Sauces recipes

Lentils and brown rice with Canadian bacon, red bell pepper, and a soy-vinegar finish. One pot, 50 minutes, and packed with protein and fiber.

Layered eggplant, zucchini, and tomato casserole with crispy bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, and Provençal herbs. Individual ratatouille bakes ready in 45 minutes.

Crunchy crab nuggets: hollow bread cubes brushed with butter, baked crisp, then filled with sharp cheddar and crab and baked again until hot and bubbly. A vintage party appetizer worth bringing back.

Ginger dip made with crystallized ginger, soy sauce, water chestnuts, and garlic stirred into mayo and sour cream. An Asian-inspired party dip ready in 10 minutes.

Budget-friendly beef stew with round steak, potatoes, carrots, and celery simmered in tomato sauce. A hearty one-skillet meal that feeds 10 from simple pantry staples.

Pollo a la creme with sauteed chicken in sweet cream served inside a baked noodle ring mold with cheese and bechamel. A vintage dinner party showpiece with French technique.

Sweet summer corn can't be beat. Highlight it in this chowder along with buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and smoky Canadian bacon.

Whole wheat buttermilk waffles with chopped pecans pressed into the top for crunch, served with a warm strawberry-banana maple sauce and plain yogurt. A hearty weekend breakfast.

Deep-fried chicken wings marinated overnight in a sweet soy garlic mixture with egg and cornstarch, fried golden and topped with sesame seeds and scallions.

Crab and portabella melt: grilled mushroom caps topped with tomato, Old Bay crab salad, and melted cheddar. A bread-free open-face that eats like a proper sandwich.

Baboti (bobotie) is a South African curried ground beef casserole with raisins, chutney, and apricot jam, topped with a savory egg custard baked until golden. Serve it with yellow rice and salad.

Louisiana-style crawfish boil for 50 pounds of live mudbugs, purged and soaked in a spicy bath of crab boil, cayenne, hot sauce, lemons, and garlic. Feed the whole neighborhood.

Rainbow trout marinated in lime and sesame oil, served with a green onion ginger mayonnaise spiked with soy sauce and lemon. An Asian-inspired fish dish.

Hearty vegetarian lima bean stew with fresh fennel, mushrooms, and white wine creates a rustic Mediterranean one-pot meal.

Spicy ground beef with stewed tomatoes, instant rice, and chili powder cooked entirely in the microwave, then topped with melted sharp cheddar. A quick, cheesy one-dish dinner ready in 40 minutes.

Classic egg fu yung omelets loaded with shrimp, barbecued pork, snow peas, and bean sprouts, crowned with a glossy oyster sauce gravy. Chinese-American takeout-style made from scratch.