Recipe Sifter

Potato, artichoke, and leek soup pureed silky smooth with fresh thyme and a touch of Tabasco. Served hot or cold, this creamy soup uses milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter bowl.

Light crab salad with asparagus, water chestnuts, and green onions tossed in a tangy yogurt-horseradish dressing. A crisp, refreshing seafood salad that's low in fat.

Herbed chicken with spring vegetables: thyme, parsley, and fennel-seed butter stuffed under crispy chicken skin, served with cipollini onions, baby carrots, snap peas, and morels. A restaurant-style one-skillet dinner.

Black bean and rice salad tossed with fresh lime juice, chopped tomatoes, and low-fat Italian dressing. A no-cook vegan salad that turns leftover rice into a filling lunch.

Master homemade beef stock made by roasting marrow bones with mirepoix, then simmering 8 hours with tomatoes, thyme, and bay. A deep, golden-amber stock that beats store-bought broth in every recipe.

Beer-marinated shrimp with garlic, chives, and parsley, soaked overnight then broiled in minutes. Served on shredded lettuce with green onions for a light, flavorful appetizer.

Baked chicken legs with a lemon-herb seasoning roasted until golden, then smothered in mushroom gravy and baked again until fork-tender. A two-stage roasting method for maximum flavor.

Chickpea salad with tahini made from dried garbanzo beans, lemon, garlic, cumin, and coriander. A from-scratch hummus-style dip that's sieved smooth and chilled overnight for the best flavor.

Ground turkey simmered with crushed tomatoes, red wine, capers, and fresh herbs piled over roasted spaghetti squash strands. A hearty low-fat, low-calorie dinner that doesn't skimp on flavor.

Vegetarian baked pasta with mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes, layered with a cottage cheese filling and topped with savory tomato sauce. Lighter, lower-fat take on classic baked ziti.

Eggplant halves stuffed with a Cajun filling of onion, celery, bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Baked until tender. Naturally plant-based.

Moroccan chicken tagine with green olives, preserved lemon wedges, and saffron. Slow-simmered until fall-off-the-bone tender with a rich reduced sauce.

Gazpacho salad takes all the fresh vegetables from the classic cold soup and serves them chopped over lettuce with a tangy herb dressing. No cooking, no blender, just crisp tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers chilled until the flavors meld.

Ground turkey meatballs with sweet red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, and a light creamy sauce made with evaporated skim milk. Served over parsley rice.

Emerald seafood salad with wine-poached scallops, shrimp, kiwi, apple, walnuts, and red onion on fresh spinach. A colorful, elegant main-course salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

Malosolnye ogurtsy are Russian lightly-salted pickles made with fresh dill, horseradish, garlic, and a simple brine. Crisp, garlicky, and ready in just four days.