Pasta recipes

Crab and avocado salad with a spicy picante-mayo dressing, sliced olives, and hard-boiled egg garnish. A no-cook Tex-Mex-style crab salad served in avocado halves that comes together in 20 minutes.

Homemade ginger salad dressing blended with fresh ginger, lemon zest, tomato paste, and white vinegar. A bold, Japanese steakhouse-style dressing made in your blender in 2 minutes.

Homemade Thai green curry paste with fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste, and coriander. Blends in minutes, beats store-bought every time.

Watercress salad with a Chinese-style bean curd cheese and tahini dressing. Blanched watercress tossed in a creamy, savory fermented bean curd dressing with chili flakes and lemon.

Super cheese pizza sauce: a herb-loaded tomato paste base with oregano, marjoram, garlic and onion. Spread on crust, layer with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.

Cheddar walnut dip blended with yogurt, tomato paste, garlic, and a kick of cayenne. A tangy, nutty cheese dip ready in 10 minutes. Great with breadsticks or raw vegetables.

Tangy French-style salad dressing blended from tomato paste, lemon juice, oil, and onion powder. Sugar-free, no-cook, and ready in 5 minutes flat.

Senator Barry Goldwater's no-frills chili recipe with ground beef, dried pinto beans, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Five hours of low, slow simmering for deep, honest flavor.

Classic hummus made the simple Levantine way: chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic blended smooth, finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of parsley.

Thai-style spicy peanut sauce for satay: red curry paste cooked in coconut cream until oily, finished with thin coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind, and ground peanuts.

Thai-style stir-fried spinach with crushed garlic, soy bean paste, dried red chilies, and tomato wedges. A bold, savory side dish that comes together in the wok in under 5 minutes.

Toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant, then pound with fresh green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp paste into an authentic Thai green curry paste bursting with heat and herbal brightness.

Eggplant miso soup with tofu, carrots, and scallions. A simple Japanese-style soup ready in 20 minutes with just six ingredients. Vegan and low-fat.

Thai-style wok stir-fry with crunchy bean sprouts, juicy tomatoes, soy bean paste, garlic, and fresh red chili. Topped with cilantro and scallions. Ready in 15 minutes.

Hummus bi tahini is the traditional Middle Eastern chickpea dip, blended creamy with tahini, lemon, olive oil, and garlic. The tahini-first technique gives it that authentic silky texture.

Smoky chipotle salsa blended from canned chipotles in adobo, tomato paste, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. Sweet, fiery, and ready in 10 minutes. Makes 2 cups.