Recipe Sifter

Romaine and tangelo salad with sweet citrus segments, toasted pecans, and a honey poppy seed dressing. Simple, bright four-ingredient winter side salad.

Oven barbecue chicken with just 2 ingredients: a cut-up whole chicken and your favorite bottled barbecue sauce. Baked uncovered for an hour until tender and caramelized.

Moroccan dessert couscous steamed three times until feathery light, finished with olive oil and cinnamon, then garnished with dried fruits and almonds. A traditional North African sweet.

Pizza muffins top split English muffins with sauce, cheese, ham, and pineapple, then broil until bubbly. A 5-minute after-school snack or lazy-night dinner.

Bacon-wrapped crabmeat balls with sherry, lemon juice, dry mustard, and fresh bread crumbs broiled until crispy. An elegant appetizer that makes about 2 dozen bite-sized hors d'oeuvres.

Navy bean soup with a meaty ham bone, slow-simmered with onion and celery into a hearty, smoky bowl. A gluten-free, high-fiber classic that turns leftover ham into a freezer-stocking meal.

Frozen strawberry daiquiris blended with rum, frozen strawberries, sweetened lime juice, and lemon-lime soda. A slushy, party-sized cocktail batch ready in 10 minutes.

Cold poached trout in tomato aspic made from the poaching liquor, tomato sauce, and gelatin. An elegant chilled fish course garnished with parsley and lemon.

Whole roasted chicken on a vertical roaster with garlic cloves, red potatoes, and rosemary in a blazing hot oven. A one-pan dinner where the drippings flavor the potatoes.

Homemade vegetable stock from celery, onions, carrots, and parsley, simmered 30 minutes and strained smooth. Freezes for up to 3 months. A clean, versatile base for soups and sauces.

Memphis-style dry rub for ribs with paprika, cayenne, green peppercorns, and Jamaican allspice. A 12-spice blend with real heat and smoky depth. No sauce needed.

Fresh peach pie layers ripe sliced peaches under a glossy peach-and-nutmeg glaze in a pre-baked shell. No double crust, no second bake. The classic American summer fridge pie that lets ripe fruit do the talking.

Mexican-style pickled jalapeno chilies blistered then packed with carrot, onion, and garlic in a vinegar brine sealed with olive oil. Taqueria-style escabeche for the pantry.

Traditional turtle and ham soup simmered with cloves, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and chopped lemon. A hearty Cajun-style wild game soup with deep, savory flavor.

Lemon poppy seed dressing for fruit salad made with lemonade, dry white wine, and honey. Light, citrusy, and ready in 5 minutes. A bright vinaigrette that makes fresh fruit sing.

Chocolate-dipped frozen banana bites rolled in assorted toppings. A 4-ingredient no-bake dessert that turns ripe bananas into healthy-ish cold treats for kids and adults alike.