Chipotle

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

This recipe is a hybrid from different schools of thought. The texture is that of shredded beef, which is authentic Texan, but the flavor is the American Southwest. The dried chilies and the chocolate give this dish an amazing rich, smoky depth. If you’re a purist and think adding beans is a sacrilege, leave them out, but they do work really well here. This is truly one of the best dishes I’ve ever made.

In most parts of Texas, enchiladas are rolled tortillas stuffed with a filling and covered in sauce. But often in West Texas (and also New Mexico) the filling and sauce are instead layered between flat tortillas. They look a bit different, but the end taste is the same, not to mention stacked enchiladas are a heck of a lot easier to make. Another feature of stacked enchiladas is the inclusion of a fried egg on top. I don't know how this tradition came about, but it's a brilliant addition. When the yolk mixes with the sauce, its creamy transformation takes the sauce from merely delicious to truly decadent. I was born and raised a rolled-enchilada girl, but I can appreciate a plate of stacked ones, especially those made with an ancho chile sauce. And if I squint, I can see in the stack the rugged terrain of West Texas, with the egg standing in for clouds and the sun. It's West Texas on a plate.

When it comes to nutrition, cherries don't bomb. They're rich in anthocyanins, which can jump-start your immune system and mop up free radicals.

Yes, avocado is high in fat, but it's the good, monounsaturated kind that helps increase satiety so you feel full with fewer calories.

Anything grilled could be described as smoky, but our cover burger is a multi layered masterpiece thanks to chipotle chiles mingled with adobo, smoked paprika, and bacon. Seared avocado makes it almost too good to be true.

Even though this version of hot wings is healthier than the classic—which is deep-fried and tossed in lots of butter and hot sauce—it's every bit as tasty.

What makes this Mexican classic special is the Pico de Gallo, a fresh, chunky salsa that also can be used as a dip for vegetables, alongside grilled meats, and to garnish tacos. Cotija is a salty Mexican cheese that is also called queso añejo. It’s fine to use canned chipotles, which are actually dried, smoked jalapeños, for this dish. If you’re using dried chipotles, cover them with boiling water, let them sit for an hour, remove the stems and seeds, and purée in a food processor or blender. Discard the soaking liquid. Serve with a pitcher of Sangría (page 248).

If the famed Italian-American noodle took a trip to the Southwest, it might come back looking a little like this. With a creamy sauce and a duo of chiles that adds smoke and spice, this pasta is packed with flavor.

Deeply chocolaty shortbread cookies get a kick from chipotle chile powder (left over from Pork Spice Rub . If you can restrain yourself, wait a day before serving the cookies—their flavor improves over time.

Editor's note: Serve this sauce with Lourdes Castro's Chicken Tamales
This is an incredibly versatile sauce that you will refer to as your "special sauce." It is creamy, smoky, and a bit spicy, and goes just as well with chicken and seafood as it does with meat and pork. But don't limit yourself to its conventional uses. Spread it on sandwiches or use it as a dip for vegetables.

Shrimp cocktail quickly becomes much more than a classic first course when you give it some Latin flair. Try tossing lime juice, cilantro, piquant adobo sauce, and creamy avocado into the mix.

This recipe originally accompanied Baja Fish Tacos .

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.

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.

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

Mild tilapia takes beautifully to a robust, smoky cilantro-chipotle sauce.

Chicken soup is an automatic crowd-pleaser, but this Mexican-inspired tortilla soup does the classic one better. Homemade broth is key here, providing a base for brown rice, black beans, and chunks of sweet potato. Cooling pieces of avocado play off of a warm, earthy undercurrent of chipotle chiles.

Albóndigas (meatballs) are often served in a soup or a sauce, but our skewered version needs only a squeeze of refreshing lime juice to bring out their meaty richness. Spicy chipotle, crumbled bacon, and a hint of cumin make them unforgettable.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted with permission from Gameday Gourmet by Pableaux Johnson.