Recipe Sifter

Cold sesame noodles with a creamy peanut butter and sesame oil sauce, lightly spiced with hot sauce and soy. Quick lunch or potluck pasta salad ready in 15 minutes.

Peppered London broil seared in a dry pan with a flour crust, served with lime-marinated red onions and a kick of Tabasco. A bold, no-oil steak dinner for two.

Sauerbraten meatballs: cooked beef meatballs simmered in a tangy-sweet German-style gravy thickened with crushed gingersnaps. A 30-minute weeknight riff on the slow-braised classic.

Pan-seared steaks topped with a rich mushroom ragout made with red wine, tomatoes, black olives, and thyme. A rustic French-inspired beef dinner ready in about an hour.

Crown roast of pork roasted low and slow, filled with stuffing midway through cooking. A show-stopping centerpiece for holiday dinners and special occasions.

Cocoa pudding cake that bakes its own fudgy sauce underneath a tender chocolate cake layer. No eggs, no butter, just pantry staples and pure chocolate magic.

Light plum or apricot tea cake made with egg whites, orange juice, and fructose instead of butter and sugar. A lower-fat fruit loaf that stays moist for days.

Old-fashioned rabbit pie with slow-stewed meat topped with buttermilk biscuits and served with homemade gravy. A hearty country supper for a crowd.

Vangi bath: South Indian rice dish with eggplant, toasted coconut, and a fresh-ground spice blend of coriander, urad dal, dried chiles, cinnamon, and hing. Vegetarian one-pot from Karnataka.

Szechuan peanut noodles tossed in a rich sauce of creamy peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and hot bean paste. No cooking the sauce, just mix, toss, and slurp. Extra sauce keeps in the fridge.

Try these easy fruity popsicles to cool down the hot summer day.

Frozen bananas rolled in honey, lemon juice, and almond slivers. A four-ingredient summer snack with the chew of frozen banana and the crunch of toasted nuts. No churning, no sugar added beyond honey.

Tender eggplant simmered with tomatoes, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and a bright splash of lemon and red wine vinegar. A tangy, vegan-friendly side dish ready in 45 minutes.

Red snapper en papillote wraps fillets with julienned leek, carrot, ginger, and white wine in parchment hearts, steamed sealed until the fillets flake. A classic French technique for an elegant dinner.

One-pan venison dinner with browned venison chops, potatoes, carrots, onion, and celery simmered together in a single pot. A hearty, no-fuss wild game meal for two.

Kesari bhaat (sweet saffron rice): Indian basmati rice perfumed with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove, sweetened with jaggery, and finished with almonds and currants. Traditional festival dessert.