The essence of sustainability. Living in Arizona as I became a serious cook made me very aware of our easy access to uniquely southwestern ingredients, everyday foods we took for granted. I lived just blocks from a pecan and date farm, my family backyard was filled with citrus and avocado… Read More

Hi guys! Monique here, founder of the food and wellness blog, Ambitious Kitchen. As a full-time food blogger I find that being busy is a blessing. Whenever I’m the busiest I know I’m doing a mix of all of the things I love — developing delicious… Read More

Since summer corn is a natural partner with a Mexican-style soup, ears of corn are roasted and sliced off the cobs to add a touch of sweetness. You can also offer chopped ripe avocado, sliced green onion, and fresh cilantro leaves to jazz up each bowl as desired. Read More

The chicken is extremely tender and a bit spicy, so a bowl of cilantro-spiked shredded cabbage, carrot, and zucchini—dressed with a little olive oil and mild vinegar—is a perfect accompaniment. Read More

This non-traditional chili takes advantage of the later summer harvest: jalapeño chiles, corn, zucchini, fresh oregano, rosemary, and cilantro. Don’t let the list of ingredients discourage you—pile them into a big soup pot and simmer for less than an hour for a great all-in-one supper. Read More

This saucy dish is great to start off a busy week—just load the slow cooker and get on with your day. The drumsticks can stand up to a bit more cooking time than other cuts of chicken, so you don’t need to rush home too soon. Read More

“Swiss” enchiladas are made with a cheese sauce, a southwestern variation of more traditional enchiladas. This version is stacked in a deep-dish pie plate—a faster technique than filling and rolling up individual tortillas. Read More

Posole is like chili, in that you can load up the table with condiments that each diner can spoon into their bowl. Crisp, spicy sliced radishes, pungent green onions, chopped ripe avocado, fresh cilantro leaves, and your go-to hot sauce are favorites. Read More

This recipe creates a baked variation of Mustard Coated Chicken Tenders using pumpkin and cumin seeds to make a seasonal crust for roasted tenders. Serve with an avocado dip. Read More

This dish starts with the basic recipe for Chicken Breasts with Chorizo, but tops them with a salad of black beans and Fresno chili peppers to dial up the warmth just in time for those first cool fall days. Read More

This dish starts with the basic recipe for Chicken Breasts with Chorizo Grill, serving them over a summery salad of grilled corn on the cob and tomatoes. Read More

Give any kind of greens a test run in these delicious quesadillas. Spinach is the quickest to wilt and the easiest to find, but baby kale leaves or chopped escarole would add a little zip. Either cook the filled tortillas in a grill pan or pop them into a Panini… Read More

Blending up sweet mango with spicy chipotle chiles creates a surprising pizza sauce with a deliciously slow burn. Look for prepared pizza dough in the refrigerator case or substitute frozen bread dough for a chewy crust. Handle the Heat created this recipe from an ingredient list submitted by Pamela S.,… Read More

Any chili powder could be substituted for the chipotle, but the smokiness of the jalapeños adds a bigger flavor to this sticky, garlicky glaze. Read More

Herb-marinated chicken paillards—breast fillets butterflied and flattened until very thin—grill up quickly, so stick close by so they don’t overcook. Halved ripe tomatoes and tomatillos still in their husks need just a few minutes on a hot grill to give them a nice roasted flavor. Read More

To shorten the roasting time, butterfly the chicken. Remove the backbone with poultry shears, open the chicken up like a book, and press flat on the baking sheet. Rub with the oil and smoky spice blend rub. Read More

Serve this savory shredded chicken wrapped in toasted tortillas, garnished with roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and sliced ripe avocado. Read More

Look for corn masa flour in the baking aisle, where it usually sits next to coarser cornmeal. Masa, a finer grind of corn that is treated with lime, is used to make corn tortillas but also makes terrific dumplings. The ingredient list might look long, but most are in your… Read More

This version of a traditional Mexican chicken dish embraces ingredients grown for centuries  in the southwestern U.S. Serve with quickly sautéed vegetables that define the heart of indigenous farming—sustainable rotating crops that include corn (maize), squashes, hot chiles, and beans. Adding chicken moves this menu up the food chain, providing… Read More