Rice/12 recipes

A rustic, slow-simmered vegetable soup packed with navy beans, zucchini, carrots, turnips, and tomatoes, finished with fresh basil and Parmesan. Feeds a crowd with just 10 minutes of prep.

Asian-inspired ginger beef pizza with marinated sirloin slivers, fresh ginger, garlic, dry sherry, and chili sauce on a prebaked shell. Topped with scallions and red peppers.

Sausage skillet: simmered Italian sausage, red potatoes, onions, and bell peppers in one pan. Hearty four-ingredient weeknight dinner that comes together in under 45 minutes.

Easy, tasty and loaded with great flavour. A great way to cook with my fall veggies that grow in my garden. I often enjoy this delicious soup with homemade bread, and I can not ask for anything better than that!

Toasted quinoa salad with seared scallops and snow peas tosses dry-toasted quinoa with soy-ginger-sesame dressing, crisp snow peas, red pepper, and golden pan-seared scallops. A protein-rich Asian-inspired grain bowl.

Apple praline cheesecake layers spiced sauteed apples into a cream cheese filling, then bakes under a buttery brown sugar pecan praline crust. Fall dessert showstopper.

Moroccan-style okra and chickpea tagine simmered with tomatoes, red bell pepper, cumin, ginger, and a swirl of harissa. A vegan North African stew where blanching keeps the okra tender, not slimy.

Thai basil fried rice with fresh red chilies, button mushrooms, long beans, and light soy sauce. A vegetarian wok-fried rice that's spicy, aromatic, and ready in minutes.

Steak salad stuffed pita pockets with broiled round steak, crisp romaine, cucumber, and tomato tossed in a lemon-dijon dressing. A protein-packed whole wheat lunch ready in under 30 minutes.

Marinated shrimp and sweet peppers come off the grill smoky and charred, then toss with lemon-chive pasta, feta, and briny olives for Mediterranean flair.

Quick stir-fried crab with crisp snow peas, water chestnuts, garlic, and white wine over rice. A light, fresh Asian-inspired seafood dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Turkish-style pizza with a whole wheat crust, Monterey Jack, diced tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onion, and jalapeño. Optional pastrami adds smoky-peppery depth. Baked on a pizza stone for a crisp, golden oval flatbread finished with torn flat-leaf parsley.

Elegant omelet filled with sauteed shiitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbed goat cheese. This sophisticated brunch dish is lighter than it looks.

Mexican-style rainbow stuffed peppers with ground turkey, refried beans, corn, rice, and tomatillo salsa in red, green, yellow, and orange bell pepper halves.

Spicy beef lettuce cups loaded with sirloin stir-fried in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and Chinese five spice. A crispy, low-carb appetizer that comes together in just 20 minutes.

Adapted from “Jacques Pépin Celebrates” (Knopf, 2001)- New York Times