Chile

Pat: This is our kind of tomato soup—it has plenty of attitude! A double dose of heat (crushed red-pepper flakes and chipotle-pepper purée) gives it a smoky undertone; a garnish of avocado relish balances the flavors and provides an appealing texture. This soup is delicious with hot cornbread or grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches.

This dish is a prime example of how a cooking technique—in this case, charring peppers over an open flame—adds fabulous flavor to a dish without one bit of fat, sugar, carbohydrate, or salt.

At most chain restaurants, just one serving of this very popular appetizer (I love them!) can register between 500 and 1,000 calories, half of which come from fat. The fat content in this version has been reduced from 36 grams per serving to a paltry 5.3 grams per serving. The combination of a reduced-fat cheddar cheese and baking instead of deep-frying is the secret. Jalapeños bake so nicely, I wonder why poppers were ever deep-fried in the first place!

Chipotle in adobo sauce can be found in both small and large cans. They are smoked dried jalapeño peppers that are packed with flavor! In the can, they are soft and packed in vinegar and spices. If heat is not your thing, then use half of one chipotle pepper. The remainder of the chipotles can be frozen in a resealable plastic bag for other uses such as adding a smoky, spicy flavor to soups and stews or shaking up and waking up your everyday guacamole.

A lower-carb alternative to pot stickers and other dumplings.

East Coast meets West Coast in this dish. Chowder plus Tex-Mex equals a really good idea in any direction!

I make this one when I watch GoodFellas. Shave the garlic nice and thin, like Paulie would, but don’t use a razor blade like he does in the movie. A sharp knife is fine.

I’m always trying to come up with yet another version of chili and yet another chicken dinner. Here’s both in one meal in another new way.

When you’re watching the big game it’s important to have some smashmouth, tough-guy food like this.

Stoup is good food. Homemade? Well, that’s even better

This stoup will quickly become one of your comfort food favorites, promise!

This one is a B, L, D: good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s easy to adjust to make a single serving; I often opt for eggs if I am cooking for just myself. Migas in soft tortillas is a favorite dish in Austin, Texas, and now it’s a favorite of mine. When I am home alone I put Bob Schneider, my favorite Austin musician, on my stereo and invite him to sit down to share my migas. I end up eating his, since my imaginary boyfriends eat light!