Recipe Sifter

Set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker stew packs chicken, eggplant, potatoes, and beans into one hearty 8-hour meal that feeds a crowd.

Leg of lamb studded with garlic and rubbed with lemon juice roasts with potatoes until tender, creating bright Greek Sunday dinner.

.

Vegetarian stuffed peppers filled with spiced black beans, brown rice, tomato, and a kick of chili powder and cumin. Steamed then baked for a hearty, plant-based dinner.

Mama's chicken cacciatore: paprika-dusted chicken browned in olive oil, then braised in dry Marsala with crushed plum tomatoes, carrots, celery, and peppers. Italian comfort food the way Madre made it.

Old-school chicken foot soup with sauteed breast meat, carrots, onions, garlic, and herbs simmered in a roux-thickened broth with white wine. Rich, collagen-loaded comfort food served over rice.

This is another healthy recipe, low calorie, and low-fat, a lot of protein.

Crispy baked chimichangas stuffed with spiced black beans, melted cheese, and fresh green onions. Skip the deep fryer for this healthier take on the classic Tex-Mex favorite.

Creamy white beans bound with garlicky spinach puree and soft bread crumbs, seasoned with oregano and thyme. A hearty, plant-based side dish with earthy flavor.

Greek red wine and tomato sauce with bay leaf, whole cloves, and oregano for oven-baked keftedes meatballs. Simmered until thick and fragrant, this is the authentic way to finish keftedes tou fournou.

Easy meatballs simmered in a quick tangy tomato sauce of puree, onion, vinegar, and oregano, then spooned over rice or pasta. A simple stovetop dinner that comes together in under an hour.

Vegan split pea soup: green split peas simmered with celery, carrot, onion, potato, and herbs into a thick, hearty bowl finished with frozen sweet peas and a splash of tamari. No ham needed.

Black bean chili with ground chuck, cocoa powder, molasses, cinnamon, and liquid smoke for complex depth. Pressure-cooked dried beans and a low-and-slow simmer build serious flavor.

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.

In Sicily bistecche like these are served as an antipasto, a contorno, or, when a charcoal fire is going, as one of many dishes in a mixed grill.

Smoked turkey gumbo turns the Thanksgiving carcass into a rich Cajun-style gumbo with shrimp, crab, and oysters, built on a deep mahogany roux and served over long-grain rice.