Pasta recipes

Rostbraten mit Pilzfulle, a classic German flank steak rolled around a mushroom, onion and herb stuffing, braised with bacon in mustard-kissed beef gravy. A rustic, old-world Sunday dinner centerpiece.

A very simple dinner for when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal. Use brown rice noodles instead of the white variety to take advantage of the additional fibre they contain. Add other steamed / fresh vegetables to make the meal more substantial.

Halibut steaks Marengo with a rich tomato-mushroom sauce, Greek olives, and a parsley-garlic-lemon gremolata. A classic French-inspired fish dish thickened with beurre manie.

Competition-style Texas chili with 4 pounds of cubed round steak, 14 spices including curry and cinnamon, green chiles, and a secret weapon: milk chocolate melted in at the end.

Popular Chinese dish from the Sichuan region containing bean curd cooked in a spicy pepper and black bean sauce. Fermented black beans have long been used to boost digestion and support immune function. The process of fermentation also increases the vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acid content of the beans. Adding fermented foods to one’s diet is one of the best ways of creating a protective environment in the gut against harmful pathogenic bacteria and other organisms.

Hearty Cajun corn soup loaded with smoked sausage, cubed ham, tomatoes, and corn kernels in a roux-thickened broth with cayenne and hot sauce. Feeds a crowd and simmers for an hour.

Crispy chicken chunks coated in water chestnut flour, deep-fried golden, then tossed with roasted peanuts in a spicy sauce of chili paste, dark soy, sesame oil, and Chinese red vinegar. Restaurant-quality kung pao at home.

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.

Kaeng Ped Cai, a Thai red curry chicken stir-fry with coconut milk, dried chilies, shrimp paste, and fresh coriander. A fast, aromatic one-wok dinner served over rice.

Basic bean soup with homemade vegetable scrap stock, sautéed mirepoix, and cooked beans, half puréed for body, half left whole. Vegetarian, fiber-rich, freezer-friendly.

Slow cooker Tucson-style chili with ground beef, pinto beans, green chiles, jalapeños and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Classic Southwestern crockpot chili for a crowd.

Hearty Italian spaghetti sauce with pork ribs, homemade meatballs, and scorched tomato paste simmered for hours into rich, meaty perfection.

Hearty Russian beet soup (borscht) loaded with beef, bacon, kielbasa, cabbage, potatoes, and navy beans in a sweet-sour broth. A slow-simmered weekend project topped with sour cream.

Blinchaty pirog is a Russian layered crepe pie filled with seasoned ground beef, mushrooms, red wine, and dill, topped with a cool yogurt sauce. A showstopping centerpiece dish.

Green lentil rissoles spiced with curry, cumin, and coriander, coated in oat-breadcrumb crust, and shallow-fried until golden. Served with a cool cumin-yogurt sauce for a hearty vegetarian main.

Chicken in fermented black bean sauce made entirely in the microwave with garlic, ginger, sherry, sesame oil, and chili paste. A Chinese takeout favorite ready in 30 minutes.