Tomato

Authentic, fiery mole sauces from the southern region of Mexico take days to prepare. This is a relatively quick version of the chunky, spicy, and chocolatey, mole negro or “black sauce.” To experience the full flavors of peppers, native spices, and fresh chocolate, book a culinary vacation to Oaxaca, Mexico, the Land of Seven Moles, where you can explore a district known as the Trail of Chocolate. In the meantime, get fresh ingredients from your local farmers’ market. You can substitute jalepeños for the poblano chiles, but the dark dried ancho and mulato chiles are important to bring the sauce to its characteristic deep chocolate brown. This will make a large batch of sauce designed to thin and use for a meal, then freeze and thaw as needed.

When you need a satisfying meal that uses ground beef, try this recipe. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Just brown the beef, heat the sauce, and add the rice. Then ring the dinner bell!

If you like gumbo, you will like this one-dish beef meal. This recipe lends itself well to experimentation, so try different vegetables and beans for variety. To stretch the number of servings, ladle the mixture over steamed brown rice.

A classic dish gets a quick makeover. Some flavor combinations never go out of style!

Today’s low-fat sausages make it easy to enjoy heart-healthy versions of some Eastern European dishes, such as this one.

This hearty dinner in a bowl is a great comfort after a hectic day, especially since you don’t need to chop anything to prepare it.

Can’t decide whether you prefer spaghetti sauce or Alfredo sauce? With this double-sauced casserole, you get to enjoy both.

These “pass arounds” will be a family favorite. You’ll like them because they utilize planned-overs from Taco-Rubbed Flank Steak (page 184), making it easy to get dinner on the table in next to no time. Your kids will like choosing their own combination of condiments and creating their own burritos. And everyone will like the taste.

While the steak is simmering, prepare instant brown rice to serve with the sweet and spicy sauce. Round out the meal with tossed salad or your favorite green vegetable.

Buy marinated chicken fajita meat at the grocery store, choosing the one with the lowest sodium, or marinate chicken tenders in a low-sodium fajita marinade. You can even use leftover cooked chicken or lean beef. Warm it with the pasta and sauce.

Although this dish is delicious if served immediately, the chicken and noodles absorb even more flavors if the mixture has time to stand for a while.

For a delicious Italian dinner, serve this flavorful combination of portobello mushrooms, bell peppers, and plum tomatoes with brown rice or on your favorite whole-grain pasta.

This vegetable-rich entrée is a breeze to make with prepared polenta.

Celebrate flavors of the Yucatán with this chicken dish, which is served on brown rice colored with turmeric.

Capture some of the best flavors of Greece—spinach, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and feta—in this family-pleasing vegetarian casserole.

This recipe makes a lot, but the dish tastes even better the second day and lends itself well to variations. For instance, you can warm the leftovers and serve them in whole-grain pita pockets or add 1 tablespoon fat-free Italian or balsamic vinaigrette and 1/2 cup chopped raw vegetables to every 1/2 cup cooked and chilled red lentils.

Rich-tasting, thick, and so flavorful—no one will miss the meat in this stew.

If you want to, you can stretch this hearty southwestern stew by serving it over brown rice. Put about a half-cup of cooked rice in each bowl, then top with the stew.

When your meat-loving guests taste this chili, they’ll be amazed that a meatless dish can be so hearty.

This recipe is a great example of how to prepare a classic French dinner in minutes and in only one pan.