Recipe Sifter

A velvety spinach and crab soup thickened with a butter-flour roux, enriched with half-and-half, and finished with dill relish and a pinch of nutmeg. Ready in 25 minutes and freezer-friendly.

Velvety artichoke soup with roasted hazelnuts, hazelnut oil, and a splash of sherry. Naturally thickened with rice flour, making it a gluten-free elegant starter.

Creamy chicken and rice casserole for two with mushrooms and green pepper in a from-scratch white sauce. No canned soup needed. Bubbly and golden in about an hour.

Experiment with your crockpot by slow cooking this succulent dish made with orange juice.

Santa Fe salmon chowder with potatoes, corn, green chilies, and chili powder in a creamy lowfat milk base. A Southwestern-style fish chowder with a gentle kick of heat.

Leftover turkey shepherd's pie with carrots, tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary in a whole wheat flour gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and baked golden. The best way to use holiday turkey leftovers.

Creamy turkey stroganoff: leftover turkey, mushrooms, and broccoli in a sour cream sauce over egg noodles. Microwave one-bowl dinner ready in 40 minutes.

Chilled zucchini soup with marjoram, finished with cream just before serving. A silky, pale green summer soup that uses up the season's overgrown zucchini.

Veal scaloppine Modena-style: thin cutlets dredged in flour, pan-seared in butter and olive oil, then finished in a balsamic vinegar and chicken broth pan sauce. The Emilia-Romagna classic ready in 30 minutes.

Marinating the chicken in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme and tarragon add great depth to a rice sauce that's smoothed by just a hint of red currant jelly and enhanced with apricots and tawny port. Be sure to use tawny port. With its beautiful amber color and slightly dry flavor, it compliments the apricots. Save your ruby port, which is sweeter and has a deep red wine color, for after dinner.

Yummy bacon-topped cheese soup is a microwave-friendly cheddar soup loaded with bacon, celery, carrot, onion, and green bell pepper, finished with crisp bacon on top.

Creamy tomato soup made from scratch with ten ripe tomatoes, onion, thyme, and basil, blended silky and finished with cream, milk, and a swirl of butter. A rich, homemade bowl made for grilled cheese.

Fresh tomato soup with a bouquet garni of parsley, bay leaf, celery, thyme, and marjoram, pureed smooth with caramelized onion and a butter roux. Topped with sour cream and fresh dill.

Golden-crusted chicken pieces sizzle in hot oil until the skin crackles and the meat stays juicy inside. The real magic happens when you turn those savory pan drippings into velvety cream gravy, rich with browned bits and seasoned to perfection.

Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo with a dark roux, ham, two kinds of sausage, Creole seasoning, and cayenne. A Louisiana party pot that feeds 15 to 20.

Chicken and stuffing bread machine loaf with cooked chicken, stuffing mix, mushrooms, celery, and poultry seasoning. Savory yeast bread that tastes like Thanksgiving in slice form.