Recipe Sifter

No-bake peanut butter balls loaded with graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts, then dipped in glossy chocolate. A classic holiday candy recipe that yields about 2 pounds of handmade Christmas treats.

Basic spaghetti sauce simmers tomato sauce with sauteed onions, garlic, green pepper, basil, and oregano in under 30 minutes. A pantry-staple weeknight base for pasta or pizza.

Crispy baked chimichangas stuffed with spiced black beans, melted cheese, and fresh green onions. Skip the deep fryer for this healthier take on the classic Tex-Mex favorite.

Swiss-style flan with fresh apricot halves baked in vanilla cream custard, dusted with powdered sugar and served warm or cold.

Soft potato chive bread made with instant potato flakes, buttermilk, and applesauce for moisture. A bread machine-friendly yeast loaf with savory herb flavor throughout.

A stunning three-tiered champagne cake soaked in bubbly and frosted with champagne buttercream. Built from two pans and cut into graduated layers, this is the centerpiece for weddings, New Year's, and any excuse to celebrate.

Beef lo mein: a takeout-style stir fry with thin-sliced flank steak, cabbage, carrot, and soy-ginger marinade tossed with noodles. Home cooking that matches the takeout in under 45 minutes.

Soft, cinnamon-swirled quick bread made with buttermilk and vanilla, topped with a crumbly streusel that bakes into golden ribbons. No yeast needed. One loaf, one hour, pure warmth.

Mexican-style bow ties: hearty pasta salad with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar, and a zippy yogurt-salsa dressing, topped with crushed tortilla chips. Warm or cold crowd-pleaser.

Chinese flour noodles toss with ginger-garlic stir-fried broccoli, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and fresh spinach in a soy-sesame sauce for a vegetable-loaded weeknight dinner in 25 minutes.

Horseradish-breaded pan-fried fish served over buttery mashed potatoes with a fresh chive oil drizzle and crispy fried leek garnish. A restaurant-quality dinner at home.

Pepsi-Cola cake with broiled peanut butter frosting: a Southern sheet cake made with a cup of Pepsi and melted marshmallows in the batter, topped with a bubbling brown sugar peanut butter frosting toasted under the broiler. Retro comfort baking at its most over-the-top.

Pasta with ricotta-walnut sauce blended from ricotta, yogurt, walnuts, garlic, and Parmesan with fresh herbs. A creamy, no-cook pasta sauce lighter than traditional Alfredo.

This recipe is my husband's specialty, good for any fresh fish. I prefer halibut but whatever your pleasure. Goes great with homemade mashed potatoes.

Green beans, carrots, and potatoes simmered in a spicy berbere and niter kebbeh sauce with tomatoes. This hearty Ethiopian vegetable w'et is vegetarian comfort food meant for scooping with injera.

Sebze bastisi: a Turkish vegetable stew with fried eggplant, zucchini, green beans, and peppers slow-baked in beef broth with garlic and parsley. Hearty, warming comfort food.