10,000 taste recipes

Falafel sandwiches with split pea and chickpea flour fritters stuffed into pita pockets with tomatoes, onions, pickles, and your choice of homemade hummus or tahini sauce. A vegan Middle Eastern lunch.

A bold Texas-style BBQ sauce made with beer, brown sugar, jalapeños, tomato paste, and lime juice. Five cups of tangy, smoky heat for ribs, brisket, and pulled pork.

Tahini toasts: a savory paste of tahini, tomato, onion, parsley, and lemon spread on bread and grilled until the sesame topping browns and sizzles. A quick, vegan snack or buffet bite with real flavor.

Rainbow trout Provencale with red bell pepper, fennel seeds, garlic, vermouth, and tomato paste. A light French-inspired fish dish cooked in minutes.

New Mexico green chile pork stew: cubed pork browned in bacon drippings, simmered with two dozen roasted green chiles and fresh tomatoes. Stovetop or slow cooker, classic Southwest comfort.

Quick vegetable curry simmers potato and frozen mixed vegetables in a spiced tomato sauce built from bloomed curry powder and tomato paste. A budget-friendly, vegan weeknight dinner in about 35 minutes.

Stir-fried scallops with snow peas in a light miso and garlic sauce thickened with arrowroot. A quick, clean-flavored seafood stir-fry ready in 15 minutes.

Crab and avocado salad: sweet crab meat tossed in a zesty picante-mayo dressing with green olives, piled into ripe avocado halves. A no-cook, 20-minute Tex-Mex lunch or appetizer that looks far fancier than it is.

The tomatoes are getting ready in the garden, if you are like me you have an overabundance. I came up with this recipe to put on chopped steak and sausage sandwiches. I gave some to my sister and they like it on hamburgers and with stuffed peppers so I say it goes with everything. It is fresh-tasting and delicious.

Homestyle spaghetti meat sauce with ground beef, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and basil simmered with a beef-mushroom mix. Quick, hearty weeknight dinner.

Fassoulakia Yahni: Greek-style green beans slow-braised in olive oil with tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. A classic ladera dish that's naturally vegan and full of Mediterranean flavor.

Vegan lentil carrot burgers with mashed lentils, tomato paste, and bread crumbs pan-fried until golden. A simple, egg-free plant-based patty ready in 25 minutes.

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.

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.

My family's go to pasta sauce. It is great on spaghetti or folded into mostaccoli.

The pleasing almond flavor and nice crunch of these simple little cookies, from Paula Tuchscherer-Jones of Milwaukee, earned them a win in the ethnic cookie category.