Recipe Sifter

Pasta con broccole with blanched broccoli in a fresh tomato sauce spiked with garlic, hot pepper flakes, basil, and oregano. A classic Italian-American vegetable pasta.

Chunky Southwestern chicken stew with kielbasa, potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, and corn in a cumin-tomato broth. A Dutch oven crowd-feeder that serves 8.

Marinated eggplant in olive oil: salt-pressed, vinegar-soaked strips layered with garlic, oregano, and chile in extra-virgin oil. An Italian antipasto that gets better for months.

Spicy cheese-stuffed shells with a three-cheese filling and tomatoes with green chilies sauce. A lighter stuffed pasta with low-fat cottage cheese and part-skim mozzarella.

Mexican-style venison picadillo simmered with cumin, coriander, cloves, raisins, and red wine vinegar until thick and saucy. Scoop it into warm tortillas with fresh salsa for a lean, spiced taco filling.

Lobster or shrimp fra diavolo in a spicy tomato sauce with red wine, hot peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs, tossed with pasta. Italian-American seafood at its boldest.

Spicy Spam kabobs grilled with pineapple chunks wrapped in snow peas and red bell pepper, marinated in a lemon-thyme-oregano sauce with red pepper flakes. Served over rice for a fun, retro cookout meal.

Maui chicken sandwich with pineapple-marinated grilled chicken, grilled pineapple rings, jicama slaw, and Thousand Island on a roll. A Hawaiian-inspired sandwich ready in 40 minutes.

Vegetable lasagna roll-ups: noodles wrapped around a three-cheese, spinach, eggplant, and white bean filling, baked in a robust red wine tomato sauce. Individual vegetarian lasagna portions, no layering.

Hearty no-bean beef chili built on 3 pounds of stewing beef, half a cup of chili powder, masa harina for body, and a secret weapon: a dash of Peychaud's bitters and nutmeg at the finish.

Chunky beef chili: cubed beef chuck simmered low with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, garlic, and chili powder until tender. Texas-style no-bean chili built for piling toppings on top.

Julia's manicotti, shells stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano, baked in a slow-simmered wine-laced tomato sauce. A family-style Italian-American bake with deeply seasoned red sauce.

Thick-cut rib eye steaks rubbed with a bold blend of black pepper, paprika, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then grilled over coals to a smoky char. A peppery dry-rub steak built for the grill.

Chicken cacciatore baked in a crushed Roma tomato sauce with white wine, fennel seed, cinnamon, coriander, and red pepper flakes. A lighter, oven-baked Italian hunter's chicken.

White pizza topped with a garlic-herb aioli, melted Havarti, broccoli, roasted red peppers, and Parmesan. A gourmet vegetarian pizza night upgrade that skips the red sauce entirely.

Spicy shrimp kabobs marinated in a sweet-heat glaze of apricot preserves, honey, hot sauce, and fresh herbs. Grilled until just white throughout for tender, juicy results.