Fiesta

Tonight I used my grill pan to cook a flank steak (sprinkled liberally with salt and pepper); it was cooked for about 8 minutes per side, this is perfectly medium. Then the steak was thinly sliced across the grain. This was served with homemade tortilla chips—my new favorite food, guacamole, pico de gallo, peach salsa, and black beans and rice. I bought the pico de gallo and peach salsa in the produce section of Whole Foods. —PHH

To make guacamole, peel and seed one avocado; mash avocado with a potato masher. Stir in the juice from 1 lime, 1 minced garlic clove, ground red pepper to taste, salt to taste, 1 diced plum tomato, and some dried or chopped fresh cilantro.

To make homemade tortilla chips, cut corn tortilla rounds into six triangles. Fry, in batches, in hot peanut oil (about 1 inch deep in a Dutch oven) until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Once all chips are cooked, sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. (A little salt goes a long way.) You'll never buy tortilla chips again!

Black Beans and Rice

This also makes a great meatless meal. Serve it with sour cream, homemade tortilla chips, guacamole, and additional salsa. This makes a lot, so divide leftovers into zip-top freezer bags and freeze.

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cans black beans, drained

2 (10-oz.) cans tomatoes with green chiles

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 cups cooked brown rice

Sour cream

Salsa or pico de gallo

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Sauté onion in hot oil 5 minutes; add in garlic, and sauté 1 more minute. Add in black beans, tomatoes with green chiles, and cilantro, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in brown rice, and pour black bean mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

2. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.