Recipe Sifter

Vegan peanut butter muffins sweetened with dark molasses and made dairy-free with soy milk. No eggs, no butter, just a one-bowl stir-and-bake batter for tender, nutty muffins.

Easy homemade focaccia, with the bread machine doing the kneading. Hand-dimpled, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and showered with coarse salt and rosemary. A crisp-edged, golden Italian flatbread.

Creamy corn-potato soup pureed thick with skim milk, dry milk powder, mustard, garlic, and a touch of honey. Low-fat vegetarian chowder that tastes richer than its calorie count suggests.

The quintessential Indian-Singaporean meal accompaniment. Unfortunately, all too often it is made using highly processed white flour and margarine. Here, the parathas are made with whole-wheat flour (you could also try using spelt flour) and stuffed with peas and potatoes, for a lighter but more wholesome take on the original. Serve hot with yoghurt and herbs.

Quick side dish with cooked brown rice sautéed in margarine with mushrooms and green onions. Simple, nutty, and ready in 20 minutes using leftover rice.

A bread machine coffee cake with honey, vanilla, and an egg-rich dough studded with brown sugar and crunchy walnuts. Warm from the machine, it fills the house with the smell of Sunday morning.

Light Spanish-style cold tomato soup pureed with green pepper, onion, garlic, white wine, and lemon. A refreshing, vegan summer gazpacho served chilled with scallions on top.

Fresh peach ice cream with sun-ripe peaches blanched, peeled, and pureed into a no-cook custard of milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. The simplest summer ice cream maker recipe.

A savory Finnish classic featuring a yeast bread-like crust filled with caramelized Vidalia onions, ham or bacon, and a creamy egg and sour cream mixture, flavored with (optional) caraway seeds.

Crisp sugar cookies: thin, snappy roll-out cookies with vanilla and a hint of lemon, sprinkled with sugar before baking. Old-fashioned cookie jar staple that holds intricate cutter shapes.

Light blueberry muffins use egg whites, egg substitute, and fat-free spread for tender, fruit-packed muffins with lemon-bright flavor. Two cups of fresh blueberries in every batch.

Fudgy chocolate pecan pie built on sweetened condensed milk and melted sweet chocolate instead of the usual corn syrup. The pecans stir into a rich chocolate custard for a brownie-meets-pecan-pie holiday dessert.

Cinnamon nut or raisin biscuits with a brown sugar cinnamon filling tucked inside layered biscuit dough. The pocket of sweet spice goes molten as the biscuit bakes, giving you breakfast pastry without the yeast wait.

Simple gazpacho with fresh garden vegetables in tomato or V8 juice. Classic cold soup that's vegan, gluten-free, and ready in 20 minutes with no cooking required.

Double berry muffins layer blueberry batter around a hidden teaspoon of raspberry jam, lightened with wheat germ and orange juice. Low-fat breakfast bake.

Classic Italian meatballs with beef, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Freezer-friendly meatballs that bake or pan-fry until browned, perfect for pasta night or meal prep.