Recipe Sifter

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.

Italian chicken tonnato: poached breasts sliced thin and draped in a silky sauce of tuna, anchovies, mayonnaise, white wine, and lemon. Served cold with capers and parsley. Elegant and make-ahead friendly.

Ground round meatloaf studded with fresh corn and glazed with tomato sauce. Half the corn goes in whole for bursts of sweetness, half gets pureed into the mix for moisture.

Creamy Mexican avocado-lime soup with cilantro, cumin, crema Mexicana, and chicken broth, puréed smooth and topped with Cotija cheese and fresh avocado cubes.

Deep dish pizza with a no-yeast cottage cheese crust, seasoned tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Romano. A lighter, Weight Watchers-friendly pizza ready in 45 minutes.

Pressure-cooked beef roast shredded into a rich tomato-clam broth with mushrooms, onions, and garlic creates an unexpected fusion goulash with Hungarian-seafood soul.

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

White chicken chili simmers shredded chicken with white beans, jalapeños, oregano, cumin, and ground ginger in chicken broth and white wine, finished with melted Monterey Jack. A lighter alternative to red chili with brighter, creamier flavor.

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.

Northwest seafood cioppino simmers white fish, shrimp, and oysters in a tomato-herb broth with onions, garlic, and basil. Pacific Northwest take on the Italian-American fisherman's stew.

Picante turkey pie with a ground turkey crust filled with zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, and picante sauce, topped with melted mozzarella. A low-carb, high-protein dinner.

Homemade pizza roll bread stuffed with Italian sausage, tomato paste, mozzarella, and Romano cheese. Yeasted dough rolled into a crescent shape and baked golden for a pull-apart pizza experience.

Potato, Bell Pepper, and Zucchini Ratatouille recipe

Savory meat-filled manicotti stuffs pasta tubes with seasoned ground chicken, mozzarella, parmesan, and bread crumbs, baked in marinara with melted cheese. Italian-American comfort food, lighter version.

Seattle-style cioppino loaded with Dungeness crab, mussels, red snapper, shrimp, and calamari in a red wine sweet pepper sauce. A Pacific Northwest seafood stew that feeds 8.