Recipe Sifter

Orange rice pilaf cooked in fresh orange juice with orange zest, celery, thyme, and sauteed onions. A bright, citrusy side dish that pairs with poultry, pork, and holiday roasts.

Kakavia is the Greek fisherman's soup built from homemade fish stock, whole fish pieces, lobster tails, and shrimp simmered with tomatoes, leeks, and potatoes. A traditional seafood soup served with crusty bread and lemon wedges.

Saffron-infused fisherman's soup with steamed halibut, red potatoes, tomatoes, and fennel seeds. The fish steams separately over the broth for flaky, perfectly cooked results.

Vegan eggplant and rice one-pot meal simmered in vegetable broth with crushed tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and cayenne. Low-fat, filling, and oil-free.

Black pepper focaccia with freshly cracked pepper in the dough, dimpled crust glossed with olive oil, flaky sea salt, and fresh thyme. Steam-baked for a bakery-style crackle and a pillowy middle.

Whole chicken roasted French-style in a covered casserole with sherry, baby onions, and potatoes. The herb-stuffed cavity perfumes the bird while pan juices reduce into a thin gravy.

Fresh apple and sausage quiche: a savory-sweet brunch pie with bulk pork sausage, sauteed onions, sharp cheese, and cubed Red Delicious apples in a custard. Sweet, salty, and unexpected.

Fresh vegetable basil soup with potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and green peas in an herb-seasoned broth. A hearty, low-fat vegan soup.

Provencal garlic soup with potatoes, saffron, sage, and thyme, strained and served over French bread with grated Parmesan. Simple, fragrant, and warming.

Creamy garlic soup made with a full pound of garlic cloves slow-cooked in olive oil, pureed with chicken broth, and finished with milk. Surprisingly mellow and silky.

Garlicky black pepper shrimp and black-eyed peas is Low Country Southern cooking in one skillet: bacon, holy trinity, bay-scented peas, and wine-splashed shrimp finished with cracked pepper.

Gateaux piments, Mauritian chilli cakes made from soaked chana dal, green chilies, turmeric, and fresh herbs. Deep-fried into crispy golden fritters.

Loaded baked beans built from two cans of beans simmered with peppered bacon, anaheim and hot chiles, garlic and a trio of fresh herbs. A smoky, sweet-and-spicy side that turns canned beans into the star of the cookout.

Hearty bean soup simmered with ham, tomatoes, and herbs in chicken stock. A slow-cooked mixed bean soup that doubles as a thoughtful mason jar gift for the holidays.

Greek lamb stew with flour-dredged lamb cubes braised in white wine, tomato sauce, and chicken broth with rosemary, thyme, black olives, and blanched onions.

This recipe is from a Toronto restaurant called "The Stockyards". There's no reason to settle for a boring average grilled cheese when it's so easy to kick it up a notch and create something very special.