Recipe Sifter

Pureed carrot and fennel soup made with just 5 ingredients. Carrots and onion slow-cooked in olive oil, simmered with chicken broth and fennel seeds, then blended smooth.

Greek baked rabbit (lagos kounelli fournou) marinated for days in red wine and herbs, then slow-braised in a tomato-wine sauce warmed with allspice. A rustic, fall-off-the-bone game dish from the Greek countryside.

Low-calorie chicken barley soup made from scratch with homemade defatted broth, pearl barley, green beans, and lemon juice. A hearty, satisfying soup without the fat.

Cantaloupe halves stuffed with sauteed carrots, green apple, raisins, rice, lemon zest, and topped with browned pine nuts. A sweet-savory baked melon dish with Middle Eastern flair.

Vitello tonnato: classic Piedmontese dish of cold poached veal under a cool tuna, caper, anchovy, and lemon sauce. An elegant Italian summer main or antipasto, served room temperature.

Silky, bright lemon soup made with fresh lemons, carrots, celery, and chicken broth, finished with cream. Serve hot or chilled for a refreshing starter that wows at any gathering.

Curry-spiced ground beef, potatoes, and peas folded into flaky crescent roll triangles with a sweet-heat honey lime dipping sauce. A quick Indian-American fusion appetizer ready in 30 minutes.

Spicy vegetarian chili simmers kidney and pinto beans with tomatoes, jalapeños, and bell peppers in a bloomed chili-cumin base. Ready in under an hour, hearty without the meat.

Simple cabbage soup with carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and dill. Five-vegetable peasant soup that costs under five dollars and tastes like grandmother's kitchen.

Oven-braised beef stew with red wine, mushrooms, tomatoes, and rosemary. The beef browns at high heat first, then slow-cooks in a rich, saucy broth until fork-tender.

Hearty Russian beet soup (borscht) loaded with beef, bacon, kielbasa, cabbage, potatoes, and navy beans in a sweet-sour broth. A slow-simmered weekend project topped with sour cream.

Mild fish chowder with white fish, tuna, potatoes, corn, and leeks in a dill-seasoned chicken broth. Light, creamy from the roux, and no heavy cream needed.

Molded cucumber gelatin salad with cream cheese, carrots, onion, and lemon juice made with sugar substitute for a diabetic-friendly side dish. A retro Jell-O salad with no added sugar.

Cajun remoulade sauce with brown mustard, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and Tabasco, served with fresh vegetable crudites. A tangy, spicy no-cook dip for raw veggies.

Soupe au pistou, a Provencal vegetable soup with white beans, potatoes, pasta, and a fresh basil-garlic-olive oil pistou stirred in at the table. France's answer to Italian minestrone.

Hearty beef and barley soup built on bone-in short ribs for deep flavor, with carrots, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, and quick-cooking pearl barley. Slow-simmered Sunday soup for cold weather.