Recipe Sifter

Layered red lentil and spinach casserole topped with sliced tomatoes and baked under nonfat yogurt. A high-protein vegetarian main dish with just five ingredients.

Liz and Tom's crab boil: hard-shell crabs steamed over a citrus-and-spice broth with potatoes, corn on the cob, bay, and galangal. A summer seafood feast built for a crowd.

Madeira gravy made from turkey pan drippings, reduced Madeira wine, chicken broth, and thyme. A flour-free, intense holiday gravy that pulls depth from roasted bones.

Asian-style flank steak marinade with soy sauce, sherry, oyster sauce, honey, and crystallized ginger. Marinate overnight and grill for a sweet-savory crust.

Grilled marinated pork chops with lime juice, chili powder, and garlic, served with fresh salsa. A simple Southwestern-style pork chop recipe for the grill with a quick marinade and a cool topping.

Cantaloupe and honeydew melon balls soaked in fresh watermelon juice with rum and sugar. A boozy, refreshing summer fruit dessert that chills overnight for maximum flavor.

Cranberry orange relish made in the microwave with fresh apple, ginger, and nutmeg. Ready in 10 minutes, this tangy-sweet condiment pairs beautifully with turkey, ham, or chicken.

Light minestrone soup with potatoes, zucchini, green beans, and broken spaghetti in a tomato-basil broth. Made entirely in the microwave for an easy low-calorie dinner.

Mom's oven bag brisket marinated overnight in soy sauce, white vinegar, ketchup, and a heavy coat of coarse black pepper. Low and slow in a cooking bag for fork-tender results.

Mom's brown stew with beef cubes simmered for two hours in a Worcestershire and lemon-spiked broth with potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions, finished with a flour-thickened gravy.

Freezer pickles made with sliced cucumbers, onions, sugar, vinegar, and celery seed. No canning, no water bath, no special equipment. Just salt, slice, and freeze for bread-and-butter flavor any time of year.

Two-ingredient New Mexico style barbecued salmon. Salmon fillets brushed with red chile barbecue sauce and grilled over wood embers. The Southwestern way to cook a piece of fish.

Grapefruit, Campari, and pomegranate cocktail blends tart grapefruit juice with deep red pomegranate and ice into a foamy pale-pink base, then gets topped with bitter Italian Campari. A festive New Year's pitcher drink.

Sunshine cake is a tall, lemon-kissed cousin of angel food and sponge cake, leavened entirely by whipped egg whites and yolks with bright lemon zest and juice.

Oatmeal crunchies with orange zest, nutmeg, and orange-apricot juice for a citrusy twist on classic drop cookies. Crispy edges, chewy centers.

Onion polenta and gorgonzola pizza uses firm polenta as a gluten-free pizza crust topped with soft-cooked onions, thyme, and crumbled gorgonzola. Simple vegetarian comfort food.