Recipe Sifter

A light yet tasty chickpea salad is made with carrot, chickpea, scallions and parsley, tossed with cider vinegar, a bit yogurt and basil. It's a refreshing salad that can be stuffed in the pita bread, or accompany any main course.

Classic New Orleans daube glace: shredded roast beef and stuffed olives suspended in a spicy beef gelatin mold. Old-school Creole elegance, served cold.

Dress up your chicken with this simple and delicious dish that is made with pineapple slices and water chestnuts.

A lean curry turkey stir-fry with snow peas, red pepper, celery, and scallions in a light sauce. Low-calorie leftover turkey done right in 30 minutes.

A vegetarian take on sushi – a one bowl meal, which can be made in advance, keeps well in the fridge and makes for a great lunchbox. If you are going to make it ahead, store the dressing separately until you are ready to serve.

You can serve this dish hot or cold. We prefer the crab balls hot, when their exterior is crisp and the meat hot and moist. They also go better with the vinegar dip when hot. If you prefer to serve them cold or at room temperature, delete the dip, or substitute something like mustard and catsup.

A succulent dish made with artichoke hearts and wild mushrooms that is perfect for a family dinner.

Asian-inspired crawfish strudel with colorful vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, and ginger wrapped in crispy phyllo. Served with two sauces for an elegant presentation.

Louisiana seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, and oysters in a dark roux broth. Okra and the holy trinity thicken this Cajun classic, finished with file powder and ladled over rice.

Chuck wagon chili with lean ground beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, and cumin. A quick weeknight chili that simmers in under 30 minutes and serves with rice and all the fixings.

Asian-style crab cakes with water chestnuts, dark sesame oil, and light mayo, pan-fried until golden brown. A lighter take on crab cakes with crunch from water chestnuts in every bite.

Five-spice chicken thighs in a soy, sherry, ginger, and brown sugar sauce, cooked in the microwave in 30 minutes. The pan juices thicken into a glossy sauce spooned right over the top.

Steamed ginger fish rolls wrapped in napa cabbage leaves with salmon, prawns, mushrooms, and scallions. Served over molded rice with a soy-lime dipping sauce.

Chinese noodle soup with fresh ginger, cellophane noodles, ham, watercress, snow peas, and mushrooms in a soy-sesame broth. A light, aromatic 30-minute soup with crisp vegetables and rice vinegar tang.

Gingered flounder in parchment seals flounder fillets with snow peas, red pepper, carrots, and scallions in heart-shaped paper packets, then steams them in a soy-ginger marinade. A French en papillote technique with Asian flavors.

Grilled Middle Eastern-style beef meatballs with fresh mint, cilantro, green onion, and cumin. A no-cook-first grill recipe, perfect for skewers or a grill basket.