Chicken Burritos with Black-Bean Salsa and Pepper Jack

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed black beans (from one 15-ounce can)
2. 2 scallions including green tops, chopped
3. 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
4. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
7. 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
8. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
9. 1/2 pound pepper Jack cheese, grated
10. 4 large (9-inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Light the grill or heat the broiler. In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the beans, scallions, lemon juice, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
2. Rub the chicken breasts with the chili powder, pepper, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook the chicken over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Turn and cook until brown and just done, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove, let the chicken rest for a few minutes, and then slice.
3. Heat the oven to 350°. Put one quarter of the cheese in a line near one edge of each tortilla. Top the cheese with one quarter of the black-bean salsa and then with one quarter of the chicken slices. Roll up the burritos and wrap each one in foil. Bake them until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD You can assemble the burritos ahead of time and bake them just before serving. If they've been in the refrigerator, add about five minutes to the baking time. SERVE WITH Embellish your burritos with sour cream or salsa, if you like. Sliced tomatoes or rice would make good side dishes.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

With the heat from the cheese, stay away from any serious, high-alcohol, low-acid wines. Try a white from a cooler growing area such as a Riesling from the Finger Lakes region of New York or any white from the Alto Adige region of Italy. A cold beer is a great alternative.

Crispy Quails with Chile Jam and Three-Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:

QUAILS

1. 1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled ginger
2. 4 garlic cloves, smashed
3. 3 shallots, quartered
4. 1/2 cup soy sauce
5. 3 tablespoons sugar
6. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
7. 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
8. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
9. 8 semiboneless quails

CHILE JAM

1. 3/4 cup water
2. 2 ounces tamarind paste (see Note)
3. 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4. 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5. 2 shallots, thinly sliced
6. 2 large jalapeños, preferably red, seeded and thinly sliced
7. 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8. 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
9. 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
10. 1 teaspoon ground dried shrimp (optional)
11. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
12. 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
13. 

SALAD

1. 4 ounces yellow wax beans
2. 1 cup frozen butter beans, thawed
3. 1 cup frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
4. 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
5. 1 shallot, thinly sliced
6. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
7. 1/4 teaspoon pure ancho chile powder
8. 1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1. DIRECTIONS:
2. In a blender, puree the ginger with the garlic, shallots, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, five-spice powder and pepper. Transfer the marinade to a resealable plastic bag, add the quails and seal, pressing out the air. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the tamarind paste and simmer for 2 minutes, mashing with a wooden spoon to dissolve the paste. Strain the tamarind puree through a coarse sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids.
4. In a medium saucepan, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, shallots and jalapeños and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and cook until melted. Stir in the tamarind puree and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fish sauce and dried shrimp.
5. In a small bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the chile jam with the soy sauce and lime juice to make a dressing.
6. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the wax beans until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a colander and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and cut into 1-inch pieces, then transfer to a bowl. Boil the butter beans and black-eyed peas for 1 minute, then drain. Add the butter beans, peas, tomatoes, shallot, cilantro and chile powder to the wax beans. Add three-fourths of the dressing and toss.
7. Heat 2 large skillets until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to each skillet. Drain the quails and pat dry; add to the skillets, breasts down, and brown over high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes.
8. Mound the salad on plates. Top with the quails and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve the chile jam on the side.
NOTES Tamarind paste is available at specialty food shops and Asian markets.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

The Asian spices and chile jam suggest a white with sweet fruit flavor. Try an Oregon Pinot Gris.

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Grilled Tilapia With Couscous

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 6-ounce tilapia fillets, split lengthwise
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the tilapia and toss to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to the package directions. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley and sun-dried tomatoes.
3. Heat grill to high. Grill the tilapia on an oiled grate until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with the couscous and lemon wedges.

Seafood-and-Chicken Paella with Chorizo

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 ounces fresh chorizo, casings removed
2. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
3. 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
4. 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
5. 1 cup arborio rice
6. Pinch of saffron threads dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
7. 1 1/2 cups water
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
10. 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
11. 1/4 cup dry white wine
12. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13. 1/2 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
14. 1/2 pound cockles, scrubbed and rinsed
15. 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, preferably dark meat (8 ounces)
16. 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
17. 1 scallion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 10-inch paella pan or ovenproof skillet, cook the chorizo over moderate heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until some of the fat is rendered and the chorizo is browned, 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened and just beginning to brown, 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, saffron with its liquid and the 1 1/2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, without stirring, until the rice is al dente and the liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add them to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the rice. Discard the oil.
3. Wipe out the skillet. Pour in the wine and lemon juice. Add the mussels and cockles, cover and cook, shaking the skillet, until the mussels open, about 3 minutes. Pour the mussels and cockles and their cooking liquid over the rice.
4. Stir the cooked chicken into the rice. Cover and cook in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the paella is just heated through. Garnish with the parsley and scallion, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and serve.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

A crisp, grapefruity Spanish Verdejo is perfect with paella.

Spanish Baked Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of pepper
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sliced pitted green olives
3 pounds chicken parts
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine

METHOD

1 In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, bay leaves, raisins and olives. Prick the skin of the chicken with fork tines and add to the marinade, coating well. Cover and refrigerate several hours or up to overnight.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken in a 12x8x2-inch baking dish. Combine wine with the marinade and pour over chicken. Sprinkle chicken with brown sugar. Bake uncovered at 350°F, basting occasionally, until chicken is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

Garlicky Caesar Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1. One 2-ounce can olive oil–packed anchovies, drained, rinsed and finely chopped, plus 8 anchovy fillets for garnish
2. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
3. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4. 4 large egg yolks
5. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup Parmesan shavings
6. 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7. About 5 romaine lettuce hearts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (24 cups)
8. 2 cups large country bread croutons (see Note)
9. 2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large wooden or ceramic bowl, mash the chopped anchovies and garlic to a paste with a large wooden spoon. Whisk in the lemon juice. Whisk in the egg yolks and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the oil until blended.
2. Add the romaine, croutons and pepper to the dressing and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan shavings and toss lightly. Transfer to bowls, garnish with the anchovy fillets and serve.

