Recipe Sifter

Tri-pasta salad combines ziti, bow-tie, and spinach rotini with tri-color peppers, olives, and capers in a no-oil herbed red wine vinaigrette. Colorful, tangy, and low-fat for picnics and potlucks.

Couscous with tomato-eggplant sauce simmered with green pepper, garlic, and a Mediterranean herb blend. Hearty, low-fat vegetarian one-skillet dinner.

Grilled lamb kabobs marinated overnight in lemon, oregano, and garlic with skewered bell peppers, eggplant, summer squash, and cherry tomatoes.

New Orleans-style red beans simmered with smoked ham hocks, kielbasa, the holy trinity, and a kick of Tabasco. Thick, smoky, and good enough to make on a Monday or any day.

Creole beans and rice layers a tomato-spiced kidney bean stew over fluffy rice, finished with a fresh cucumber-tomato salsa for crunch. Vegan, high-fiber Louisiana classic.

Baked Spanish eggs with crispy tortilla pieces, sauteed peppers, tomatoes, onions, green chiles, and cumin in an egg custard. A Mexican-style frittata baked in pie tins and cut into wedges.

Buffalo chili: ground bison simmered with three peppers, jalapenos, green chiles, and warm spice blend. Lean, gamy alternative to beef chili with serious heat.

Turkey breasts, bell pepper, chickpeas and tomato sauce make this delicious yet nutritious meal.

Cheesy beef stuffed eggplant hollows out parboiled eggplants, fills the shells with seasoned ground beef, Romano, and breadcrumbs, then bakes under tomato sauce. Italian-American main course.

Browned chicken drumsticks bake over a bed of rice, tomatoes, peas, bell pepper, and pimento-stuffed olives with oregano and paprika. A hearty Spanish-inspired one-pot casserole that feeds six.

Chili verde stew for a crowd: browned pork simmered with potatoes, corn, green peppers, and tomatoes in a cumin-and-oregano broth. A hearty big-batch stew built to feed a hungry party.

A hearty meatless three-bean chili with kidney beans, chickpeas, and refried beans simmered in beer and chicken broth. Topped with sharp cheddar and croutons. Feeds 6 to 8.

Hearty chili with cubed pork and beef, pinto beans, jalapeno, and dry red wine. Slow-simmered in a Dutch oven with Mexican oregano, cumin, and chili powder.

Twice-baked stuffed potato for one loaded with cheddar, Parmesan, mushrooms, green pepper, and tomato. A single-serving meal using yogurt instead of sour cream.

French-style vegetable stew with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and green pepper simmered in a Dutch oven. A ratatouille-inspired one-pot dish ready in under an hour.

Halloween jack-o'-lantern pizza for kids' parties. Pepperoni borders, olive eyes, and green pepper grins on a cheesy mozzarella-cheddar base. Bakes in under 30 minutes.