Recipe Sifter

Gratin of red beans baked with caramelized onions, sweet red peppers, tomato, red wine, and a parmesan-breadcrumb crust. A hearty, mostly vegetarian one-dish dinner.

Grilled summer vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, and red and yellow bell peppers marinated in olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, and fresh oregano, then grilled until tender. A Mediterranean side for any BBQ.

Hearty lentil tomato sauce with dried lentils, fresh tomatoes, and Italian herbs simmered into a thick, protein-rich vegetarian pasta sauce. Meaty texture without the meat.

French bread pizza hero loaded with homemade mushroom-pepper-onion pizza sauce and melted cheese. Split-loaf pizza with a sauce simmered 15 minutes for real pizzeria flavor without the dough.

Hearty spicy spaghetti sauce: a fast 25-minute tomato sauce with garlic, red wine, dried chili, and your choice of beef, pork, or chicken. Pantry-friendly Italian dinner sauce with a kick.

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.

Texas-style red chili made from dried chile pods pureed into a fiery sauce with browned meat, cumin, and oregano. No beans, slow-simmered for hours.

Killer salsa made with dried pequin chilies softened in vinegar, then blended with tomato juice, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Serious Tex-Mex heat for chip dipping and tacos.

A deconstructed enchilada with black beans, corn, mushrooms, and stewed tomatoes in a cumin-chili broth spooned over warm flour tortillas. Naturally vegan and ready in 30 minutes.

Lentil pasta sauce: hearty meatless tomato sauce with lentils, oregano, and a kick of hot sauce, perfect for vegan or vegetarian pasta night. Protein-rich alternative to classic meat ragu.

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.

Mexican-style burger toppings with salsa, cumin, oregano, lettuce, and tomato. A quick, flavorful way to give grilled hamburgers a Tex-Mex twist in just 5 minutes.

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

Marinated flank steak (London broil) in red wine, soy sauce, oregano, and marjoram, broiled hot and sliced thin against the grain. Tender, flavorful weeknight steak from an affordable cut.

Grilled pork burritos from a 48-hour marinated boneless rib roast rubbed with garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Slice thin and pile into tortillas.