858 bitter recipes

Chilled cream of cucumber soup with sour cream, fresh dill, and parsley. A cool, refreshing summer starter that's better made the day before. No fuss, no stove time after dinner.

Blender chocolate chip cupcakes mix the entire batter in a blender for one-bowl convenience. Tender vanilla cupcakes studded with semisweet chocolate chips. Mix, pour, bake. Done in 45 minutes.

Oven-dried tomatoes, a simple slow-roast technique that concentrates summer tomatoes into chewy intensely sweet jammy slices. Better than store-bought sun-dried, with infinite uses across the kitchen.

Chilled pasta shells layered with basil pesto, spinach, Roma tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp. This make-ahead Italian pasta salad is a crowd-pleasing potluck star that only gets better as it sits.

Smoky, flame-kissed whiskey BBQ sauce with molasses, brown sugar, and a splash of hot sauce. Sauteed in scotch then flambeed for deep, complex flavor that only gets better with age.

A light chocolate banana layer cake with bittersweet chocolate, fresh bananas blended into the batter, and layers of banana cream and sliced bananas. Dusted with powdered sugar for an elegant finish.

These banana fritters stay crispy thanks to a flour-dusted coating under a light egg-and-milk batter. Deep-fried golden in minutes and served hot for a crunchy, sweet snack or dessert.

Low-calorie berry bars made with a tangy buttermilk batter topped with fresh or frozen blueberries and raspberries, finished with sugar and lemon zest. No butter needed. Just 48 calories per bar.

Hearty low-fat vegetable soup with potatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, pureed tomatoes, and kidney beans. Oil-free and loaded with garden veggies, this make-ahead soup tastes even better the next day.

An oat cookie topped with chocolate with a pecan half embedded into each cookie. Looks great, tastes even better! Surprise your family with these delicious treats made with pecans and rolled oats.

Easy kidney bean and corn salad tosses pantry staples with red onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime for a vegan, gluten-free side. Better the longer it sits, perfect for potlucks and meal prep.

Crispy Cuban-style fritters made from soaked black-eyed peas blended with garlic into a thick batter, fried golden, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and seriously addictive.

Crispy, golden Indian potato bondas made with a genius shortcut: instant mashed potatoes! Spiced with mustard seeds, turmeric, ginger, and green chilies, then dipped in gram flour batter and fried until irresistibly crunchy.

Pineapple nut cake with crushed pineapple baked right into the batter and finished with a nut icing. A no-egg, no-butter dump cake that comes together in minutes with just 5 ingredients.

A colorful salad of black-eyed peas tossed with wild rice, white rice, tomatoes, bell pepper, and corn in a fresh oregano-thyme vinaigrette. Feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.

Savory crepes filled with wine-braised leeks, shiitake mushrooms, and herbs, topped with a rich red wine mushroom sauce. An elegant vegetarian main that impresses.