Featuring a variety of fresh, dried, sweet, and hot peppers, this recipe collection is full of kick.

As far as chiles go, poblano peppers rank among the milder varieties, though they still offer a nice zing. To counter the spice, serve with a salad of mixed greens.

Feel free to tinker with this mildly spicy salsa. Substitute cilantro or fresh basil for the parsley, or any color sweet bell pepper for the red.

This quick and fresh appetizer is perfect for a relaxed summer dinner.

In addition to using bread, you can also serve this light topping over a bed of greens, tossed with pasta, or stirred into couscous.

In this soup, low-sodium chicken stock is infused with saffron; blended with wine, onion, garlic, celery, peppers, and spices; and then pureed. Serve it hot from the saucepan or chilled.

Serve these spring rolls with a sweet-and-sour chile sauce.

Cook this grilled salmon with spicy honey-basil sauce on the backyard grill or under the broiler for a quick and easy dinner.

Serve this spicy soup with garlic bread and vegetables for a simple, healthy dinner.

You can make these as spicy as you like by varying the amount of chipotle peppers or using a spicier salsa.

Eating breakfast is essential for a balanced metabolism, and this nutrient-packed egg dish contains a wealth of healthy ingredients.

White miso makes a delicious marinade for broiled salmon, and a red Thai chile adds zing to its sauce.

This tasty version incorporates fresh basil and red chile pepper into the patty.

This delightful variation on traditional pesto calls for mango, which adds moisture, so little oil is needed. It can be combined with almost any main course, especially pasta and grilled fish, or used as a dip for vegetables and chips. If you'd like it to be spicier, leave in the jalapeno seeds.

Seviche is a classic seafood dish with roots in South America. Scallops are marinated in lime juice and "cooked" by the acid in the lime; the flesh becomes firm and opaque, and the flavors bright and fresh tasting.

Jalapeno gives a kick to this dish's unusual sauce.

Swapping mangoes for tomatoes lends a fresh, sweet taste to this dish.

Use green Tabasco sauce, which is made with jalapenos. It has a kick like red Tabasco, but doesn't taste quite as vinegary.

Bell peppers have a Southwestern flair when stuffed with rice, black beans, and vegetables such as corn, carrot, and leek. Diced poblano peppers (which, like bells, are members of the Capsicum family) spice up the filling, along with cumin, turmeric, and paprika.

This zesty red sauce -- here served with fettuccine -- is thick with diced red peppers. It's piquancy comes from crushed red-pepper flakes and dashes of hot sauce. Serve tossed with hearty fettuccine noodles and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Perfect for feeding a houseful of hungry guests, this grilled chicken can be served over carmelized corn and shallots.

Saffron, a delicate yellow-orange spice, comes from the dried, cured stigmas of the purple saffron flower. You'll find it at most grocery stores and specialty food markets.

Red, green, and yellow bell peppers, sauteed with onion and seasonings, are cooled and served with goat-cheese spread on crusty baguettes. The peperonata topping in this recipe can also be tossed with cooked pasta for a light summer dinner.