Pinto Bean

Familiar sides meet in a fresh, colorful salad.

This lively salad adds color, flavor and crunch to any grilled main course.

To cut the spiciness, seed the jalapeño before adding it to the beans; garnish the dish with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped red or green onion and salsa would be great toppings. Look for chorizo in the refrigerated meat or deli case.

Borracho means drunk, and it refers to the beer in the cooking liquid. If you're cooking beans and pork roast at the same time, you can use the fatty pieces of pork that you remove while carving to add flavor to the beans. Otherwise, use some bacon.

These can be made one day before serving.

Just like some Mexican moles, this chili has a bit of chocolate in it. Serve sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar cheese alongside.

A jicama, watercress and red onion salad and warm corn tortillas would be terrific with this meatless entrée. Scoop lemon sherbet into cantaloupe halves for dessert. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a chunky, hearty beef stew that's just right on a cold winter day.

Chuckwagon cooks used to simmer beans for days, and the cowboys always thought they tasted best on the third day. This version, called frijoles de olla in Spanish, is even better reheated. The beans cook in flavorful juices that are also served with them.