Recipe Sifter

Moroccan chicken stew with acorn squash, chickpeas, raisins, and warm spices served over fluffy couscous. A microwave-friendly one-pot North African dinner with toasted almonds and fresh mint.

Pecan smoked chicken breast plated with peach-strawberry tequila salsa and maple Monterey Jack spoon bread, finished with a balsamic lime reduction. A Southern-Southwest fusion entree with real restaurant polish.

Green chili with pork slow-simmers tender pork shoulder with roasted poblanos, jalapenos, garlic, and Mexican oregano. A grated potato thickens it naturally into a hearty, spicy Southwestern stew for bowls or burritos.

Hearty chicken noodle soup made creamy with a milk and flour slurry, loaded with carrots, celery, bell pepper, and egg noodles in a rich, buttery broth. Comfort in every spoonful.

Oxtails braised in red wine with celery, leeks, carrots, and a French-style sauce made from the reduced braising liquid. Rich, fork-tender, and worth every one of the 4 hours.

Brown rice pilaf with mushrooms, shredded carrots, marjoram, and green onions cooked in chicken broth. A light, low-calorie side dish ready in under 20 minutes.

Flounder fillets stuffed with a creamy brown rice, mushroom, carrot, and zucchini filling seasoned with dill. A light, elegant baked fish dinner with a built-in side dish.

Stuffed chicken breasts with melty Swiss and creamy ricotta, finished in a brandy-spiked pan sauce over spinach fettuccine. Restaurant-style plating from a single skillet.

Marinated rabbit braised in red wine and chicken broth with allspice, thyme, and bay leaves, finished with sauteed mushrooms, pickled onions, and stuffed olives.

James Beard's method for rich double-strength chicken broth: simmer a whole bird in already-made stock for twice the depth of flavor. A foundation recipe every serious home cook needs.

Lentil pheasant soup with wild game, earthy lentils, root vegetables, tomatoes, rosemary, and dry sherry. A hearty rustic hunter's soup worthy of a cold evening.

Oven-roasted pearl barley with mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, sage, and marjoram baked in chicken broth until tender and nutty. A hearty whole grain side dish.

Chicken Cynthia: skillet-browned chicken breasts braised in white wine and sherry, finished with a buttery beurre manie sauce and garnished with fresh orange segments and seedless grapes.

Cumin black bean soup with smoked ham, sweet red pepper, and toasted garlic. Ready in 40 minutes from pantry cans, finished with sour cream and pickled jalapeños for a smoky, spicy weeknight bowl.

Moroccan simmered chicken with preserved lemon, kalamata olives, saffron, ginger, and turmeric. Marinated overnight, then braised into a glossy golden sauce. Serve over couscous.

Tender roast pheasant cooks slowly with frequent basting in a buttery chicken-bouillon sauce, turning halfway through to keep the lean game bird moist. Pan juices thicken into rich gravy.