Pasta recipes

Steamed fish rolls: salmon and sole wrapped in napa cabbage leaves, bamboo-steamed and served over a silky roasted red pepper sauce. An elegant, low-fat dinner party starter.

Italian-style party meatballs with Parmesan and rolled oats simmered in a homemade tomato-oregano-basil sauce. Serve in a chafing dish for easy entertaining and cocktail parties.

Homemade hummus from scratch using dried chickpeas, a pound of tahini, fresh lemon, and a freeze-to-soften trick for ultra-creamy texture. Middle Eastern dip that puts store-bought tubs to shame.

Baked chicken drumsticks coated in a sticky honey-ketchup glaze with five spice powder, Worcestershire, and chili sauce. Finger-licking glazed drumsticks great hot or cold.

Slow cooker Southwestern beef and pinto beans with salt pork, red chili, cumin seeds, and tomato paste. Set it and forget it for 9-10 hours of hands-off cooking.

Baked falafel patties with chickpeas, tahini, parsley, cumin, and garlic. Oven-baked until golden and crusty, with a fry option for reheating. A lighter take on falafel.

Olive oil marinated mushrooms simmer button mushrooms in herbed wine vinegar with thyme, garlic, and brandy. A make-ahead antipasto that gets better after a night in the fridge.

Ethiopian-style mixed vegetable stew (atkilt alicha) built on berbere spice and ghee. Green beans, carrots and potatoes simmered in tomato broth, ready in 45 minutes. Vegetarian, deeply spiced.

Stuffed poblano chiles filled with ripe olives, ricotta and Monterey Jack, baked and finished with a quick olive mole sauce of tomato, cumin, chili powder and beef stock.

Curried deer (venison) stew with curry powder, tomato paste, raisins, grapes, and diced apple simmered for 90 minutes. A sweet-savory game curry that tames venison's wild flavor.

Bavarian veal rouladen stuffed with bacon and hard-boiled eggs, browned and simmered in a red wine gravy with tomato paste. A hearty German main dish.

Santa Fe red pork chili with coarsely ground pork shoulder, beer, stewed tomatoes, and layers of cumin and chili powder. No beans, no shortcuts. A thick, meaty Tex-Mex red chili simmered low and slow.

Thai fish cakes with red curry paste, nam pla, chopped green beans, and fresh basil, pan-fried golden and served with a sweet-tangy cucumber salad on the side.

Peach crumb cake with an almond paste pound cake base, fresh peach slices, brown sugar crumb topping, and sliced almonds. Dense, buttery, and freezer-friendly for up to a month.

Jumbo prawns butterflied and stuffed with a garlic-coriander-chicken paste, then grilled on skewers until bright orange. Served with a tangy sweet-sour cucumber salad on the side.

Stuffed flank steak rolled with a savory mushroom, herb, and breadcrumb filling, browned with bacon, and braised in beef broth. Served with a tangy Dijon mustard pan gravy.