Recipes with salt

Italian tiramisu with whipped mascarpone, cottage cheese and egg yolks, layered over coffee-soaked ladyfingers and dusted with cocoa. Includes a strawberry-rhubarb variation. Make-ahead, no-bake dessert.

Slow-baked chickpeas in tomato sauce with bacon, molasses, brown sugar, and dry mustard. A hearty from-scratch baked bean recipe using garbanzo beans instead of navy beans.

USDA-style beef loaf for a crowd: makes four 8-inch loaves with milk-soaked bread, eggs, ketchup and Worcestershire. Bake all four, freeze three. Government-tested batch cooking at its most practical.

Paneer is a fresh cheese with plenty of texture and protein. In this traditional northern Indian dish, Paneer is combined with green peas in a spicy tomato-ginger sauce. Fresh Paneer is quite crumbly, so it is generally cut into cubes and sauteed until golden before combining with other ingredients. For variety, try adding some finely minced fresh cilantro and a little freshly ground black pepper to the mixture before cubing and frying. If you do have any left over, serve it warm in whole wheat pita bread topped with sliced tomaotes and crunchy red onions.

Spiced apple bran muffins with shredded apple, walnuts, bran flakes, brown sugar, cloves, and nutmeg. Baked in 20 minutes for a hearty breakfast.

Oven-roasted chili peanuts with cumin, dried red chilies, and chili powder. Raw peanuts baked twice until golden and coated in smoky, spicy seasoning.

Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed beef chuck, pork, mild and hot ground chilies, amber beer, and a long simmer. Serve beans on the side, Southwest-style.

Mock lobster Flemish style dresses up humble white fish, poached in a beer broth, bound in a silky cream and egg-yolk sauce, spooned into scallop shells, and broiled under Gruyere. An elegant fish gratin on a budget.

Deep-dish chicken pie from scratch with poached chicken, carrots, celery, baby lima beans, and mushrooms in a creamy half-and-half sauce, under a hand-rolled egg-washed pastry lid. Sunday supper royalty.

Sourdough bread machine recipe makes a tangy yeast-free loaf with active sourdough starter, flour, water, and salt. Hands-off ABM sourdough for daily slicing.

Chocolate peanut pie with melted semi-sweet chocolate, corn syrup, and unsalted peanuts in a from-scratch butter crust. Like a pecan pie but with chocolate and peanuts.

A grilled beef burger stuffed with cheese that has been made famous by Minneapolis pubs. Juicy and oozing with melted cheese.

Apricot bread made with a full pound of dried apricots cooked in warm spices. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give these two loaves a fragrant, fruit-studded crumb.

Grilled new potatoes are tossed with lemon-garlic mayonnaise and fresh parsley leave. Creamy, garlicky, and refreshing are in one bite. A nice accompaniment with any BBQ main course.

Blueberry crunch cake bakes a buttermilk cornmeal cake under a crown of fresh blueberries with a cinnamon-sugar crackle on top. Lighter than coffee cake, sweeter than cornbread. The Southern morning cake that disappears fast.

Molasses shoo-fly cake is the iconic Pennsylvania Dutch pie: alternating layers of dark molasses custard and spiced brown-sugar crumbs in a flaky pastry shell. Coffee, dunked, no negotiation.

Spiced Chinese cucumber salad with sesame oil, hot soybean paste, soy sauce, and lemon. A crunchy, spicy-tangy cold side dish that takes just minutes to prepare.

Microwave tamale pie with a spiced bean, corn, and olive filling topped with a cornmeal crust. Vegetarian, no oven needed, and ready in 30 minutes.

Spicy apple raisin muffins made with raisin bran cereal, wheat germ, apple pie spice, and fresh chopped apples. A lighter bake using egg whites and apple juice.

Slice-and-bake molasses cookies with ginger, brown sugar, and a crisp, thin snap. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice thin, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

German veal schnitzel topped with stewed tomato, white asparagus spears, and sauteed mushrooms, pan-cooked in butter. A classic Kalbsschnitzel with fine vegetables.

Fudgy chocolate espresso bars with cocoa, instant espresso, and chopped pecans, topped with a whipped chocolate chip frosting. Rich, dense, and deeply caffeinated.

