Recipe Sifter

Fresh nectarine smoothie blended with orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, and ice. A five-ingredient fruit drink ready in 10 minutes with no dairy and no added fat.

Butterflied leg of lamb marinade with olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and dry mustard. Overnight soak, then grill to medium-rare.

Italian rabbit saddles boned, rolled around a garlic-olive-rosemary stuffing, then seared and braised in fresh tomato sauce. Rustic Tuscan cooking at its most honest.

Spicy black-eyed peas simmered with cumin, chili powder, dry mustard, canned tomatoes, and Tabasco. A quick Southern side dish served over rice or with grits.

Mom's cocoa macaroons: chewy coconut mounds with a soft cocoa note, bound with whipped egg whites instead of condensed milk. A simple seven-ingredient drop cookie that makes four dozen.

Applique cookies stack contrasting chocolate-pepper and sugar cookie doughs, cut in different shapes and glued with egg white before baking, then drizzled with chocolate. A striking two-tone decorating technique.

Bread machine oat bran bread made with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, vegetable juice cocktail, and fresh parsley for a hearty, fiber-rich loaf with a savory twist.

Louse Ma Thoom is a Lebanese mushroom and almond pate: earthy sauteed mushrooms, garlic and thyme ground with toasted almonds into a rich, vegan spread for crackers, pita and crusty bread. A meatless meze star.

Super cheese pizza sauce: a herb-loaded tomato paste base with oregano, marjoram, garlic and onion. Spread on crust, layer with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.

Authentic pumpernickel bread with a rye flour starter, whole wheat, wheat germ, bread crumbs, and caramel for color. A 4-loaf recipe with an overnight rye starter from scratch.

Baked apples filled with brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg, served with a simple maple yogurt sauce. Use firm tart varieties like Ida Red or Northern Spy for the best results.

Blanched asparagus shocked in ice water to lock in bright green color, then drizzled with peanut oil and finished with minced shallots and parsley. A 15-minute healthy vegetarian side dish.

Pan-seared salmon steaks topped with crispy ginger and green onion matchsticks, served over peppery arugula with a sherry-soy pan sauce. Date-night dinner for two in under 30 minutes.

Roast leg of lamb on a rack over a potato, onion, and roasted red pepper gratin. Lamb drippings baste the vegetables below as everything roasts together in one dish.

Crock-Pot rice cooked on high with butter for fluffy, hands-off results. A slow cooker method for cooking perfect rice without watching the stove.

Rosemary's root beer tonic: a traditional herbal decoction made with sassafras, dandelion, burdock, ginger, cinnamon, and orange peel. Old-fashioned homemade root beer.