640 better recipes

Raspberry pecan thumbprint cookies spiced with cinnamon and allspice, filled with seedless raspberry jam and topped with chopped pecans. Better the next day.

Use this south of the border style chicken in your quesadilla's, panini's, pasta and other favorite dishes. Better yet, enjoy it on it's own!

Bone broth caribou soup loaded with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnip, and cabbage, seasoned with juniper berries and white wine. Even better the next day.

Skillet garlic croutons toasted in butter with thyme. Homemade croutons with real garlic flavor in 15 minutes, far better than anything from a box.

Garlic marinated olives with lemon, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and sherry. A make-ahead antipasto jar that gets better every day in the fridge.

Marinated wild rice salad with porcini and white mushrooms, julienned carrots, walnuts, and Dijon vinaigrette. A make-ahead grain salad that gets better as it sits.

Whole wheat Banana Health Loaf sweetened with honey and studded with unsweetened coconut. No eggs, just 3 tablespoons of oil, 98 calories per slice, and better flavor after resting overnight.

This recipe, though fussy to make, is attractive and tasty. Cheryl Kaufenberg of Darien said it came from a very old Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Marinated asparagus salad with red pepper, red onion, and tangy raspberry vinaigrette. A make-ahead cold side dish that gets better overnight. No oil, naturally light.

Better-than-anything cake with German chocolate base soaked in sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, topped with whipped topping and crushed Heath or Snickers bars. Make-ahead party cake.

Swedish pickled herring with a sweet-sour vinegar brine layered with red onion, carrots, ginger, and horseradish. A classic Scandinavian smorgasbord appetizer that only gets better after 2-3 days in the jar.

No-bake chocolate Grand Marnier truffles made with ground chocolate wafers, almonds, and orange liqueur, rolled in powdered sugar. Elegant, boozy, and better after aging a week.

Crunchy cabbage slaw with shredded carrot, green pepper, and currants in a tangy vinegar-mayo dressing with celery seed. Light, crisp, and better after a good chill.

Vegetarian chili with soybeans and wheat berries instead of traditional kidney beans. Simmered with fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, red bell pepper, and warm spices. Better the next day.

Stir-fried chicken breast with angel hair pasta, snow peas, and carrots tossed in savory sauce and topped with sesame seeds. Better than takeout, ready at home.

A simple overnight yeast sponge starter made with just flour, water, and active dry yeast. The base for flavorful homemade bread with better texture and deeper taste.