Basil/2 recipes

Classic spaghetti primavera with seven blanched vegetables, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, a white wine cream sauce, pine nuts, and Parmesan. A springtime showstopper.

Seattle-style cioppino loaded with Dungeness crab, mussels, red snapper, shrimp, and calamari in a red wine sweet pepper sauce. A Pacific Northwest seafood stew that feeds 8.

Pounded chicken breasts dredged in Parmesan flour, pan-seared golden, and baked under a from-scratch sun-dried tomato sauce with bubbly mozzarella. Served over linguine, this lighter chicken parm doesn't skimp on flavor.

Pappardelle smothered in a chunky red sauce with artichokes, roasted peppers, cannellini beans, and sun-dried tomato pesto. Hearty, rustic Italian comfort in 40 minutes.

Traditional Italian minestrone with white beans, vegetables, broken spaghetti, and a Parmesan rind simmered into the broth for umami depth. The classic peasant-soup approach.

Vegetable nut burgers with brown rice, wild rice, lentils, millet, and cashew butter, served with a fresh fennel-tomato-basil coulis. A hearty, vegan patty with serious substance.

Eight pepper beef chili loaded with chipotles, habaneros, poblanos, jalapeños, anchos, and more. A slow-simmered, layered-heat chili that brings serious fire.

Very great vegetarian pizza, with garden tomatoes, fresh and savory flavor.

Low-calorie shrimp bisque made from a homemade shell stock with saffron, white wine, and cognac. Rich and creamy using powdered milk instead of heavy cream.

Pork stew simmers cubed pork loin and bulk sausage with bell peppers, butternut squash, corn, and olives. Topped with a tender cornbread crust for a Southwestern Sunday supper.

Restaurant-style penne in a rich coconut-curry cream sauce with crab and broiled scallops, finished with spiced tomato chutney and fresh basil. A showstopper fusion dish.

A light, refreshing and uber-healthy take on traditional Thai green curry. You can adjust the amount of chilli you add based on how hot you prefer the curry. Serve with black or brown rice (or mixture of the two).

Big-batch spicy turkey chili loaded with kidney beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, jalapenos, cilantro, and a secret splash of Kahlua. Feeds a crowd of 20.

Italian sausage stuffed shrimp with vegetables and homemade seasoning blend. Large butterflied shrimp topped with spicy sausage stuffing and baked until golden.

Creole or red jambalaya includes tomatoes while the Cajun style does not. Either way, it is a spicy and robust dish that epitomizes the soul of New Orleans. Here's my recipe for Cajun style jambalaya.

Hearty baked rigatoni loaded with homemade turkey meatballs in a chunky mushroom and tomato sauce, topped with bubbly mozzarella and Parmesan. Comfort food that feeds the whole family.