smoky heat to a terrific glaze for grilled corn on the cob.

Use leftover roast chicken for this, or buy a cooked chicken at the market. For an extra-special treat, top each baked slice with a dollop of sour cream and sliced avocado.

Serve with: A black bean salad and burger toppings like pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Hamburger buns are optional. Dessert: Dulce de leche ice cream and sliced strawberries.

Ground turkey would make a fine substitute for beef in these Southwest-style burgers (grill until cooked through).

Borracho means drunk, and it refers to the beer in the cooking liquid. If you're cooking beans and pork roast at the same time, you can use the fatty pieces of pork that you remove while carving to add flavor to the beans. Otherwise, use some bacon.

Carne Adovada At Maria's New Mexican Kitchen, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this stew is used to fill enchiladas and burritos, but it also makes a very satisfying meal served alone or over rice.

Chef Robert Del Grande of Cafe Annie, in Houston, serves a fillet of beef with a coffee chile sauce — we think the flavor combination also works well with the succulence of short ribs. We recommend serving these ribs over soft polenta. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

This recipe has a nice balance of sweet and spicy flavors, and a drizzle of lime juice provides tang. Serve the corn and the Hearts of Romaine and Roquefort Salad with the burgers, and check out the box on the next page for potato salad suggestions.

Talk about simple stews! You don't have to brown the meat — and the stew cooks in an easy hour.

If you'd like to make the jalapeño-lime butter one day ahead, use a broiler or gas burner to char the chiles and save the grill prep for the corn.

Many Americans first tasted this cold vegetable soup at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Gazpacho came into favor partly as a vehicle for showing off blenders, the popularity of which created a boom in recipes that called for liquefying ingredients. This recipe goes the Spanish classic one better with the addition of smoky chipotle chilies.

The steak served at Chamberlain's Prime Chop House in Dallas, Texas, is flavored with a soy sauce and honey marinade. Pour a Merlot with dinner, and serve a spice cake with peach ice cream for dessert.

A dollop of yogurt adds a creamy richness and cuts the heat of the chiles.

"At the Manhattan law office where I'm a legal secretary, it seems as though the phones are always ringing," writes Lisa Caiazzo of Franklin Square, New York. "And if it isn't the phones that have me occupied, then there are lots of documents that need my attention. By the time I get home from the city, I usually have only about 45 minutes to put together dinner for my husband, Angelo, and myself. Still, that's enough time to make something filling and delicious, like a salad and a hearty pasta or soup. My best cooking, though, is done on Sundays during the fall and winter, when I become a football widow. An afternoon of cooking can be very therapeutic after a busy week." Any mixture of vegetables you have on hand would make a great filling. Serve the wraps with purchased salsa and sour cream.

I first created this recipe at Routh Street Cafe in 1984. I've since had it on menus at five different restaurants in some form or another. It's also delicious when spread with a mixture of one part jalapeño jelly and three parts cream cheese whipped together. It's also best served warm.