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Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Place the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl and stir well with a fork.

Add the chow mein noodles and almonds to the bowl with the cabbage, green onions, and pineapple. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

Fresh ginger root can be found in most grocery store produce sections. Be sure to pick ginger that is smooth, unblemished, and firm. Fresh ginger will keep for a week at room temperature and about a month in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap. It’s a bit hard to peel ginger, so I would suggest using a knife rather than a peeler.

Pesto Pasta

Pesto Pasta

I love all pesto, but when it’s homemade you absolutely can’t beat it. It’s so fresh and delicious that you really don’t need to mess with it. This pasta is fabulous hot, but—bonus—it’s also great cold. So you can have it for dinner one night and then take the leftovers for lunch the next day. –J

Serves 4

1 (⅔-ounce) package fresh basil

4 cloves garlic

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

½ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cups grape tomatoes

1 pound uncooked pasta

Salt and pepper

Remove the stems from the basil and place the leaves in the blender. Peel the garlic and add it to the blender. Add the Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and pine nuts and purée until smooth.

Place the tomatoes in a colander. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Pour the pasta into the colander over the tomatoes and drain well. Pour the pasta and tomatoes back into the pan and add the pesto. Stir until the pasta is thoroughly coated and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

Pine nuts are the seeds from the pinecones of certain types of pine trees. Unshelled pine nuts have a long shelf life, but once they’re shelled they can become rancid within a few weeks. Since they are usually sold shelled in the U.S., make sure you only buy as much as you need and use them promptly. If you end up with more than you need, you can freeze them and take them out when you need them.

Chapter 2:

Cheap Eats

Classic Tex-Mex Tacos

Baked Omelet with Onion, Spinach, and Swiss Cheese

Pasta with Broccoli and Caramelized Onions

Fried Rice

Spicy Potato Samosas

Potato and Sweet Potato Tart

Orzo Salad

Crispy Polenta with Sautéed Vegetables

Spinach-Mushroom Crêpes

Penne with Pan-Roasted Tomatoes and White Beans

Falafel Pita with Cucumber Sauce

Classic Tex-Mex Tacos

Taco seasoning can cover all manner of sins, but when I first saw textured vegetable protein, I was a bit apprehensive: could it possibly taste any better than driveway gravel? As it turns out, it’s pretty amazing stuff. In water, it expands to more than twice its original volume, and it picks up the flavors of whatever you combine it with. It has the texture of ground beef, but it’s way cheaper. This all makes it perfect for these classic tacos in a crispy shell, which are usually filled with seasoned ground beef. You can buy it at your local produce market or natural foods store in the bulk food section. –J

Serves 4

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup textured vegetable protein

2 cups water

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning

12 taco shells

1 cup salsa

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Peel the onion and cut it into ½-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Place the oil in a large skillet, add the onion, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the vegetable protein, water, tomato paste, and Mexican seasoning and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.