Recipes with red pepper flakes

Squid with a spicy Sichuan-style pepper sauce: scored squid blanched until it curls, then tossed in a fiery soy, sesame, and chili dressing. A quick Chinese appetizer with tender squid and bold heat.

Pakoras: crisp Indian fritters of onion, potato, and spinach dipped in spiced chickpea-flour batter and deep-fried to golden crunch. Monsoon-season street food at its finest.

Crustless turkey and rice quiche with mozzarella, fresh tomato, basil, and green pepper. A lighter leftover turkey recipe with a rice base instead of pastry crust.

Smoked acorn squash and wild rice bisque blends fire-kissed squash, sage, thyme, and chili flakes into a velvety bowl, finished with chewy wild rice and a squeeze of lemon for brightness.

Homemade beef and pork sausage seasoned with sage, cumin, aniseed, and red pepper flakes. Stuff into casings for links or shape into patties for grilling.

Tofu and broccoli stir-fry in a gingery sherry-soy sauce with crunchy bean sprouts, served over rice. A fast, vegan weeknight dinner that comes together in one wok, gluten-free with tamari.

Authentic Cincinnati chili with finely textured ground beef simmered in water (not browned), seasoned with chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and chili powder. Served over spaghetti, Skyline-style.

Perfumed wtih Benali 5-spice (panch puran), this tasty melange of vegetables is wonderful with basmati rice.

Black bean stew baked over brown rice with sharp cheddar, cumin, oregano, and red wine. Bubbly, cheesy, and packed with warm spices in every bite.

Garlic lover's lentil soup: a quarter cup of garlic anchors this pressure cooker lentil soup with leeks, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and balsamic. Vegan, high fiber.

Cajun chicken nuggets pan-fried in a spiced breadcrumb and onion soup mix coating with chili powder, cumin, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Kid-pleasing appetizer with grown-up Southern heat.

Harvest medley: a rice cooker one-pot meal with eggplant, tomatoes, chickpeas, and herbed rice. A vegan weeknight dinner that cooks hands-free in 30 minutes.

Microwave seafood marinara with fresh tuna, mushrooms, black olives, basil, and Roma tomatoes over whole wheat pasta. A quick weeknight Italian dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Spicy ground pork chili with kidney beans, diced tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, and triple heat from cayenne, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce.

Seared sea scallops with fresh pineapple, ginger, basil, and soy sauce in a light cornstarch glaze. A quick, healthy stir-fry served over jasmine rice.

Tuscan-style white bean and potato pie: garlic-pureed navy beans topped with caramelized onions, potatoes, and Parmesan, baked into a golden rustic torta. Vegetarian Italian main dish.