Pasta recipes

Shrimp simmered in a coconut milk sauce with tomatoes, leeks, orange juice concentrate, mint, and Thai chili paste, served over basmati rice. A one-skillet dinner with sweet, spicy, and creamy notes in every spoonful.

Slow-simmered conch stew with salt pork, tomatoes, oregano, and potatoes. Two hours of low heat transforms tough conch into a rich, tender Caribbean-style chowder.

Homemade pizza roll bread stuffed with Italian sausage, tomato paste, mozzarella, and Romano cheese. Yeasted dough rolled into a crescent shape and baked golden for a pull-apart pizza experience.

Authentic Texas beef chili with no beans, toasted cumin, and beer-braised chuck. Bold, chunky chili simmered low and slow until fork-tender in rich tomato broth.

Seafood lovers will love this succulent shrimp dish that is prepared with a savory sauce.

Curried ground beef with ginger, raisins, and almonds served over creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Warm spices meet comfort food in this make-ahead casserole dinner for four.

Pressure-cooked beef roast shredded into a rich tomato-clam broth with mushrooms, onions, and garlic creates an unexpected fusion goulash with Hungarian-seafood soul.

TVP granules sautéed with garlic, peppers, and onions simmer in tangy tomato paste spiked with oregano and cayenne for a protein-packed vegetarian sloppy joe filling.

Smoked salmon wrapped around plump oysters, napped with a reduced wine-cream-tomato sauce, crowned with sauteed mushrooms and broiled Swiss cheese. French elegance in 40 minutes.

Granny's slow cooker chili browns four pounds of ground beef with kidney beans, tomatoes, and a spice blend of chili powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Crowd-feeding crockpot classic.

Note: 15 bean mixtures are available packaged in supermarkets and health food stores. If you prefer, make your own by combining equal amounts of dried blackeyed peas, red kidney beans, white kidney beans (cannellini), green lentils, split peas, black beans, yellow split peas, navy beans, cranberry (Roman, shell, or shell out) beans, great Northern beans, pinto beans, small white limas, red lentils, cow peas (field peas), and pink beans. Avoid using beans such as garbanzos and large lima beans, as these take longer to cook than other varities.

Ethiopian vegetable stew (Yetakelt W'Et) with potatoes, carrots, green beans, and tomatoes simmered in berbere and ghee. A warming vegetarian dish ready in 40 minutes.

This is a dish that was a favorite at our local Chineses eatery. I used to make it with ground turkey (before I saw the light) and have found that TVP works just as well. It's hot and spicy.delicious and just a little different.

Italian red snapper in brodetto: pan-fried whole fish pieces simmered in a tomato-vinegar broth with onions and scallions, served over creamy bay-leaf polenta. Coastal Italian classic.

Microwave tamale pie with a spiced bean, corn, and olive filling topped with a cornmeal crust. Vegetarian, no oven needed, and ready in 30 minutes.

Golden-crusted salmon cakes loaded with fresh basil and garlic, topped with a velvety white wine tomato basil butter sauce. Pacific Northwest comfort food at its finest.