Chile

This savory vegetarian pie gives a nod to the ever-popular Jamaican patty.

Though it is Jamaica’s national fruit, ackee is cooked and used as a vegetable. With a subtle, almost nutty taste, it is an exciting addition to vegetarian menus.

This big batch of jalapeño-spiced orange-lime juice keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. Pour it over ice and top it with seltzer for a refreshing alcohol-free pick-me-up.

Sure, you could use just one kind of potato for this pomegranate-topped side dish, but we love to combine a few. Try orange and purple sweet potatoes plus Yukon Golds. 

This dish is triply aggressive, with sweet, sour, and spicy tastes strung together in an intense interplay. To make it your own, experiment with the balance of those three elements—you might make it more sour, or very, very spicy, depending on your palate and preferences.

In Amy Chaplin's salads, the vegetables are in the dressing. This is just one version of the raw beet dressings from her book Whole Food Cooking Every Day, where she combines sweet beets with cashew butter and red chiles to create a rich, creamy sauce.

This is a quick and easy-to-throw-together, eat-the-rainbow revelation.

Cut into steaks, pork shoulder is a well-marbled, quick-cooking cut that's terrific for grilling—especially when seasoned with a barbacoa-style rub.

Finely grating the aromatics in this Vietnamese-leaning marinade unlocks their flavor without endless chopping.

Pico de gallo, but make it roasted.

This all-purpose chile crisp—which is tangy, spicy, and addictive—will give your other condiments an inferiority complex. You’ve been warned. Put it to good use on eggs, meat, seafood, or hearty salads.

Lamb chops need enough time on the grill to let the fat render. You’ll get flare-ups as the fat melts onto the coals—that’s inevitable—but instead of letting the chops char, just move them to a new spot as needed and keep going.

This savory-sweet dish is decorated with soft cheese and a hint of garlic. Served over a crispy baguette, it’s the perfect summer lunch, midday snack, or party appetizer.

Along with adding some extra smoky-char flavor to the dish, grilling the jalapeños mellows their spiciness. If you want to up the heat, just leave them raw.

To keep shrimp tender, don’t let them sit in the marinade for too long before grilling. The acid in the citrus will start to firm up and cook the flesh.

If you don't have a grill, just heat the cast-iron skillet over medium on your stovetop. Inside or out, you’ll still have buttery clams to enjoy.

This all-green salad gets a kick from serrano, ginger, and just a hint of fish sauce. Keep the melon ice-cold for maximum contrast.

A heap of basil, tossed through just to wilt, adds a punchy, cooling element to this dish of chile- and garlic-marinated shrimp. Spoon it over a fluffy pile of white rice for a fuss-free summertime dinner.