Recipe Sifter

Grilled baby artichoke and white bean salad with thyme, red onion, and a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette with olives. A make-ahead Mediterranean side that improves as it sits in the fridge.

Scotch mock apple pie: a Depression-era trick that uses soda crackers, lemon juice, and warm spices to taste exactly like apple pie. No apples required.

Margarita shrimp with fettuccine: tequila-lemon-marinated shrimp dipped in egg and flour, seared, and served over pasta with a lemon-ginger-wine butter sauce.

Mim's cabbage rolls are stuffed with ground beef, rice, and nutmeg in a sweet-tangy tomato sauce with brown sugar and lemon juice. Make-ahead freezer-friendly casserole, classic comfort.

Sweet-tangy peach chutney with shallots, golden raisins, ginger, and cinnamon simmered in cider vinegar and brown sugar. Makes 3 cups of versatile condiment for grilled meats, cheese boards, or fish.

Layered crab gratin over linguine with mushrooms, white wine, clam juice, and tarragon in a light cream sauce, baked and broiled until golden. A refined seafood pasta bake.

Caramel almond apple pie is a single-crust apple pie with sliced tart apples under a bubbling brown-butter caramel and sliced almond topping. Scratch oil-crust, one hour bake.

Granny Smith apple pie packs tart sliced apples between flaky shortening crusts with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and lemon zest, finished with a honey-spiced whipped cream on the side.

Streusel and cream pear kuchen with a yeasted hot-roll base, sweet cream cheese filling, cinnamon-pecan streusel, and fanned poached pears on top. A German-style coffee cake worthy of a holiday brunch table.

Kiwi fruit gelato made without an ice cream machine, using a simple syrup, fresh kiwi puree, and lemon. Bright green, tangy, and dairy-free.

Mediterranean shrimp and bow tie pasta with olives, garlic, oregano, and lemon. A fast 30-minute Italian-inspired one-skillet weeknight dinner.

Lemon dill turkey meatballs with artichokes: tender poached meatballs in a bright lemon-caper sauce with artichoke hearts. A Greek-leaning weeknight dinner that freezes beautifully.

Dried prunes, apricots, and pears slow-cooked with vanilla bean, lemon zest, and a touch of sugar until thick and jammy. Make it on the stovetop or set-and-forget in a crockpot.

Salsa Bandera is a fresh Mexican salsa with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, cilantro, and a vinegar-lemon dressing. No cooking required, just chop, mix, and serve with chips.

Slow-cooker venison roast marinated in red wine, garlic, and vinegar, then braised low and slow with tomatoes, onions, and Worcestershire until fork-tender. A hunter's classic for tough cuts.

Cold microwave borscht with grated beets, lemon juice, and a chilled overnight rest. A streamlined Eastern European soup ready in 12 minutes of cook time, finished with cold sour cream.