Mexican-Spiced Braised Short Ribs

Hearty and flavorful, this dish will warm up autumn

Chillier weather is headed our way. So we’re pulling out the braising pot – which is dusty after not being used all summer.

Braised beef short ribs are a fave around here. And we love Mexican-style dishes, so adding chilies is a natural.

We think you’ll love these short ribs. Serve them to guests, and they’ll love you too.

Chicken and Black Bean Nacho Dip

All the flavor of regular nachos, but easier to make (and eat)

Nachos! What could be better?

Well, how about easier-to-make nachos that don’t fall apart on the way to your mouth?

Enter this nacho dip. All the traditional nacho yum in a dip that stays put on tortilla chips.

Your washing machine will thank you.

Slow-Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

Easy and tasty, great for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas

Yearning for some spicy Mexican, but don’t want to heat up the kitchen during those long summer months? Just plug in the slow cooker – it’s a cool way to make hot Mexican dishes.

This recipe for shredded chicken is easy, tasty, and versatile. You might call it Mexcellent.

Pumpkin-Spice Pumpkin Soup

Deep flavor with a hint of chipotle heat

Autumn is near in our part of the world. That means soup – and pumpkins.

So we decided to combine those two autumn affiliates into one slurpy dish. It’s easy to prepare and makes a stunning starter.

This soup mingles sweet and zesty in a smooth mix. Because pumpkin spice isn’t just about cinnamon. Pumpkins can take the heat.

Chilled Plum Soup

Aromatic spices and (optional) chipotle energize this seasonal pleaser

Plums are overflowing our supermarket displays this time of year. They’re just begging us to take them away from their overcrowded bins. So how can we leave plums off the dinner menu?

This savory soup gives the succulent stone fruit a starring role. It’s a terrific starter for a festive meal.

So cheer up your summer-weary guests with a cool spooner. And give some plums a home.

Peach and Chipotle Gazpacho

This zesty, refreshing vegan starter tames summer heat

The dog days of summer are here in our part of the world. So let’s cool off with gazpacho, shall we?

This peachy version combines sweet summer fruit with savory cukes and bell peppers, then lets them romp in chipotle fire.

Make this soup ahead of time and pop it into the fridge. Then – chill out!

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Smoky chipotle revs up this Thanksgiving favorite

Thanksgiving is coming soon here in the US. And that means sweet potatoes are on the menu.

Sweet potatoes are naturally, well, sweet. So let’s take those innocent little spuds for a walk on the wild side. Smoky, spicy chipotle chilies can teach them to sing – and dance on your tongue.

Best of all, there’s no need to confine this dish to the Thanksgiving table. It’s so tasty, we predict you’ll find yourself serving it all year round. Sweet.

Strawberry-Chipotle Soup with Mint

Fresh OJ adds brightness to this chilled starter

Soup is cool. And in this case, chilled. Which is perfect for the warm weather we’re having in our part of the world.

We particularly like this dish because it allows us to use some of the fresh, ripe strawberries that are showing up in our market. Fruit is inherently sweet, of course. But add a bit of sourness (balsamic vinegar) and spicy heat (chipotle), and you have a savory starter.

Best of all, you can make this dish a day ahead. So any time you’re ready, soup is on.

Strawberry-Chipotle Salsa with Jalapeño

Terrific as a dip, even better as a sauce

Fresh, ripe strawberries? We can’t resist. But what to do with all those cartons of luscious berries?

Sweets and desserts are a natural, of course. But strawberries like to go savory once in a while. Especially when they can flaunt a bit of heat, as they do here.

Serve this salsa with tortilla chips as an appetizer. Better yet, pair it with roasted or grilled meat, fish, or fowl. We particularly like to serve it with pork or duck, but it also works well with chicken or salmon.

We always knew strawberries could be saucy. But now they’re really hot.

Chipotle Cherry Salsa

Spicy and a bit sweet . . . great with chips or as a sauce on meat or fish

Fresh cherries? Yum! Their sweet flavor makes for such wonderful pies, tarts, and other dessert goodies.

But, hey, cherries can do savory too. As this recipe shows.

