Recipe Sifter

Crawfish potato boats stuffed with whipped potato, sharp cheddar, butter, and a pound of crawfish tails. Twice-baked potatoes with a Cajun seafood twist that freeze beautifully.

Turkey loaf with spinach is a lean food-processor meatloaf: pureed turkey breast with carrot and onion wrapped around a spinach-Parmesan filling, baked into a pinwheel-sliced main. Low-fat, high-protein, and elegant enough for company.

Slow cooker beef stew loaded with zucchini and sweet corn in a savory steak sauce broth. Fork-tender meat meets a glossy cornstarch-thickened sauce in this set-it-and-forget-it dinner.

Grilled napalm shrimp skewers marinated in a blended habanero-cayenne butter sauce with cumin, brown sugar, and Worcestershire. Seriously spicy grilled shrimp for heat seekers.

Mom's slow cook chili made with ground beef chuck, tomato sauce, chili beans, and paprika. Works in a crockpot for 8 hours or a pressure cooker in under 30 minutes.

Toasted cumin and garlic stirred into cool yogurt with fresh tomatoes, green onions, and chopped mint. This chilled Indian-style raita is the condiment that tames spicy curries and livens up grilled meats.

Browned turkey sausage with red and green peppers, onion, and diced tomatoes in a smoky, spicy sauce tossed with spaghetti. A leaner take on the Italian-American classic, ready in 35 minutes.

No-cook summer spaghetti with a cold marinated sauce of Roma tomatoes, green olives, capers, garlic, and fresh herbs tossed with hot pasta.

Bombay cashews roasted with freshly ground coriander, cumin, hot paprika, cinnamon, and nutmeg. An addictive Indian-spiced snack that keeps for two weeks.

Learn how to use dry seasonings when preparing hearty dinners with this simple recipe.

Flank steak and greens braised with a Cajun-leaning spice blend, browned flour roux, and a quart of mixed greens. The Louisiana-style one-pot beef-and-rice dinner with deep, smoky depth.

Zucchini Parmesan casserole with sour cream, egg, paprika, and buttered bread crumbs baked until golden. A creamy, cheesy side dish for summer squash season.

First Alert Chili made with 4 pounds of ground beef, kidney beans, beer, and blended plum tomatoes. A big-batch chili loaded with cumin, paprika, and heat.

Drink garnish guide covering frosted glasses, sugar and salt rims, plus garnish ideas for fruit, vegetable and coffee drinks. Old-school bartender finishing touches that turn ordinary drinks into something proper.

Mama Blue's shrimp patties: Gulf shrimp bound in a thick béchamel with green onions, hot sauce, and paprika, then breaded and pan-fried golden. A Lowcountry shrimp cake with a rich, silky center.

Crispy breadcrumb-coated chicken baked with onion halves, then served with a creamy sour cream pan sauce made from the drippings. Fork-tender comfort food for 8.