Recipe Sifter

Mississippi mud poke cake with German chocolate cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, caramel sauce, Cool Whip, and crushed Heath bars. Easy make-ahead dessert that chills overnight.

Chicken and chili stew with browned drumsticks, white beans, cherry tomatoes, and chili powder, finished with fresh cilantro. A make-ahead one-pot stew loaded with garnish options.

Classic stovetop rolled oats cooked in 5 minutes and topped with your choice of butter, brown sugar, honey, jam, or cream. Simple, customizable breakfast oatmeal.

Berry chocolate pie: a microwave-easy chocolate ganache layer in a baked shell, topped with sliced strawberries folded into whipped cream. Two layers, fast assembly, all finish.

French mushroom salad a la Grecque with whole caps simmered in olive oil, white wine, tomato, coriander seeds, and thyme, then chilled and served cold.

This is one of my favorites. Deep fried tofu with a peanut sauce for dipping. This one calls for pressing the tofu first. It makes it denser.

Veal cutlets pan-fried until golden, then simmered in a tangy apple-lemon pan sauce with mushrooms and a velvety apple puree. A French-Norman style weeknight veal dinner.

Tender Australian lamb cutlets glazed with a sticky honey-soy and plum jam sauce, finished with toasted sesame seeds. Ready in under 20 minutes for a quick, flavor-packed weeknight dinner.

Dairy-free pureed spinach soup thickened naturally with potatoes and zucchini. Vegan, low-calorie, and vibrant green with no cream needed. Topped with delicate enoki mushrooms.

Potato-pear salad with thinly sliced boiled potatoes and fresh pears in a simple oil and vinegar dressing. Serve warm or chilled on a bed of romaine.

Sake-marinated tofu pan-fried golden and tossed with rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, garlic, fresh chiles, and soy. A hearty vegetarian stir-fry with serious umami depth.

Grilled dessert kabobs with pound cake cubes coated in peanut butter and chopped peanuts, skewered with banana and nectarine, and basted with warm caramel sauce. A fun cookout finish.

Moroccan orange and radish salad with peppery white radish, navel orange, and a touch of orange flower water. Fresh, peppery and bright with no cooking needed.

Summer fruit crumble with a hazelnut and whole-wheat breadcrumb topping, sweetened with honey instead of sugar. Use raspberries, strawberries, currants, or whatever is ripe.

Angel hair pasta tossed with fresh chopped tomatoes, basil, parsley, scallions, green olives, and olive oil for a no-cook sauce that comes together in minutes.

Vegan brownies with chocolate sauce bake into a self-saucing pudding cake with no eggs and no dairy. Soy milk and oil keep the crumb tender, while a layer of cocoa, brown sugar, and boiling water poured over the batter sinks down into a fudgy hot sauce as it bakes.