Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 cups diced or canned crushed tomatoes
2 onions, chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a pinch of sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan, and sauté the onion on very low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients; simmer for 10 more minutes or until the oil floats free on top of the tomatoes.

Variation Ideas:
-Omit basil; use parsley instead.

-Add a pinch of oregano.

-Coarsely chop 3 bacon strips and cook in a non-stick pan in their own fat until almost crisp Remove the bacon and set aside. sauté the onion in the bacon fat over low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the bacon, and follow the rest of the recipe.

-Chop 1 stalk of celery and sauté with the onion.

-Add 2/3 cup red wine with the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.

-Add 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato paste with the tomatoes.

-Coarsely chop 2 Italian sausages and fry in the ¼ cup olive oil. Remove the sausages and set aside; sauté the onion in the same pan over low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients including the sausages and 2/3 cup red wine; simmer for 20 minutes.

-Sauté ½ pound ground beef or chicken in ¼ cup olive oil. Remove the meat and set aside. sauté the onion over very low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients including the meat and 2/3 cup red wine; simmer for 20 minutes.

-Add 1 1/2 cups of a combination of broccoli florets and sliced carrots, both blanched with the garlic.

-Sauté 2 chopped medium eggplants in oil. Remove the eggplants and set aside; sauté the onion over very low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients including the eggplant; simmer for 10 minutes.

-Add 2/3 cup heavy cream with the tomatoes.

-Add ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar into the sauce right before serving.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 teaspoons water
3 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch, blended with 3 tablespoons of water to a paste
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt, to taste

Beat the eggs and stir in water. Mix the cornstarch paste with sugar, salt, sherry and soy sauce. Bring the stock to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add the cornstarch paste. Cook, stirring until the soup thickens. Reduce the heat to low. Pour the eggs slowly, stirring constantly, until they turn into cloudy shreds. Serve immediately with chopped scallions.

Variation Ideas:
-Soak two dried mushrooms in boiling water for 10 minutes; squeeze out the
water and slice very thin. Add after thickening the soup; cook together for one
minute.
- Shred 1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots; add as directed above.
-Cut 1/2 cake of firm tofu to bite-sized pieces; use like the dried mushrooms.
-Add 1/4 pound shredded chicken meat with dried mushrooms.

Servings: 3
The best corn chowder I’ve ever tasted! And it can’t get any faster than this…

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
2/3 can (10 oz.) sweet corn, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
3 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
1 teaspoon thyme

Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in butter over low heat for 8 minutes.

Add all ingredients except cheese; bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

Put 2/3 of the soup into a food processor and process for 40 seconds. Combine with the rest of the soup.

Add the cheese and heat until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Variation Ideas:
-Omit the cannellini and use butter beans instead.
-Omit chicken stock and use water instead.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk
1 jalapeno chili pepper, chopped coarsely
1/2 chicken breasts, no skin, no bone, cubed into bite size pieces
1/2 cup canned or fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup bamboo shoots, sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons canned baby corn
1/2 teaspoon dried lemongrass
1 tablespoon of lime juice, or more to taste
10 ounces Chinese noodles, cooked according to the package instructions

Combine the lemongrass, coconut milk, ginger, stock and chilies.

Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Discard the rind and chilies.

Add chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, baby corn, and noodles and cook until the meat is cooked, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and serve.

Variation Ideas:
-Add ground turmeric and coriander with the lemongrass.
-Omit chicken and instead use 4 ounces shrimp, uncooked and shelled.
-Omit noodles and use fried potato pancakes instead.
-Add 5 ounces of tofu, cut into small cubes, to the chicken.
-Add 1 cup of bean sprouts (canned is fine) to the chicken.

Servings: 4
When you feel like spoiling yourself, try this!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 pound asparagus plus 4 additional asparagus tips, blanched
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Brie, rind discarded; cubed
1 cup heavy cream

Sauté the asparagus (except the four tips) in butter in a saucepan for a couple of minutes.

Sprinkle the flour onto the asparagus and sauté for two more minutes.

Stir in the broth, wine and cream. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Process in a food processor until the soup is smooth. Put it back in the saucepan and heat.

Heat and stir in the cheese to melt. Garnish with asparagus tips. Serve warm.

Variation Ideas:
-Omit Brie and use 2 cups grated cheddar cheese.
-Omit asparagus and use 1 1/2 cups of blanched broccoli florets.
-Omit cream and use milk instead