Recipe Sifter

Pita pizzas: individual chicken and vegetable pizzas on pita bread with spinach, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and mozzarella. A fast weeknight dinner for six in 40 minutes.

Thirty cloves of garlic, white wine, cinnamon, and cumin transform beef stew into a Greek stifado that smells like a Mediterranean kitchen. Topped with crumbled feta and crunchy walnuts for the finish.

Hearty vegetarian chili with dried kidney beans, bulgur wheat soaked in tomato juice, carrots, celery, and a double chile spice blend. Thick, meaty, and vegan.

Louisiana BBQ shrimp skewers with a homemade sauce of ketchup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and bacon drippings. Sauce mellows for a week before grilling for deep, layered flavor.

Fresh tomato-basil pasta sauce with red bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and oregano. Made from ripe tomatoes in under an hour, chunky or pureed smooth.

Chunky marinara sauce loaded with zucchini, mushrooms, celery, and red onion sauteed in balsamic vinegar. A no-oil vegetable-packed pasta sauce simmered in 40 minutes.

Howard Karten's salsa is a Mediterranean-leaning chunky tomato dip: peeled tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cumin, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar. No chiles, no cilantro, all flavor.

Roux-thickened Creole onion soup loaded with golden onions, three cheeses, cayenne, and herbs, topped with seasoned bread cubes. French onion goes full Louisiana.

Beef spaghetti sauce simmered low and slow with garlic, oregano, thyme and a bay leaf for that deep Sunday-supper flavor. Hearty meat sauce that thickens to clingy, glossy perfection over hot pasta.

Frijoles borrachos (drunken beans) simmered with bacon, jalapenos, Mexican oregano, and a bottle of dark Mexican beer. The Norteno classic, soupy and salty, served alongside grilled meats.

Linguine with roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, and anchovy paste tossed with Parmesan, oregano, and lemon juice. Bold, punchy, and not shy about flavor.

Easy Italian mushroom spaghetti sauce built from fresh roma tomatoes, tomato paste, and four herbs, simmered with plenty of mushrooms. Vegetarian as-is, or add meatballs or browned beef.

Italian pesto quiche folds a quick parsley-walnut pesto into a half-and-half custard over shredded Swiss and parmesan in a flaky crust. A herby, nutty spin on classic quiche that slices as well at brunch as at dinner.

Hearty lentil soup with mushrooms, carrots, celery, and small pasta shells simmered low and slow. A one-pot family recipe that's filling, budget-friendly, and naturally vegan.

A hearty meatless three-bean chili with kidney beans, chickpeas, and refried beans simmered in beer and chicken broth. Topped with sharp cheddar and croutons. Feeds 6 to 8.

Chicken scaloppine with oregano is a fast Italian classic: thin pounded chicken breasts dredged in flour, pan-seared golden in butter and oil, and finished with oregano and a quick white wine pan sauce.