Pasta recipes

A scrumptious side dish where chickpeas are given a spicy taste.

Lobster with curry sauce from Bon Appetit: poached lobster medallions served over a silky reduction of tomato, Calvados, white wine, and warm curry spices. A dinner-party centerpiece with French technique.

Vegetarian keema made with TVP (texturized vegetable protein), ginger, garlic, curry powder, tomatoes, peas, and mushrooms. A plant-based riff on classic Indian keema matar, ready in 30 minutes.

Slow-simmered beef chuck chili with dried red chiles, tomato paste, and kidney beans that rests 24 hours before serving for deep, concentrated flavor.

A spicy and delicious stew made with adzuki beans, carrots, mushrooms and a dash of cayenne pepper.

A competition-style Texas chili with coarse-ground beef chuck, no beans, and a bold spice blend of cumin, oregano, woodruff, and pequin chilis. Simmered for hours and thickened with corn flour.

Pork chops Abazia braised in white wine with fresh tomatoes, roasted red peppers, shallots, and rosemary. An Italian-style skillet dinner with a rich pepper sauce.

Shrimp risotto with fresh Roma tomatoes and sun-dried tomato pesto stirred into creamy arborio rice. White wine-glazed shrimp spooned on top to finish.

Slow cooker venison chili loaded with kidney beans, mushrooms, jalapenos, barbecue sauce, and six cloves of garlic. Thick, spicy, and built for long cooking.

Cajun-spiced baked chicken smothered in a sticky orange-honey sauce with bell peppers, celery, and a kick of hot sauce. Low-calorie, big flavor, pure Louisiana soul.

Big-batch Texas-style chili from Tyler with 2 lbs ground beef, seven cloves of garlic, jalapenos, and a serious triple-pepper spice blend. Simmers for 3 hours until thick, rich, and fiery.

A make-ahead beef roast with a caper sauce. Thinly sliced and arranged on a plate or cubed and served as an appetizer.

Slow cooker lasagna with a homemade white sauce, ground beef, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and mozzarella cheese. All the layers without heating up the oven.

Stuffed cabbage rolls with brown rice, dillseed, marjoram, paprika, onions, and herbs wrapped in blanched cabbage leaves and braised in tomato-vermouth sauce. A vegetarian German Kohlrouladen.

Ham mousse in sherry aspic is a classic French charcuterie showpiece. Ground ham folded into whipped cream, set in a crystal-clear aspic with truffle and egg white garnishes.

Light Asian fish rolls wrapped in rice paper with sea bass, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, and snow peas. Served with a tangy tomato-ginger dipping sauce for a fresh, low-calorie appetizer.