Recipe Sifter

If you like "frijoles con chili con carne," add a small can of pureed tomatoes to pot and dish up over cooked kidney beans. Only a peasant would mix beans into a chili pot.

Cuban-style navy bean soup simmered with smoked ham, salt pork, butternut squash, and potato in a sofrito-tomato base. Thick, smoky, and deeply satisfying.

Pasta con broccole with blanched broccoli in a fresh tomato sauce spiked with garlic, hot pepper flakes, basil, and oregano. A classic Italian-American vegetable pasta.

Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneziana is Venetian white bean and pasta soup enriched with cotechino or pancetta, tomatoes, wine, and potato, topped with Parmigiano. A hearty northern Italian classic.

This is from Paul, who used to run an old BBS (remember those?) with a cooking "echo". You can use all beef or all turkey. Also good with some shredded Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the marinara before serving.

Very savory and sophisticated, especially for people who need some changes from ordinary pizza. Big hit.

If you need to make a quick spaghetti sauce, then this recipe is for you! Goes well with any type of pasta your prefer.

Instead of spaghetti, use spaghetti squash to make this cheesy and succulent casserole that also has browned beef and sauteed vegetables, which is much lower in calories and gluten free.

Spiced Lentil Soup with Assorted Vegetables recipe

Whole roasted chicken marinated in lemon and garlic, stuffed with a mofongo-inspired filling of browned plantains, crispy bacon, Anaheim chilies, and red bell pepper. Latin-Caribbean Sunday dinner at its golden, crispy-skinned best.

Slow cooker beef and pork chili with secret Southern twists: bacon drippings, coffee, cocoa, and a touch of sugar for deep complexity. Simmer for hours until thick and rich.

Cheesy vegetarian tamale filling loaded with sharp cheddar, pine nuts, black olives, corn, green chilis, and plenty of garlic and cumin. Makes 7 cups for a big batch.

Italian baked stuffed littleneck clams on the half shell with seasoned breadcrumbs, Parmesan, olive oil, and white wine. Broiled until golden and served sizzling.

Roasted eggplant and yogurt spread, garlic-studded and perfumed with thyme and oregano, blended creamy with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. A tangy, herby Mediterranean dip for pita, crackers, or toasted bread.

Herb-loaded hummus made with chickpeas, sauteed onion and garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and a blend of basil, coriander, and oregano. A fresh take on classic hummus.

Spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with red wine, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Tender pan-fried beef meatballs and a deeply layered sauce that builds for two hours.