Just combine cherries with spicy chipotle and jalapeño chilies in a rich salsa. The result? A tasty and versatile dish that fits in anywhere. Serve it as a first course with chips. Or use it as a sauce to accompany pork, fish, or chicken.

Best of all, Chipotle Cherry Salsa is simple to prepare. And with peak cherry season upon us in much of the US, now is the perfect time to try it.

Chipotle Sweet-Potato Salad

Spice up your summer cookouts 

Here in the US, Memorial Day is coming up soon—signaling the start of cookout season. And cookouts require potato salad. They just do.

You could make an old favorite with white potatoes, of course. But why not try something different? Sweet potatoes—with their deep, rich flavor—work extremely well in potato salad. Add some chipotle to the mix, and you have a side dish that can stand up to any main course you slap on the grill.

So make extra. Because your guests may walk right past the burgers or barbecue to load up on this.

Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce

Spicy tomato zips up this traditional Mexican dish

When Americans think of Mexican food, we picture tacos, enchiladas, and refried beans. But seafood? Not so much.

Which is odd, because Mexico has a long coastline with some extremely productive fishing grounds. Mexicans eat lots of seafood, and many famous seafood dishes are well known throughout the country. It’s just that many of us gringos aren’t familiar with them.

With Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, you may be planning a festive menu. So how about a traditional shrimp dish from Veracruz? It has all the zesty flavor you expect from Mexican food, but it’s lighter and healthier than many of the dishes you may know.

Sounds like a winner. Olé!

Chili Basics

How To Make the Chili We All Know & Love

The nights are turning cooler, and we’re beginning to hanker after heartier food.  Few dishes are heartier — or deliver a bigger flavor punch — than homemade chili.  And if you haven’t already begun thinking about making a batch, maybe you should.

Although Texas chili (which contains meat, chiles, and little else) is perhaps the most iconic version of the dish in the United States, it’s not the chili that most of us crave.  For the majority of us, chili means ground beef, tomato, onion, and beans.  (Beans are heresy in Texas chili.)  Spice levels can vary from mild to incendiary, though most of us prefer a moderate level of heat.

Chili is an easy dish to make.  Learn the basics of this recipe, and you can make any chili — even that no-bean Texas stuff.

Sweet Potato Chili with Black Beans

Sweet Potatoes Make Great Vegetarian Chili

Cold weather has returned here in St. Louis  — so naturally I’m craving a hearty dish.

When the temps turn chilly, I turn to chili.  But with sweet potatoes?  Sounds weird, I know.  They work brilliantly though, as I discovered.

Most of us know that the naturally sweet flavor of sweet potatoes is enhanced by even more sweetness.  Think Thanksgiving candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

Less well known is the sweet potato’s affinity for spicy flavors, particularly dried chilies.  To see what I mean, try adding a dusting of ground cayenne pepper to the top of those candied sweet potatoes.  It’s an amazing combination — and a revelation.

Sweet potato chili perfectly showcases the marriage of spicy and sweet.  The first bite will make your tongue smile.

The second bite?  You’ll probably decide this is the best vegetarian chili you’ve ever eaten.

Vegetarian Chili

I lived for a spell in Texas.   There I learned the canonical Texas chili liturgy.

The dish contains chilies, obviously, and in quantity.  Probably onions and garlic (though some purists insist that spices can include only cumin, coriander, and oregano).   Salt and pepper.  Maybe tomato, in moderation (we’re not making stew here). 

Definitely no beans.  Unless you feel like it, of course.  You’re a Texan, dagnab, so you have the God-given right to eat your food how you like, even though your curious bean hankering may make you a social pariah.  If you persist in this peculiar craving, kidney beans are the best choice (preferably dark red).  Pintos will work too.

And meat.  Always meat.  Coarse ground or hand cut into ½ inch cubes.  Beef is typical.  But there’s also pork, goat, venison, buffalo.  You name it, it almost certainly has been made into chili. 

That’s it.  No additions.

Vegetarian chili?  Perish the thought.  It might be a tasty dish, but to call it chili would be nothing short of blasphemy.

Well, as Huck Finn said, “All right then, I’ll go to hell!”  Because vegetarian chili, done right, is excellent — and much less heavy than the meat version.