Recipe Sifter

Teriyaki meatloaf with ginger, soy sauce, and a sweet brown sugar glaze poured on halfway through baking. A retro Hawaiian-style ground beef loaf with grated carrots and bell peppers folded in.

Bologna rice skillet uses up pantry leftovers in one pan with toasted rice, diced bologna, tomatoes, corn, and onion. Vintage stretch-the-meat casserole, ready in under 40 minutes.

Mediterranean lamb burgers: grilled rosemary-garlic lamb patties stuffed into pita with goat cheese, olive-tomato salad, and minted yogurt sauce. A greek-style upgrade on burger night.

Fresh Mediterranean tomato salad with cucumber, black olives, mint, parsley, and a simple lemon-olive oil dressing. A crisp, herbaceous no-cook side dish ready in 15 minutes.

Melrose plates: chicken and pasta salad with mandarin oranges, water chestnuts and a honey-mustard poppy seed yogurt dressing. A lighter chicken-pasta luncheon salad served on lettuce.

This min fish pie is designed for kids, very funny looking and tastes very well!

Minestrone casalinga: a homestyle Italian vegetable soup packed with white beans, leeks, cabbage, zucchini, and orzo. Rustic, layered, and exactly what cold weather calls for.

German beef strips with carrots simmered in white wine and soda water, finished with heavy cream. A classic Geschnetzeltes with tender sirloin and sweet braised carrots.

Old-school Italian tomato sauce simmered with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and basil, then strained smooth through a food mill. The Sunday-gravy base every cook should know.

Classic moussaka casserole with layers of fried eggplant, spiced ground beef and lamb in red wine tomato sauce, and a rich bechamel with egg yolks and lemon juice. Topped with a golden Parmesan crust.

Wartime impossible pie from South London with one batter that splits into crust, custard, and filling as it bakes. Use it sweet with coconut and vanilla, or savoury with canned tuna or salmon and frozen vegetables. Pantry magic.

Mushroom bisque made from scratch with a full pound of fresh mushrooms, white wine, chicken broth, and heavy cream. A rich, velvety soup thickened with a roux and cornstarch.

Mushroom pate: a vegetarian appetizer of buttery sauteed mushrooms and onions deglazed with sherry, then blended with cream cheese and fresh parsley. Spread on crackers or crusty bread for the perfect cocktail snack.

Mushroom pate with a pound of sauteed mushrooms, dry vermouth, Parmesan, sour cream, and toasted pecans. A rich, earthy spread for crackers and crostini.

Mushroom ragout with tender veal in a creamy white wine sauce, served inside a molded rice ring. A classic European presentation with soup greens, sweet cream, and beef stock.

Mushroom soup concentrate is a homemade replacement for canned condensed mushroom soup, built from fresh mushrooms, butter, onion, celery and broth. Use it in casseroles or thin with milk for a quick bowl.