39 pastel recipes

Moroccan chickpea soup with saffron, turmeric, ginger, and potatoes simmered in stock with tomato paste. A warming vegetarian soup finished with fresh lemon juice.

Spicy garbanzo beans cooked with whole mustard seeds, cinnamon, ground cloves, and tomato paste. A warming, aromatic chickpea side dish ready in under 25 minutes.

Battered eggplant slices deep-fried until crispy and drizzled with a spicy Sichuan sauce of chili bean paste, black vinegar, ginger, and tomato paste. A vegetarian Chinese dish with serious crunch and heat.

Greek-style baked chicken with orzo cooked in rich pan drippings, chicken broth, and tomato paste. A comforting one-pan meal served with Parmesan or yogurt.

Thai Kaeng Khua curry paste made with dried chilies, garlic, lemongrass, coriander root, and shrimp paste. A fragrant homemade paste that keeps 3-4 months refrigerated.

Pureed dates blended with water and vanilla extract into a thick, caramel-like paste. A natural sugar substitute for baking, smoothies, and oatmeal in 5 minutes.

Red beans tossed in a bold balsamic-prune dressing with fenugreek, coriander, and chili-garlic paste. A chilled bean salad bursting with sweet, tangy, spicy layers.

Chili-bacon rub made with bacon drippings, chili powder, cayenne, garlic, and tomato paste. A smoky, spicy paste for chicken and barbecue. Five ingredients, five minutes.

Vegetarian kidney bean and corn chili thickened with mashed beans and tomato paste. A hearty, no-meat chili with cumin, oregano, and chili powder ready in one hour.

Traditional Passover haroset with grated apples, walnuts, hazelnuts, and sweet kosher wine blended into a thick, nutty paste. A 10-minute no-cook recipe for the Seder table.

Pork chops with apples in a sweet-and-sour sauce of red wine vinegar, honey, chicken broth, and tomato paste. A French-inspired skillet dinner in 40 minutes.

No-bake fig squares with crystallized ginger, nuts, lemon juice, and toasted coconut layered between thin fruit-and-nut paste. A naturally sweet confection with zero oven time.

South Indian vegetable kurma with eggplant, carrots, peas, beans, and potatoes in a fresh coconut-chili-poppy seed paste. A fragrant vegetarian curry finished with tomatoes and yogurt.

Fiery Thai chili fish sauce (nam pla prik) with serrano chiles, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and roasted chili paste. A no-cook condiment that livens up everything it touches.

Tahini and hazelnut dip with pan-roasted hazelnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and sesame paste. A nutty, creamy vegan dip with rich toasted flavor that deepens overnight in the fridge.

Massaman curry paste: a homemade Thai-Muslim spice blend of dried chiles, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, and warm Indian-influenced spices. The flavor base for the country's most aromatic curry.