Recipe Sifter

These plant-based sausages taste great, contain no added fat except the vegetable oil they're fried in, and are easy to make. These ingredients yield fairly mild sausages; after you've tried them, adjust the seasonings to please your palate.

Herbed chickpea patties blended with egg whites, bread crumbs, dry mustard, oregano, and basil, pan-fried on a nonstick griddle. Low-fat vegetarian fritters similar to falafel but lighter and easier to make.

Herbed chicken mozzarella: chicken breasts shake-and-baked in a Parmesan herb crust, then crowned with chili sauce and melted mozzarella. A 90s casserole with serious herb backbone.

Herbed oatmeal pan bread, a soft, savory bread machine loaf with rolled oats, butter, garlic, basil, oregano, and a parmesan crust. Tastes like garlic bread and pizza dough had a kid.

Hoosier supper, an Indiana-style ground beef and rice casserole loaded with eggplant, tomato, and onion soup mix, finished under a parmesan bread crumb crust with ripe olives.

Hot green chili with chicken (or pork), four pounds of green chiles, tomatillos, and a long slow simmer. Southwest-style chile verde thick enough to ladle over enchiladas, eggs, or grilled steak.

Traditional Irish lamb stew with potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered low with a bouquet garni of thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Simple, hearty, and no-fuss.

Warm up your winter with this delicious tomato soup the whole family can enjoy!

Grilled butterflied leg of lamb rubbed with crushed rosemary and marinated in red Burgundy wine, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. No mint, just herbs and smoke over mesquite charcoal.

Light spaghetti sauce with tomato sauce, garlic, green bell pepper, red wine, basil, and oregano ready in 20 minutes. A quick, low-fat meatless marinara for weeknight pasta.

Traditional Irish stew with cubed lamb, potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered slowly with a bouquet garni of bay, thyme, and rosemary. The simple cottage-kitchen recipe that defines Irish home cooking.

Bring your garden into your kitchen with this low-fat, delicious pizza your kids will love!

Marinated asparagus bundles tied with blanched green onion strips and marinated in red wine vinegar with oregano and tarragon. An elegant make-ahead appetizer.

Packed with meaty goodness with a combination of chicken, pork and beef.

Nuevo frijoles puts a briny Mediterranean spin on Mexican pinto beans, simmered with green and black olives, pimentos, cumin and oregano. A vegan, big-flavored bean side with a twist.

Fresh pear salsa with tomatoes, green pepper, oregano, basil, and a kick of hot sauce. A sweet-savory fruit salsa ready in 20 minutes that pairs with chips, fish, or grilled chicken.