NOTES To make basic croutons, toss stale bread cubes with melted butter. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes.

Pan-Fried Flounder with Poblano-Corn Relish

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 large poblano chile pepper, cut into thin strips
2. 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
4. 1 ear of corn, kernels cut off
5. 1 garlic clove, minced
6. 1/2 large Hass avocado, diced
7. Juice of 1/2 lemon
8. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. Four 6-ounce flounder fillets
11. All-purpose flour, for dredging

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, spread the poblano strips in an even layer and cook over high heat, without stirring, until lightly charred, 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and the onion and cook over moderate heat until the onion is lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the relish to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Gently fold in the avocado, lemon juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
2. Season the flounder with salt and pepper. Dredge the flounder in the flour, shaking off the excess. In each of 2 large, nonstick skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add 2 fillets to each skillet and cook over moderately high heat until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook just until the fillets are white throughout, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the flounder to plates and top with the poblano relish.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

This delicate fish and its smoky relish need a Chardonnay that isn't overwhelmingly rich, with a touch of smokiness from French oak.

Crispy Deep-Fried Ribs

INGREDIENTS:

1. 14 large garlic cloves—8 peeled and smashed, 6 minced
2. 1/2 cup sliced fresh ginger plus 1/4 cup minced (6 ounces total)
3. 6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
4. 4 star anise pods
5. 3 cups soy sauce
6. 2 quarts water
7. 2 cups ginger ale
8. 1/2 cup dry white wine
9. Strips of zest and juice from 1 navel orange
10. 1 cup granulated sugar
11. 1/2 cup cilantro stems plus 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
12. 3 racks of baby back ribs (5 1/2 pounds)
13. 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying
14. 2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
15. 1 cup ketchup
16. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
17. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
18. 1/2 cup cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large roasting pan, combine the smashed garlic with the sliced ginger, scallion whites, star anise, 1 1/2 cups of the soy sauce, the water, ginger ale, white wine, orange zest and juice, granulated sugar and cilantro stems. Set the pan over 2 burners and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.
2. Add the baby back ribs to the roasting pan, cover tightly with foil and bake for about 2 hours, or until the ribs are very tender. Let cool to room temperature, then spread the ribs out in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 30 minutes. Discard the braising liquid.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil. Add the minced garlic and ginger and the scallion greens and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of soy sauce, the brown sugar, ketchup and crushed red pepper and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the chopped cilantro. Transfer the rib sauce to a large bowl.
4. In a large, sturdy pot, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch. Cut the racks into individual ribs. Toss the ribs in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Working in batches, fry the ribs until the coating is lightly golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer the ribs to paper towels to drain briefly, then add them to the sauce in the bowl and toss to coat. Pile on a platter and serve hot.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 3; refrigerate the ribs and sauce separately for up to 2 days. NOTES Cocktail Match Cosmopolitan with a splash of watermelon juice.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

Zinfandel, with its voluptuous berry-driven flavor and modest tannins, makes a nice match for these equally over-the-top ribs. While the greatest Zinfandels are often single-vineyard wines from ancient vines, some moderately priced California Zins instead gain complexity by blending fruit from different regions.

Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 habanero chile, seeded and chopped
2. 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3. 1 scallion, thinly sliced
4. 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
5. 1 teaspoon ground allspice
6. 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
7. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
8. 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
9. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
10. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
11. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
12. 1 cup store-bought Kansas City–style barbecue sauce
13. 4 pork rib chops (12 ounces each)
14. 1/2 cup hickory, pecan or oak chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mini food processor, combine the habanero, onion, scallion, garlic, allspice, thyme, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Process until finely chopped. Add the 1 tablespoon of oil and process to a smooth paste.
2. In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the paste with the barbecue sauce. Spread the remaining paste all over the chops and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Light a gas grill. Wrap the wood chips in heavy-duty foil, pierce the packet all over with a skewer and add to the grill. Cover and let the chips begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.
4. Lightly brush the chops with oil and season with salt. Grill the chops, covered, over moderately high heat, turning and shifting the chops occasionally, until they are lightly charred and a meat thermometer inserted nearest the bone registers 140°, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chops to a platter and serve with the spiced barbecue sauce on the side.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

Beer Pale ale: Deschutes Mirror Pond.

Wine Bold, juicy Nero d'Avola.

Jamaican-Style Jerk Spareribs

INGREDIENTS:

1. 7 pounds pork spareribs, trimmed of excess fat
2. 8 medium scallions, coarsely chopped
3. 8 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4. 3 Scotch bonnet chiles with some of their seeds, coarsely chopped
5. 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
6. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
7. 1/4 cup soy sauce
8. 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
9. 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground allspice
10. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
11. 1 tablespoon kosher salt
12. 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the spareribs over moderate heat for 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
2. In a food processor, combine the chopped scallions with the garlic, chiles, onion, vegetable oil, soy sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, ground allspice, lime juice, salt and pepper and process the mixture to a paste.
3. Set the spareribs on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and spread the jerk paste all over them. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
4. Light a grill. Grill the spareribs over a medium-hot fire, turning them frequently if they are browning too fast, until lightly charred and crisp, about 25 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut in between the ribs, arrange on a platter and serve.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

A fruity, spicy Zinfandel will stand up to the heat in this dish. Choose one with low levels of oak and alcohol, since fiery spices exaggerate both qualities in a wine. Or, alternatively, choose a zesty, full-flavored Caribbean beer like Red Stripe to cool down the spices.