Recipe Sifter

Tender lamb and fresh okra slow-simmered in a tomato sauce with whole garlic cloves and onions, finished with a bright squeeze of lemon. This Middle Eastern bamieh stew is rich, tangy, and deeply comforting.

Yogurt-marinated chicken thighs cook right on top of basmati rice with curry, cardamom, and cinnamon in this one-pot chicken biriani. Fragrant, hands-off, and endlessly satisfying.

Sweet potatoes simmered with sliced persimmons, sugar, and fresh citrus juice until a glossy syrup forms. A one-pot seasonal side with an unexpected fruit pairing.

Asparagus, mushrooms and a bit of cheese baked on a delicate puff pastry base. Store bought puff pastry saves time while impressing your guests.

Green tomato relish turns end-of-season unripe tomatoes into a tangy-sweet preserve spiced with allspice, cloves, mustard, and celery seed. Salted overnight to draw water, then simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon. Cans up beautifully.

Filipino-style sauteed egg noodles (pancit) with pork, shrimp, cabbage, and carrots cooked in chicken broth and soy sauce. Served with fresh lemon slices.

Mandeltorte, a classic German almond torte made with ground almonds, bread crumbs, and whipped egg whites. Filled with lemon orange custard and dusted with powdered sugar.

The original version that inspired this recipe was incredibly rich using whipping cream for the cream sauce and delivering a whopping 16 grams of saturated fat per serving. 85% of the calories came from fat! This version has only 4 grams of saturated fat and cuts the calorie count from 269 to 121, is still delicious and rich tasting.

Old-fashioned pickled beets in a sweet cinnamon, clove, and allspice syrup with apple cider vinegar and lemon slices. A classic pantry staple that brightens any plate.

Lemon pistachio quick bread with lemon-rubbed sugar, buttermilk, and chopped pistachios, soaked with a hot lemon syrup glaze while still warm from the oven.

Good olive oil, a few sage sprigs, fresh lemon strips, sweet baby peppers, garlics and mixed Italian olives are sauteed in a pan, and they come out delicious and flavorful. Serve it with some warm crusted bread, you will be additive to these yummy bites after the first attempt.

Old-fashioned heart of palm pickles with mustard, turmeric and cider vinegar. Bright yellow tropical pickle relish for canning, with sweet-tangy Southern flavor.

Pollo Loco-style chicken marinade with fresh lemon and orange juice, chili sauce, garlic, and hot sauce. Marinate 4 to 24 hours, then grill for smoky, citrusy results.

Spanish gazpacho mashes ripe tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and garlic with olive oil and lemon for a chilled no-cook summer soup. Five fresh herbs make it sing.

Blueberry batter cake bakes its own sauce as boiling water poured over a sugar-cornstarch topping creates a syrupy blueberry layer beneath the risen cake. A self-saucing pudding cake.

McIlhenny's crawfish etouffee smothered in butter with the holy trinity, crawfish fat, Tabasco, and fresh lemon juice. A rich, roux-free Cajun classic that's even better the next day.