Recipe Sifter

Creamy mushroom sauce made with just butter, mushrooms and cream, simmered into a thick, glossy sauce in about 15 minutes. No flour needed. Spoon it over steak or pile it on burgers.

Basque shepherd's pie made in a skillet with crisp bacon, tender potatoes, thyme, and a soft-set egg topping. A rustic mountain shepherd's supper, not the usual lamb-and-mash version.

Lencsefozelek is a traditional Hungarian buttered lentil dish simmered with carrot, cloves, and parsley, then finished with rich melted butter. Serves 6 and pairs beautifully with sausages or game.

Tuna stuffed jumbo pasta shells baked in a creamy dill sauce made with cottage cheese, yogurt, and Parmesan. A lighter take on stuffed shells using low-fat cottage cheese instead of ricotta.

Chicken and stuffing bake with cream of mushroom sauce, carrots, onion, and celery, baked in 45 minutes. Six chicken breasts over savory stuffing in one dish, feeds a family of 6 with ease.

No-cook spinach pesto pasta sauce with fresh basil, parsley, pine nuts, ripe tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan. Blender-quick, served at room temperature over hot pasta.

Split pea and ham soup simmered with a meaty ham bone, leek, carrots, celery, tarragon, and a finishing splash of dry sherry. The thrifty, deeply savory soup that turns leftover holiday ham into dinner.

Eggs a la Wedgewood layers scrambled eggs with bacon, mushrooms, sour cream, and cheddar in a make-ahead casserole. Assemble the night before, bake fresh for brunch crowds.

Lima bean salad with diced tomatoes in a red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing with maple sugar and dry mustard. A simple, hearty bean salad served chilled.

Salmon with basil cream sauce: pan-seared fillets finished in a silky white wine, shallot, and fresh basil cream reduction. An elegant bistro main course in under 40 minutes.

Vegan soya bean paté with sautéed onions, tomato paste, black olives, parsley, and toasted sesame seeds. A high-protein spread for crackers or toast.

Savory mushroom strudel wrapped in crispy phyllo dough with Black Forest ham, mozzarella, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan. A golden, flaky appetizer that slices into elegant rounds.

Microwave-braised tuna steaks studded with garlic slivers, simmered with pearl onions in red wine, and served on wilted spinach with a tomato-thyme sauce.

Ash reshteh, the classic Persian noodle soup thick with kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, fresh herbs, and beets, finished with a tangy whey or vinegar swirl. Pure comfort.

Cheesy turkey vegetable tetrazzini casserole with leftover turkey, cheddar, peas, carrots, and a buttery breadcrumb-parmesan topping. The classic Thanksgiving leftover transformer.

Vegetarian jambalaya with red kidney beans, long grain rice, tomatoes, and the Cajun holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper. A meatless one-pot meal with Louisiana flavor.