Recipe Sifter

Crispy buttered phyllo wraps around layers of wine-simmered ground beef with mushrooms and a tangy feta, cream cheese, and cottage cheese filling. Serve golden wedges to a hungry crowd.

Beef in red wine: a sirloin tip roast marinated overnight in red wine and aromatics, then slow-braised until fork-tender. The marinade thickens into a rich pan gravy with mashed onions and carrots.

Traditional British beef and kidney stew with pickled walnuts, carrots, and onions braised low and slow until the gravy turns thick and rich. A proper pub-style comfort dish for 4 to 6.

Slow cooker beer beef stew with tender chunks of stewing beef braised in dark beer, onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Flour-coated meat makes its own rich gravy as it cooks.

Homemade fish stock with white fish bones, aromatics, white wine, and lemon. A clear, light seafood broth that forms the base of bouillabaisse, chowders, and risotto.

A basic lentil salad that can make any dinner seem a bit different.

Black bean stew baked over brown rice with sharp cheddar, cumin, oregano, and red wine. Bubbly, cheesy, and packed with warm spices in every bite.

Massive pot of black bean cassoulet soup with garlic sausage, Italian sausage, bratwurst, and a meaty ham bone. Simmered for 5 hours with sherry, brown sugar, and lemon. Feeds 16.

Homemade curry powder ground in a blender from coriander, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, fennel, and a touch of saffron. A 14-spice blend with brighter, fresher flavor than store-bought tins.

Slow cooked classic, beefy just bursting with flavor, easy to make and feeds a crowd. Perfect for company.

Russian-style boiled beef simmered low and slow with marrow bones, root vegetables, dill, and a spice bag. Fork-tender rump roast in a rich, fragrant broth that serves 10.

A hearty, full-scale borsch loaded with beef, bacon, kielbasa, beets, cabbage, potatoes, and navy beans. This is the real deal: slow-simmered, sweet-sour balanced, and crowned with sour cream. Feeds 10.

Classic Provencal fish stew from Toulon with assorted fish, mussels, and crawfish in a silky egg yolk-thickened broth. Fennel, leeks, and garlic croutons round out this elegant one-pot.

Braised red cabbage with apple, a German-style side simmered with onion, cloves, and bay, finished with sugar and vinegar for the classic sweet-sour balance. Vegan and low calorie.

Pureed broccoli soup with sage, Stilton cheese, and a golden puff pastry lid baked on top. Restaurant-style presentation you can pull off at home.

Low-fat roasted vegetable stock made with caramelized onions, carrots, leeks, and celery. This vegetarian brown stock adds deep, savory flavor to soups, risottos, and sauces without a drop of meat.