Recipe Sifter

Slow-simmered Italian tomato sauce with 4 pounds of fresh plum tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, and a full tablespoon of black pepper. Three hours on the stove.

Vegetarian chili with kidney beans, raisins, cashews, beer, and Swiss cheese. Spiced with cumin, allspice, and Tabasco, simmered two hours for deep, complex flavor.

A whole pumpkin stuffed with herbed rice, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and bell pepper, then baked until the flesh turns silky soft. A vegetarian showstopper.

A rich Mediterranean sun-dried tomato dip pureed smooth with garlic, oregano, thyme, and olive oil. Microwave method makes it fast, and it keeps in the fridge for a month.

Super cheese pizza sauce: a herb-loaded tomato paste base with oregano, marjoram, garlic and onion. Spread on crust, layer with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.

Mexican braised lamb shanks with ancho chiles, raisins, and vinegar in rich tomato sauce. Fall-apart tender meat ready in 3 hours for special dinners.

Vegetarian tempeh-stuffed peppers simmered in a tangy tomato-sauerkraut sauce, packed with miso, beans, and herbs. Hearty plant-based main with Eastern European roots.

Chunky vegan tempeh chili loaded with kidney beans, corn, bell peppers, and tomatoes, spiced with cumin and oregano. A protein-packed, plant-based chili that simmers for an hour and hits every smoky, spicy note.

Delicious and dramatic, this dish is a mosaic of colors. It's easy enough to make for a simple family dinner but impressive enough to serve to guests.

Herb-seasoned turkey burgers with tarragon and white wine, grilled and served with a homemade barbecue sauce of tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, garlic, and Tabasco. Makes 12 burgers for a crowd-ready cookout.

Vegetarian two-bean tofu chili with black beans, kidney beans, and tofu marinated in soy sauce, red wine, and Dijon mustard. A hearty, meaty-tasting plant-based chili that feeds a crowd.

Vegan unstuffed bell pepper soup with brown basmati rice, tomato paste, and loads of diced peppers in a savory tamari broth. All the flavors of stuffed peppers without the stuffing.

This would probably be really good with cauliflower or zucchini instead of eggplant.

A from-scratch vegetable bean soup simmered for hours with dried kidney beans, chunky potatoes, carrots, zucchini, leeks, savoy cabbage, and brown rice. Old-fashioned, freezer-friendly, and endlessly customizable. One big pot feeds 8.

Vegetarian spaghetti sauce loaded with red and white kidney beans, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes. Hearty, protein-rich, and diabetic-friendly.

Chunky veggie spaghetti sauce with pressed tofu, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, and sunflower seeds in a tomato-herb base. Meaty texture, fully plant-based.