Black Pepper

Extra beans and tomatoes can turn meaty chili into a pot richer in flavor, vitamins, minerals and water-soluble fiber, while cutting the percentage of fat at the same time. This recipe makes a lot, so freeze some for an easy meal another day. To reheat, add a little a water and warm in your microwave oven or on your range-top.Bowl-of-Red Chili1 pound lean ground beef2 large onions, chopped2 15 1/2 -ounce cans red kidney beans2 15 1/2 -ounce cans dark red kidney beans1 28-ounce can peeled Italian-style tomatoes, cut up1 14 1/2 -ounce can stewed tomatoes2 4-ounce cans diced green chili peppers1/4 cup chili powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

The following quick and easy recipe was prepared by CeCe Sullivan, home economist on the staff of The Seattle Times, based on an idea from Mitch Sullivan.) Salmon with Coriander Pesto1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced2 tablespoons pine nuts1 cup packed coriander (cilantro) leaves1 tablespoon margarineteaspoon saltFreshly ground black pepper to taste2 pounds salmon filletPut the garlic and pine nuts into a food processor; mince finely. Add the coriander and chop finely. Add the margarine, salt and several grindings of black pepper.

For a spicy twist on tradition, ring in the new year with jalapeno-spiked black-eyed pea soup. Grated cheese is added right before serving. The recipe is from the Black-eyed Pea restaurant chain in Texas, courtesy of the Dallas Morning News.Spicy black-eyed pea soupMakes 10 servings.5 slices of bacon, cut in small pieces1 cup chopped onion2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno2 cups chopped tomatoes1 clove minced garlicpinch of salt-- of black pepper3 cups of water2 beef bouillon cubes4 (15.8-ounce)

Ground beef comes to the rescue in this quick and easy entree. This dish, served with a fresh salad, would make a great cold-weather meal. Most cooks will need to buy only six ingredients to make this 30-minutes or less dinner.WHAT YOU NEED1 cup uncooked macaroni1 pound lean ground beef1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced1 cup chopped onion1 clove garlic, minced1 6-ounce can no-salt-added tomato paste3/4 cup water1 cup low-sodium ketchup1 small bay leaf1 teaspoon sugar1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1/4 teaspoon oregano1/4 teaspoon basilCook macaroni according to package directions, omitting salt.

Acorn Squash with Red Onion and Currants Serves 8 2 medium acorn squash 1/4 cup vegetable oil salt and freshly ground pepper 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter 5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon paprika 2 pinches cayenne pepper 1/2 cup dried currants 1/3 cup honey 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar Heat oven to 325 degrees. Wash the squash. Using a serrated knife, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Connie M. Granger of Arlington, Va., wrote that she was looking for a black-pepper cake recipe. "Several years ago, a friend in Lexington Park served the cake, which a friend from North Carolina had baked for her. She believes it is an old family recipe because the lady who baked it refused to give out the recipe. It was a poundcake and delicious. Please see if you can locate this recipe for me. I just have to have it." Brenda Pitt of Mineral Point, Pa., responded with a recipe that she notes is "from the kitchen of the Hawaii Convention Center [Wayne Komamura, chef, and Debra Benton, food and beverage director]

Q. More than 40 years ago, I worked in a Chinese restaurant. One day at work I somehow stabbed an ice pick through the end of my thumb, and it bled severely. I couldn't get it stopped even long enough to put on a bandage. Finally, I went into the kitchen to show it to my boss. He took one look, then he reached for a can of ground sage and applied it to the wound. I never saw anything stop bleeding as quickly as that. Black pepper isn't the only home remedy for bleeding found in the kitchen.

Where do "Pulp Kitchen's" recipes come from, scriptwriter Jon Jolles asked producer Marsha Derrickson during filming at Steve Blair's Roland Park kitchen.She nodded toward Blair. "He makes 'em up."When the filming was over, Blair distributed big slices of the featured blueberry crisp.Here are Blair's recipes for the quesadilla he prepared on the sidewalk at Lacey's and for the blueberry crisp. (For other recipes, check out pulpkitchen.com or wbaltv.com on the Web.)Hot pepper quesadillasServes 12 (6-inch)

Emilia Schwartz from Pasadena was looking for a recipe for a salad made with cannellini beans and other ingredients that she said she got some years back when she belonged to Weight Watchers. Bonnie Besche from Baltimore sent in a bean salad recipe she found in her "Weight Watchers Simply the Best" cookbook and thinks it may be the one that Schwartz is in search of. The recipe comes from Sheryl Knuth of Omaha, Neb., and in the note that precedes her recipe she says that she especially likes this one because it helps encourage good eating habits in her children.

The American Heart Association has come out with the fifth edition of its cookbook (Times Books), and I love it. This outfit knows all of us want to eat stuff like sloppy Joes and tostadas, food usually high fat.Wisely, the recipe developers, Gael Greene, restaurant reviewer from New York magazine, among them, took a look at our old favorites and trimmed them down to a good calorie count. Flavor is still there.You'll feel like a teen-ager again eating these sloppy Joes, beef tostadas and beef pitas.