Lorraine's red stew fish: West African style fish stew with onions, tomatoes, and jalapeños ground into a deep red sauce, thickened with cornstarch and finished with butter. Spoon over rice or fufu.
Orange beef with sun-dried tomatoes: a Chinese-Italian fusion stir-fry with brandy-marinated flank steak, candied orange zest, sun-dried tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Restaurant-style technique at home.
Pinto beans simmered in beer and chicken stock with rendered bacon, sliced jalapeños, garlic, onion, and fresh cilantro. A smoky, spicy Tex-Mex side known as frijoles borrachos that pairs with anything off the grill.
Spicy black bean salad dressed with lime, champagne vinegar, jalapeños, cayenne, and fresh mint. A make-ahead vegan side with bright heat from dried beans cooked from scratch.
Red snapper parfait layers Creole-spiced seared snapper with a tropical papaya-coconut salsa in chilled glasses. A bright, sweet-and-spicy seafood starter dressed up in lime, cilantro, and jalapeno.
Marinated onion and kidney bean salad with Vidalia onions, bell peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, and a chili-vinegar dressing. Needs overnight marinating for the best flavor.
Spicy white chicken chili with great northern beans, green chilies, Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, and cayenne. A creamy, cheesy twist on classic chili ready in 45 minutes.
Spicy vegetarian chili simmers kidney and pinto beans with tomatoes, jalapeños, and bell peppers in a bloomed chili-cumin base. Ready in under an hour, hearty without the meat.
Broiled lime shrimp with cilantro, jalapeño, and a zippy lime-garlic dressing. Served cool over cucumber slices for a bright low-fat appetizer or light lunch.
Slow-simmered black bean soup with ham hocks, cumin, jalapeno, and dry sherry, pureed thick and finished with fresh lime juice. A from-scratch Sunday soup worth the wait.
Jalapeno chocolate cream cake with semi-sweet chocolate, Kahlua, ground almonds, and cinnamon. A rich, fudgy, intentionally underbaked cake with a slow jalapeno heat finish.
Melon salsa with ripe cantaloupe, fresh ginger, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime. A sweet-spicy no-cook fruit salsa for grilled fish, chicken, or chips.
Lima beans with jalapeno, sunflower seeds, tomato, onion, and fresh cilantro. A quick, low-calorie plant-based side dish with some heat and crunch.
Fresh orange salsa with diced oranges, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, ginger, and cilantro. A bright, citrusy no-cook salsa that pairs with grilled fish, chicken, or tortilla chips.
Savory gazpacho with 8 fresh tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, jalapenos, and red onion pulsed and chilled in a lime-spiked tomato juice broth. No cooking, all flavor.
Broiled salmon steaks served on a fiery sauce verde made from roasted New Mexican chiles, jalapeños, green peppercorns, white wine, and fresh dill. Bold, spicy, and ready in 40 minutes.