Recipe Sifter

Chinese five-spice chicken wings marinated in soy, sherry, and ginger, coated in water chestnut flour and deep-fried until golden and crispy. A crunchy, aromatic appetizer or party snack.

Pasta with black beans and spinach in jarred pasta sauce, topped with Parmesan. A protein-packed vegetarian dinner using pantry staples and frozen spinach, ready in 25 minutes.

Orange Jello salad with just cottage cheese and whipped topping. No boiling, no setting, no cooking at all. Dry Jello powder dissolves straight into the cottage cheese for a fluffy potluck side.

Vegan coleslaw skips the mayo for an apple cider vinegar dressing with honey, slivered cabbage, Granny Smith apple, raisins, and celery seed. Crisp, tangy, naturally light side dish.

Tender calamari rings tossed with slow-caramelized onion marmalade infused with chile oil. A simple, elegant Catalan appetizer served with crusty French bread.

Duxelles is a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs cooked in butter. It is used to flavor soups and sauces, as a garnish, and a stuffing. Take a thinly pounded pork chop, veal or chicken cutlet, or even a flank steak. Spoon the precooked duxelles down the center. Roll the meat and then sauté or roast it.

A no-bake chocolate icebox cake layered with cubed pound cake and mocha-spiked chocolate pudding set with gelatin. Chill, slice, and serve. The easiest chocolate dessert you'll ever make.

A quick pasta with sweet red, yellow and green peppers, scallions and a hit of fennel seed, all tossed in olive oil. Light, colorful and meatless, on the table in about 30 minutes.

Joyce's steak and mushroom gravy: flour-dredged round steak browned and slow-simmered in cream of mushroom soup. Classic midwestern comfort over mashed potatoes.

Fudgy brownie-style cookies packed with mint chocolate chips: melted into the batter for intensity and folded in whole for gooey pockets. Soft centers, set edges, total mint chocolate bliss.

Cajun skillet beans with black-eyed peas, the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, plus tomatoes, thyme, and a pinch of cayenne. A quick, hearty vegetarian Cajun side.

A Korean stir-fried cucumber side dish (banchan) tossed in sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili powder. Quick, savory, and a refreshing change from raw cucumber salads.

Vegan black bean stir-fry loaded with sweet potato, mushrooms, broccoli, red cabbage, and crumbled tofu in a sesame-soy-chili sauce. Low-cal, low-fat, and on the table in 35 minutes.

White Michigan bean soup is a three-ingredient classic: white navy-style beans simmered slowly with a smoked ham hock, then partly mashed to thicken. Old-school, no-fuss comfort.

This egg-free, dairy-free chocolate wacky cake uses applesauce and vinegar for a moist, tender crumb. A Depression-era classic that mixes right in the pan and bakes in under 30 minutes.

Smoky roasted eggplant blended with garlic, pomegranate juice, and warm paprika into a silky spread. This easy aubergine pate is ready in 45 minutes with just 6 ingredients.