Recipe Sifter

Navy bean and tomato soup made from dried beans, with stewed tomatoes, onion, and celery sauteed in margarine. A high-fiber, low-fat, gluten-free farmhouse soup that costs pennies to make.

Fresh lo mein noodles wok-tossed with Chinese mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and celery in a savory oyster sauce. Faster than takeout at just 14 minutes.

Japanese pork stir-fry made in the microwave with frozen stir-fry vegetables, julienned pork chop, soy sauce, and dry sherry. A 20-minute weeknight dinner for two served over rice.

Pasteli me Fistikia, a traditional Greek candy with roasted pistachios set in a honey-sugar brittle. Four ingredients and a candy thermometer for an authentic Mediterranean sweet.

Sweet and sour lentils with brown rice simmer in a tangy honey-tamari-ginger sauce with sauteed onion and celery. A hearty vegetarian one-bowl dinner with plant-protein backbone.

Another kind of dumplings, steamed dumplings, but still a popular recipe too!

Vietnamese fruits in syrup (trái cây) with orange, pineapple, and lychees in a sherry-citrus sugar syrup. A simple, elegant tropical dessert chilled to perfection.

German pork chops in onion beer sauce (Schweinekotelett in Zwiebelsosse). Pan-fried chops simmered in beer and beef broth with sliced onions and gravy.

Fluffy banana buttermilk pancakes made with whole wheat pastry flour and toasted wheat germ. No butter or oil in the batter. Makes a dozen golden flapjacks in 30 minutes.

Hearty vegetarian chili with meatless crumbles, dried apricots, and warm spices, simmered in beer and tomato sauce for a sweet-savory twist on classic chili.

Trail-friendly arroz con pollo made with freeze-dried chicken, dried peas, saffron, and rice. A lightweight backpacking meal ready in 25 minutes.

Malosolnye ogurtsy are Russian lightly-salted pickles made with fresh dill, horseradish, garlic, and a simple brine. Crisp, garlicky, and ready in just four days.

Asian-glazed chicken drumettes pan-fried in peanut oil with garlic-ginger stir-fry sauce, served over warm sesame coleslaw cooked in the same skillet.

Quick-pickled Japanese-style radish greens with a salt-sugar brine and a splash of soy sauce. Zero-waste side dish ready in 30 minutes that tastes nothing like the leaves you almost threw out.

Vegan pearl barley and white kidney bean side dish brightened with fresh mint. Just 4 ingredients, high in fiber and protein, ready in under an hour.

Old-time potato sourdough starter made with just four ingredients: unbleached flour, potato water, sugar, and salt. No commercial yeast needed for this traditional wild-fermented starter.