Recipe Sifter

Fried okra soup with salt pork, lima beans, corn, tomatoes, and cabbage simmered into a thick Southern vegetable soup. Browning the okra in pork drippings adds smoky depth and keeps the okra from getting slimy.

Chicken and rosemary dumplings made from scratch with a rosemary-steeped tea mixed into the biscuit batter. Tender poached chicken in a hearty vegetable broth topped with fluffy herb dumplings.

Roasted wild goose stuffed with apples and onions, browned under bacon, then braised in red wine and beef consomme with herbs. A classic hunter's recipe with rich pan gravy served over wild rice.

Mexican manicotti: pasta shells stuffed with beef, refried beans, and cumin, smothered in corn and picante salsa. A microwave-friendly fusion casserole on the table in under 40 minutes.

Italian-style venison pot roast braised low and slow in red wine, tomato sauce, and oregano. A Dutch oven recipe that turns lean game meat fork-tender with rich gravy.

One-pot spicy lentil soup with tomatoes, carrots, celery, cayenne, and cumin. High-fiber, naturally vegan, and dead simple. Just dump everything in and let it simmer.

Low-fat marinated vegetable platter with crisp broccoli, carrots, celery, red pepper, olives, and artichoke hearts in tangy Italian dressing. Make-ahead appetizer that gets better as it chills.

Salsa gruda is a chilled fresh tomato salsa with crushed coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and a splash of red wine vinegar. A no-cook condiment built for grilled chicken or fish.

Classic French blanquette of veal with cauliflower in a velvety white roux sauce finished with sour cream. Slow-simmered tender veal stew, lightly nutmegged. Serve over rice pilaf or buttered noodles.

Turkey Creole simmers cooked turkey with tomatoes, onion, celery, bell pepper, and chili powder in the slow cooker. A dump-and-go post-holiday meal served over rice for six.

Three-bean salad packed with green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, celery, carrots, and pimientos in a sweet-and-tangy vinegar dressing. The classic potluck make-ahead. Keeps in the fridge for weeks and gets better with time.

Bird of Paradise chicken braised in pineapple syrup with sherry, soy sauce, and crystallized ginger, topped with bell pepper, celery, papaya, and a glossy pan sauce.

Easy one-pot beef stew with chunked beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and peas in a simple beef broth darkened with Gravy Master. A no-fuss weeknight stew that simmers itself tender.

Curry lobster risotto: arborio rice cooked the classic risotto way with West Indian curry powder, ginger, and shallots, finished with sweet papaya, mango, banana, and chunks of cooked lobster.

Hearty six-bean soup with lima, white, black, chickpea, pink, and kidney beans simmered with vegetables, fines herbes, and chicken noodle soup mix. Topped with Parmesan and tomatoes.

Braised lamb shoulder and merguez-style sausages served over couscous with a cumin and cayenne broth. A North African-inspired feast with carrots, zucchini, and white wine.