Gingerbread scones spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. Served warm with nutmeg-orange whipped cream. Holiday breakfast that doubles as dessert.

Hearty pumpernickel bread machine loaf with rye flour, cornmeal, molasses, unsweetened chocolate, caraway seeds, and mashed potato. Deeply dark German-style rye.

Steamed salmon fillets served chilled with a butter-sauteed cucumber and sour cream sauce with dill. An elegant cold fish dish for warm-weather entertaining.

Holiday Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Candies recipe

Texas pecan pie with light brown sugar, corn syrup, and whole pecan halves on top. A classic Lone Star recipe with a gooey, caramel-like filling and crunchy nut crown.

Chicken paprika with strips of chicken breast simmered in a paprika-vegetable juice sauce, finished with sour cream and served over rice. A quick Hungarian-inspired weeknight dinner for two.

Creamy asparagus soup with onion, celery, a whisper of mace and a finish of cream. Garnished with chopped hard-cooked egg for an old-fashioned springtime starter. Six ingredients, 35 minutes.

Mexican-style broiled flank steak marinated overnight in lime juice, garlic, and oregano. Slice thin against the grain and serve with tortillas and guacamole.

Veal steaks pan-seared and finished in a curried onion sauce with tomato paste, evaporated milk, lemon, and a splash of cognac. A fast German-Indian crossover for weeknights.

Chocolate amaretto torte with a fudgy chocolate-almond base topped with amaretto cream cheese mousse and whipped cream. A make-ahead dessert that chills overnight and freezes beautifully.

Sweet corn kernels brighten up this lighter lasagna layered with ricotta and part-skim mozzarella for a vegetarian dinner that won't weigh you down.

Italian rice with fresh artichokes sauteed in olive oil until tender and caramelized. Just six ingredients for a simple, rustic side dish with short-grain rice.

Sweet onion shrimp balls grind Vidalia onion, potato, and shrimp into a thick batter, then fry into crispy golden bites. Five-ingredient appetizer with no breading required.

Vegan curried vegetable soup simmers split peas with turmeric, then combines them with curry-spiced onions, carrots, celery, and plum tomatoes. Half gets pureed for a thick, creamy texture without any dairy.

Crazy cake (also called wacky cake or depression cake) needs no eggs, no milk, no butter. Mixed straight in the pan with vinegar for chemistry-class lift. A Depression-era favorite.

Steamed salmon with fermented black beans, ginger, sherry, and sesame oil. A classic Chinese-style steamed fish that cooks in about 10 minutes for a light, clean-flavored dinner.

Moo goo gai pan stir-fries sliced chicken breast with fresh mushrooms and scallions in peanut oil and soy sauce. Six ingredients, classic Cantonese takeout favorite, ready in 30 minutes.

Reduced fat beef and salsa burritos with lean ground beef, spinach, chunky salsa, chili powder, and low-fat cheddar in flour tortillas. A lighter take on classic beef burritos.

Hearty potato salad with steamed red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and red onion rings in a creamy yogurt-dill dressing with Dijon mustard and lemon. Diabetic-friendly and satisfying enough for a main dish.

Milk chocolate biscotti packed with toasted whole almonds and cocoa-darkened dough. Crisp, twice-baked Italian cookies ready for dunking in coffee or espresso.

Three-cheese manicotti stuffed with mozzarella, cottage cheese, and Parmesan in a quick tomato sauce. A classic Italian stuffed pasta baked bubbly with extra cheese on top.

Marinated vegetable salad with cauliflower, cucumber, and tomato in a white wine and lemon vinaigrette. A make-ahead side dish that marinates overnight and serves in lettuce cups.

Fourth of July grilled Cornish hens split lengthwise and basted with a lemon-garlic-Italian dressing marinade. Backyard BBQ centerpiece that feeds eight for summer holidays.

Double chocolate zucchini bread with melted unsweetened chocolate, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and cinnamon. Moist, rich, and the best way to sneak vegetables into dessert.

Sweet pepper and basil frittata with slow-cooked red and yellow peppers, fontina, Parmesan, and fresh basil, finished with a brushed-on balsamic reduction for a tangy glaze.

Broccoli quiche with an optional leftover rice crust held together with egg and soy sauce. A smart use-it-up recipe with a creamy nutmeg custard and melted cheese.