Recipe Sifter

Sliced SPAM simmered with zucchini, potatoes, carrots, and canned tomatoes seasoned with basil, oregano, and garlic in one skillet. A budget-friendly 40-minute dinner that feeds eight.

Chicken breasts marinated overnight in vermouth, dried apricots, and prunes, then baked with sweet potato cubes until tender and caramelized. A low-fat, fruit-forward dinner that practically cooks itself.

Roasted broccoli and tomatoes char at high heat, then get tossed with a Mediterranean mix of lemon, olives, oregano and capers. A bright, low-calorie vegetable side in about 20 minutes.

It definitely warmed me up instantly, a perfect dinner on a cold winter day. I used beef stock to increase the depth of flavour, and it certainly did the job. The soup was very tasty and loaded with nutrients from barley and beans. Made a large pot, and froze the remaining soup.

Ulundu vadai, crispy South Asian urad dal fritters shaped into little doughnut rings, spiced with chili, curry leaves, and ginger, then deep-fried golden. Crunchy outside, fluffy within, with chutney.

Crockpot Cincinnati chili made with lean chicken, simmered low with chili powder, a hit of unsweetened chocolate, and warm cinnamon and cloves. The Queen City classic, set-and-forget in the slow cooker.

Note: 15 bean mixtures are available packaged in supermarkets and health food stores. If you prefer, make your own by combining equal amounts of dried blackeyed peas, red kidney beans, white kidney beans (cannellini), green lentils, split peas, black beans, yellow split peas, navy beans, cranberry (Roman, shell, or shell out) beans, great Northern beans, pinto beans, small white limas, red lentils, cow peas (field peas), and pink beans. Avoid using beans such as garbanzos and large lima beans, as these take longer to cook than other varities.

A spicy and savory dish that can be served plain or as part of a meal. Tastes amazing with a crusty bread bowls.

Oysters Mosca: chopped fresh oysters cooked down with garlic, scallions, lemon, and Romano cheese, then spooned into puff pastry shells. The classic Italian-Creole New Orleans appetizer from the legendary Mosca's restaurant.

This soup came out so tasty and flavorful. The pan-fried tortilla strips added some nice crunch, and I also served the soup with some sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro and scallions. It was an easy, light yet tasty soup.

Roasted winter squash and chicken thighs braise with prunes, garlic, cinnamon, and fresh orange into a North African-leaning one-pan dinner. Sweet, savory, and built for cold weather.

Oven-baked eggplant slices coated in seasoned egg whites and crushed corn flakes. Crispy without frying, no oil needed, and just as good cold as hot.

Sweet, sour and salty chunks of beef roast just melted in my mouth. The spices added just right amount of yumminess. The sauce was so flavourful too. My plate was clean in the end, because I couldn't leave anything behind. Yum!

A garden vegetable spaghetti sauce loaded with peppers, zucchini, and summer squash, slow-simmered with garlic and a big handful of herbs. A meatless, freezer-friendly marinara for using up the garden.

TVP granules sautéed with garlic, peppers, and onions simmer in tangy tomato paste spiked with oregano and cayenne for a protein-packed vegetarian sloppy joe filling.

Chunky California beef and bean chili made with cubed round steak, scratch-cooked beans and fresh-toasted cumin. Three peppers and a jalapeño build layered heat in this lean, hearty bowl.