Recipe Sifter

Smashed green olives marinated with lemon chunks, roasted fennel seeds, and chili heat for bold Mediterranean appetizers that keep for 4 weeks.

Fish fillets with tomatoes, capers, and olives is the Veracruz-style Mexican classic: lime-marinated red snapper or halibut simmered in tomato-olive-caper sauce spiked with pickled jalapeños and warm spices.

A slow-simmered meat sauce with ground beef, red wine, mushrooms, and Italian herbs ladled over spaghetti and showered with Parmesan. Two hours of simmering builds layers of deep, rich flavor.

Broiled salmon steaks with citrus vinaigrette: orange and lime juice, garlic, and fresh cilantro doubling as marinade and finishing sauce. Bright, light, and broiler-quick on a busy weeknight.

Gulyasleves (Hungarian goulash soup) with beef, paprika, potatoes, and handmade csipetke egg noodle dumplings. An authentic one-pot comfort soup from Hungary.

Brown rice summer salad with tarragon vinaigrette, fresh vegetables, peas, and pimentos. Low-fat, no-mayo, and served cold. A make-ahead side dish for hot weather meals.

Slow cooker salsa chicken with Brussels sprouts, Ro-Tel tomatoes, jalapeno, and cayenne pepper. Set it and forget it for 7 hours on low for a spicy, hands-off dinner.

Shepherd's pie with an Italian accent: ground beef and hot Italian sausage simmered with tomatoes, mushrooms and balsamic, topped with creamy Parmesan mashed potatoes and baked golden. A hearty twist on the classic.

Irish yogurt bread with currants and caraway seeds, leavened with baking soda and powder, bound by plain yogurt and eggs. A traditional Irish quick bread, no kneading or proofing required.

Sourdough pumpernickel bread with rye flour, molasses, black coffee, and caraway seeds. Uses an active sourdough starter for deep, complex flavor in every dense, dark slice.

Beef chuck chili with Tabasco, green chiles, cumin, and chili powder simmered for 90 minutes. A no-bean, no-tomato Texas red from the family behind the famous hot sauce.

No-boil lasagna with ground beef meat sauce, ricotta-mozzarella cheese filling, and uncooked noodles that soften right in the pan. Skip the boiling step and still get a classic family-style lasagna with tender layers.

Tuscan-style white beans simmered with sage, garlic, plum tomatoes, and chicken broth. Dried beans cooked from scratch for a creamy, rustic Italian side or pasta topping.

Easy, and quick and impresses the heck out of your guests! I sometimes add thyme, or oregano to my dough when mixing (about 2 teaspoons) and this adds nicely to the taste of the dough.

A hearty and savory chili that tastes wonderful with a crusty bread or those old-fashioned bread bowls.

Rolled and stuffed lamb shoulder with breadcrumbs, bacon, orange zest, and fresh herbs, roasted and glazed with honey and orange juice for a sweet-savory Sunday centerpiece.