Skip the store-bought – this creamy enchilada sauce makes a surprising and delicious pasta sauce perfect for a fun do-it-yourself pasta bar.

The balsamic vinegar will turn the sauce a dark brick red color; sherry vinegar won't add as much brown color, so it will remain more red/orange. You could also use cider vinegar, if you like. Besides affecting color, the vinegar you choose will affect the tartness of the final sauce. Recipe developed by food blogger, Donna Currie, of Cookistry

This classic from-scratch hummus recipe gets a blast of rich salty flavor from kalamata olives and freshness from parsley. The pita chips are quickly toasted in a skillet so that you can make them anytime, even on short notice.

Make these ahead for your next gathering: prepare the filling and keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Cook the mushroom caps the day of your party and fill them in the afternoon.

Cajun spice blend, sold in most grocery stores alongside the dried herbs and spices, makes short work of creating this robust dish.

Curry and pumpkin belong together – the sweet squash balances the earthy robust curry flavor, resulting in a harmonious dish suited to a range of palates. Make it meatless by amping up the nuts or adding chickpeas in place of the chicken.

All the great flavor of a pastrami sandwich, deconstructed into a salad –fuggetaboutit!

The famous New York delis serve warm pastrami – a combination of lean and fatty – on seeded rye with mustard. In Los Angeles, the most best known classic delis add Coleslaw and Swiss. We’ll happily chow down on either one!

The Waldorf Salad was created in the late 1800s in the newly opened Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, and was an instant hit. The bright, bold flavor epitomizes the New York spirit – so what better way to serve it than on the iconic New York bagel?!