Recipe Sifter

Crispy potato pancakes from a simple batter of grated potato, egg, onion, and flour, pan-fried golden in a shallow pool of fat. Serve them piping hot with applesauce or a dollop of sour cream.

Smoky chipotle mushroom tacos: sauteed mushrooms and onion cooked down with chipotle in adobo and garlic, piled into warm corn tortillas with queso fresco and salsa. A quick, vegetarian taco night winner.

Chipotle potato salad swaps mayo for tangy yogurt and roasts the potatoes until golden, then folds in smoky chipotle, lime, cilantro, and Dijon. A lighter, bolder no-mayo potato salad for any cookout.

Pasta with meatballs in a tomato sauce deepened with bacon and Marsala, the tender bread-bound meatballs simmered right in. The pasta is tossed in butter and sauce, then showered with parmesan.

Amy's vegan chili with hominy, pinto beans, chickpeas, zucchini, and a hint of molasses for depth. The dump-and-simmer one-pot weeknight chili that's hearty enough to skip the meat entirely.

Barbecued flank steak sandwiches pile thin-sliced steak tossed in a quick smoky-sweet chipotle BBQ sauce onto hoagie rolls with grilled red onion. Bold, saucy, and built for a fast cookout lunch.

Two-meat Sunday chili with cubed sirloin tip and ground beef, three cans of tomatoes, chili beans, wine, and a generous spice rub. Cook, cool, reheat for deep flavor.

No-cook strawberry kiwi freezer jam with fresh fruit and pectin. Bright, fresh-tasting jam that sets at room temperature and stores for months in the freezer.

Fresh California tomato summer soup with diced ripe tomatoes, pasta shells, carrots, celery, onion, and basil in chicken broth. A garden-driven minestrone built for peak tomato season. Topped with Parmesan.

James Beard's brownies sweetened with maple syrup instead of granulated sugar. Just seven ingredients, one bowl, ready in 40 minutes. No butter or oil added.

Oven-baked sheet pancakes made with egg whites and fruit cocktail juice instead of milk or eggs. A low-fat, no-griddle pancake batch baked in 15 minutes for a quick breakfast crowd.

Curry-spiked chili with ground beef, kidney beans, and a generous shower of sharp cheddar. A 30-minute weeknight pot that crosses Tex-Mex with Indian warmth.

Coffee bean brownies: thin sheet-pan brownies with Kahlua and strong brewed coffee in the batter, topped with warm fudgy cocoa frosting poured onto the hot tray. Makes 36.

Honeyed peach preserves: ripe peaches and orange peel cooked down with honey, sugar, and a touch of almond extract. Old-fashioned canning project for biscuits, toast, and gifting.

Gazpacho de Los Angeles blends tomato juice, cucumber, peppers, green chiles, and Worcestershire into a chilled, no-cook soup. The California take on the Spanish summer classic.

Maple sugar pumpkin pie pairs warming cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg with a splash of pure maple syrup for an old-fashioned New England take on the Thanksgiving classic. Whole milk and eggs make for a tender custard.