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When San Antonians Jay Monday and Terry Ybanez get together, things invariably heat up. Capitalizing on their good ol' boy-senorita mix, they indulge in conjunto cooking of a sort, making up new dishes as they go along. Most of their concoctions, Monday admits, end up with a decidedly Mexican accent, suggesting who is boss in the couple's King William kitchen. "I'm always starting some bland down-home thing like a rabbit stew," he says, "and the next thing I know it's swimming in chiles and almost hot enough to cook itself."

Outside the kitchen, Monday is a building contractor who swears he can still find work in downturned Texas. Ybanez is a bilingual kindergarten teacher and an artist: Her painting El Milagrito was chosen as the poster for the "Blue Star IV" art exhibit this year. Both Monday and Ybanez are worn out by suppertime, so they lean toward quick and easy concoctions, including pollo picante, their mutual favorite. "It takes only thirty minutes," says Ybanez, "and though it's obviously best when you make the picante sauce from scratch, you can also cheat and use bottled Pace sauce instead." Monday adds, "In the interest of full disclosure, though, you should call the shortcut version Pacemaker Chicken." This spicy dish is sure to get your heart rate up.

Pollo Picante

Serves 4

3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 chicken breasts, skinned
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh jalapeños
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup chicken stock
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix flour with 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Dredge chicken in mixture. Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken in oil, remove from pan, and set aside.

In oil used for chicken, sauté onions, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeños. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Cook 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and chicken. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, and cook off excess liquid. Serve with avocado salad, tortillas, and rice made with chicken stock and cilantro.