Chile

Unless you're shopping for "meatloaf mix," it's easy to overlook ground pork. Smoky pork burgers topped with melted Muenster and creamy avocado will broaden your horizons. Don't skip the sliced tomatillo—its crisp tartness really perks things up.

It's not a real party without chocolate! Savor this sweet treat and you'll get 20 percent of your daily calcium.

This salad is delicious served immediately at room temperature. It's even better after being chilled for an hour to combine the flavors.

Eggs are always a go-to ingredient for the quick cook. Here, they're used in a quiche-like southwestern tart.Round out the meal with a romaine salad or a cup of gazpacho.

In this impressive main course, sautéed scallops and shrimp are paired with a vibrant sweet-savory salsa. Serve the seafood and the side dishes with warm corn or flour tortillas.

The beans need to soak overnight, so be sure to start this recipe one day ahead.

If the poblanos aren't hot enough, add some chopped jalapeños to the salsa verde. Garnish enchiladas with fresh avocado slices and drizzle with crema mexicana (a nutty cultured cream available at some supermarkets and at Latin markets) or stirred sour cream if crema is unavailable.

Serve with warm tortillas. 1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over, patted dry

Poblanos Rellenos con Papas y Aguacate What a wonderful dish this is, full of unexpected flavors and textures. Roasted poblano chiles are stuffed with mashed potatoes and avocados, then marinated in a sweet-and-sour mixture seasoned with roasted garlic.

I really love this soup. The flavors will remind you of corn chowder, but the texture is much lighter. The soup is bright and fresh and can be made year-round since it tastes just as good when using frozen corn as it does when using fresh.

Tinga de Puerco Pork shoulder is a humble cut of meat, but it packs a lot of flavor. Here it is simmered with a chipotle-spiked tomato sauce to make a smoky-spicy topping for crisp little tortilla chips. They can be served on a plate as a first course or passed on a tray as a nibble with cocktails or beer. Tinga is also very good as a filling for warm corn smoked Spanish sausage.

Start steaming some rice right after you preheat the barbecue to make this a complete meal.

There's no oil in this easy main course and, if you'd like to make it even healthier, low-fat or nonfat yogurt can be used instead of the whole-milk variety. Round out the meal with dal (Indian-style lentils) or some sautéed spinach. The yogurt marinade is also great for chicken.

Be anything but crabby after enjoying this sunny citrus bisque. You'll net half your daily folate needs per bowl.

Spicy, cheesy, and moist! I love this cornbread for dinner on a warm summer night, whether with barbecued meats or just a big old salad. If you don’t have Manchego, you can substitute cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gouda.

You can ease the kids into fall (and school) with this Cuban-inspired salad made with sweet late summer corn and protein-packed black beans. To make it even more of a main dish, toss in some shredded cooked chicken, thinly sliced and cut-up grilled steak, or barbecued pork or shrimp. Add a few bits of fresh basil or baby spinach just before packing.

For this dish, I recommend using leftover chicken or a pre-roasted chicken from the supermarket.

Black-eyed peas can replace the chickpeas, if desired. For a lighter soup, the rice can be omitted.

Soundtrack: "Hot Lava" by Kudu from Death of the Party This is my attempt to replicate the oh-so-slammin' hot sauce at the Senegalese restaurant Joloff, my favorite eatery in New York City. This version is only slightly hot, but if you really want that fire add one more habanero chile.