Recipe Sifter

Bruschetta with chopped tomato salad featuring red and yellow bell peppers, capers, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar. Low-fat, no oil, served as a mound alongside garlic-rubbed toast.

Orzo with marinated portabello mushrooms, simmered in a sundried-tomato and white wine broth with garlic, capers and herbs, then tossed with the orzo. A bold, oil-free vegetarian dinner in under 30 minutes.

Slow-cooker German peppered beef soup with red potatoes, carrots, celery, caraway, and dill. A heavy-handed peppery roast turned low-and-slow into hearty winter soup.

Pork stew with green chilies, jalapeno, and oregano slow-simmered until fork-tender. A New Mexican-style chile verde served rolled in warm flour tortillas.

Stuffed squid in saffron sauce: whole squid bodies filled with chopped tentacles, smoked ham, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs, then braised in a saffron-tomato-white wine sauce. Spanish-Italian dinner-party seafood.

Lemon olive oil basting sauce with garlic, oregano, and lemon zest. A bright, Mediterranean-style sauce for grilling chicken, lamb, pork, or fish.

Baked mostaccioli and ground turkey casserole layered with tomato sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a light bechamel topped with mozzarella. Greek pastitsio meets weeknight dinner.

Tamale pie in a bacon dripping cornmeal crust filled with seasoned ground beef, corn, green chiles, and tomato sauce, topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, and olives. A Tex-Mex pie feast.

Hearty meat and Vidalia onion pie layers ground beef, sweet onions, mushrooms and a Swiss-cheddar sour cream custard over a flaky buttermilk biscuit crust. Southern comfort food in a skillet pie.

Swordfish marinade with soy sauce, orange juice, tomato paste, garlic, and lemon. A savory-citrus blend that caramelizes beautifully on the grill.

Mexican beef casserole layered with flour tortillas, creamed corn, Rotel tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and two cheeses. A crowd-pleasing party dish with serious heat.

Homemade whole wheat pizza dough with cheddar and caraway baked into the crust, topped with broccoli, mushrooms, and mozzarella. A hearty, fiber-rich pizza.

Mixed grain mushroom casserole with wild rice, pearl barley, and brown rice baked in herb-seasoned vegetable broth with sauteed mushrooms and thyme.

Homemade Cajun spice blend with cayenne, black pepper, oregano, thyme, cumin, cardamom, fennel, and coriander. Makes 2 cups of bold, aromatic seasoning for any protein or vegetable.

Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed beef chuck, pork, mild and hot ground chilies, amber beer, and a long simmer. Serve beans on the side, Southwest-style.

Greek lamb souvlaki with leg of lamb, sweetbreads, and kidneys marinated in olive oil, lemon, wine, and herbs, then grilled on skewers with bay leaves and vegetables. An authentic taverna-style feast.