Use these delicious grilled vegetables with anything from a burger to beef or lamb.

Ingredients

• 2 bell peppers

• 1 yellow squash

• 1 zucchini

• 1 eggplant

• 1 bunch asparagus

• 1 stem rosemary, minced

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 shallots, minced

• 2 cups hot chile oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Instructions

Clean the bell peppers, being careful to remove the white pith. Cut the peppers into sixths lengthwise. Quarter the squashes lengthwise, and slice the eggplant into one-inch discs. Remove the woody stems from the asparagus. Place all of the vegetables in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Allow to marinate for at least one hour before grilling.

When you are ready to grill, remove the vegetables from the bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Place them on a preheated grill. Grill them to the extent you prefer. Serve immediately.

Serve these spicy vegetables as a side dish to just about any grilled meat or fish. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. From The Habanero Cookbook, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach, Ten Speed Press, 1995.

Ingredients

For the Vegetables:

• 8 cherry tomatoes

• 1 green bell pepper, seeds, ribs, and stem removed, cut lengthwise into wedges

• 8 large button mushrooms

• 1 onion, cut into wedges and separated

• 1 zucchini, scored with a fork and cut into ½-inch slices

For the Marinade:

• 6 green onions, minced

• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, seeds and stem removed, minced

• ½ cup soy sauce

• ½ cup malt vinegar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

To prepare the vegetables, thread them onto skewers, alternating colors and shapes, and place the skewers in a non-reactive baking dish.

To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over the vegetables. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours, spooning the marinade over the vegetables occasionally.

Brush a grill rack with vegetable oil. Grill the vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp, basting frequently with the marinade.

Blue Corn, native to the Southwest, gives these tamales a distinctive, nutty taste. Make them smaller than an entree tamale and serve as a side dish in place of a vegetable. This recipe is taken from Just North of the Border, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach. Prima Publishing, 1992.

Ingredients

• 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

• 2 cups whole-kernel corn

• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• Corn husks

• 2 cups coarse blue cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1/3 cup lard or shortening

Instructions

Combine the chiles, corn, and cheese together for the filling.

Soak the corn husks in water to soften.

Mix together the blue cornmeal and salt. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a fork until the mixture holds together. Whip the lard or shortening until it is fluffy. Add the cornmeal mixture to the shortening and continue to beat. Drop a teaspoonful of dough into a glass of cold water. If the dough floats, it is ready. If it sinks, continue to beat it until it floats.

To assemble, select corn husks that measure about 5 by 8 inches or overlap smaller ones together. Place 2 tablespoons of dough in the center of the husk and pat or spread it evenly into a 2-by-3-inch rectangle. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center and top with some cheese. Fold the husk around the dough and filling, being careful not to squeeze the tamale.

There are two basic ways of securing the corn husks. The first is to use two strips of husk to firmly tie each end of the tamale. This method works well with smaller corn husks.

The second method is to fold the tapered end over the filled husk and then fold the remaining end over it. Tie the tamale around the middle with a strip of husk to keep the ends folded down.

Place a rack in the bottom of a steamer or large pot. Make sure that the rack is high enough to keep the tamales above the water. Place the tamales on the rack, folded side down; if the pot is large enough, stand them up. Do not pack them tightly because they need to expand as they cook. Cover with additional husks or a towel to absorb the moisture. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a gentle boil, and steam for an hour for each dozen tamales, or until done. To test for doneness, open one end of a husk; if the dough pulls away from the wrapper, it is done.