Recipe Sifter

Mom's chili with ground beef, kidney beans, tomato paste, and a touch of ketchup simmered low and slow. A no-frills homestyle chili that gets better the longer it cooks.

Mom's slow cook chili made with ground beef chuck, tomato sauce, chili beans, and paprika. Works in a crockpot for 8 hours or a pressure cooker in under 30 minutes.

Zucchini cake built on a yellow cake mix shortcut, with cinnamon, vanilla, grated zucchini, raisins, and walnuts baked in a tube pan. Moist, easy, and forgiving for new bakers.

Moroccan chicken braised with preserved lemons, green olives, ginger, coriander, and garlic in a fragrant broth. A one-pot North African classic with bold, bright flavors.

Lighter chicken and rice casserole made with skim milk, defatted broth, and reduced-calorie mayo. Topped with toasted almonds and baked until bubbly. All the comfort, less the guilt.

Mushroom vegetable barley soup with a full pound of fresh mushrooms, carrots, celery, and pearl barley simmered in chicken broth with thyme and nutmeg.

Oasis carrot salad boils carrots tender then marinates them in garlic-onion-vinegar dressing, finished with fresh cilantro and parsley. A bright, make-ahead North African-style side.

Homemade orange curry pasta dough made with frozen orange juice concentrate and curry powder. An eggless, vegan pasta with warm spice and citrus flavor baked right into the noodles.

Party date cake is a big-batch chocolate date loaf topped with sugar, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips. Served warm in slices with whipped cream for a crowd-sized dessert.

Pasta per pizza is an authentic Italian pizza dough with just five ingredients: flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt. Kneaded until soft and velvety, it makes two thin-crust pizzas.

Peanut butter and jelly cheesecake with a crunchy oat-peanut crust, chunky peanut butter filling, and a glossy grape jelly topping. Childhood flavors in a grown-up dessert.

Creamy peanut soup made with peanut butter, chicken broth, and sauteed onions, then pureed smooth. A rich Southern-style soup finished with cream and chopped peanuts.

Pureed peanut soup with butternut squash, potatoes, and coriander, topped with crispy cornmeal-crusted baked okra croutons. West African inspired and velvety rich.

This sorbet, based simply on commercially canned pears, can be enhanced with the flavor of eau-de-vie de poire (pear liqueur) or, if preferred, with fresh lemon juice.

Pecan wild rice pilaf with wheat pilaf, dried currants, fresh mint, orange zest, and Italian parsley. A festive room-temperature side dish for holiday tables.

Pepparkakor, the thin and snappy Swedish spice cookies layered with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg over deep molasses. Sliced from chilled logs and baked crisp. A classic Scandinavian Christmas treat.