Recipe Sifter

Elva's carne guisada with beef chuck braised in a cumin-spiced gravy with Rotel tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Tex-Mex comfort food ready in 40 minutes.

The classic Kentucky Hot Brown: open-faced turkey-or-chicken sandwich smothered in cheesy Mornay sauce, topped with bacon, broiled until bubbly. A Louisville Brown Hotel original from 1926.

Crockpot beef casserole slow-cooks flour-dredged stewing beef with browned onions and carrots in beef stock for 6 to 7 hours. Tender, rich, and made for cold nights.

Flemish carbonades is a Belgian beef stew braised in beer with onions and garlic in the slow cooker. Fork-tender beef chuck in a thick, malty gravy.

Italian zucchini ricotta fritters with garlic, scallions, and bright lemon zest, pan-fried in olive oil until crisp and golden. Crispy on the outside, tender and herby inside.

Garden herb muffins are savory low-fat muffins studded with grated carrot, green onion, garlic, and mustard. A bread basket savory bake for soups and salads.

Garlicky falafel from soaked dried chickpeas, ground with onion, potato, and four cloves of garlic. The traditional Middle Eastern street food technique with a crisp exterior and fluffy interior.

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.

Gulyassuppe: a Viennese-style goulash soup with paprika, caraway, marjoram, stewing beef, potatoes, bacon, and sliced frankfurters. Hearty Central European soup finished with lemon juice.

Creamy potato chowder loaded with smoky bacon, skin-on new potatoes and celery, thickened to a velvety spoonful and finished with a splash of dry sherry. A hearty one-pot chowder for cold nights.

Haricot mutton, a traditional New Zealand stew with flour-dredged mutton, turnip, carrots, and celery simmered in stock. Old-school comfort food from the farm kitchen.

Crustless garden quiche with mushrooms, onion, shredded carrots, and light processed cheese in a cholesterol-free egg and skim milk custard. No pie crust needed for this lighter take.

Herb dinner rolls use the bread machine for dough, infused with sauteed garlic, onion, oregano, basil, and tarragon. Tear-apart soft rolls baked golden for the dinner table.

Herbed focaccia layered with fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, and sage in the dough plus a topping of olive-oil-soaked onions, kalamata olives, and a cornmeal-crusted bottom for shattering crunch.

Creamy chicken curry with a surprise ingredient: cola. Simmered chicken in a buttery apple-curry sauce with raisins and half-and-half, served over rice with all the classic condiments.

International meatballs in vodka: beef and pork meatballs seasoned with lemon zest and nutmeg, simmered in a sour cream sauce with vodka and vermouth.