Recipe Sifter

Grilled vegetable salad with eggplant, roasted peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and red onion tossed in a balsamic basil vinaigrette. Make it hours ahead and serve at room temperature for peak flavor.

Gurkensuppe, a German cucumber and potato soup with heavy cream, dill, and white pepper. Potatoes are boiled soft and sieved into a silky base with tender cucumber pieces.

Ham and cheese bread machine loaf with cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, and chopped ham baked right into the dough. A triple-cheese savory bread with dry mustard and paprika for extra kick.

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.

Pecan-crusted baked chicken breasts with cornmeal, cayenne, and paprika, finished with honey pecan butter. Crunchy, spicy, and sweet in every bite.

Hearty venison stew loaded with potatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, and wax beans in a thick, seasoned broth. A big-batch hunter's stew that feeds a crowd.

Ice cream crunch bars layered with vanilla ice cream between a crunchy mix of crisp rice cereal, toasted coconut, nuts, brown sugar, and melted butter. A no-bake frozen dessert.

Kalbsschnitzel mit feinen Gemusen, German veal cutlets pan-seared in butter and topped with stewed tomato, asparagus spears, and sauteed mushrooms. A classic Bavarian main plated over pureed potatoes.

British lamb and apple casserole layered with potatoes, onions, raisins, and Marmite broth, baked under a golden potato crust. A hearty one-pot meal with sweet-savory depth.

An easy pot pie that uses up leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. Instead of a complicated pastry it uses the mashed potatoes instead. I always cook extra mash knowing it easy to pair with my leftover turkey.

Italian layered sponge cake with rum, custard cream filling, coffee zabaglione buttercream, walnuts, and chocolate-dipped almonds. An elegant multi-component dessert.

Old-fashioned looped jumble cookies with cinnamon dough rolled into ropes, shaped into loops, and topped with a poured chocolate glaze. A charming heritage cookie with a fun shape.

A diabetic-friendly pumpkin cheese pie with a tangy cream cheese layer under spiced pumpkin custard. No added sugar, sweetened naturally for holiday tables that need a lighter dessert option.

Steamed mange tout (snow peas) and baby carrots tossed with soy sauce, garlic, and fresh ginger, topped with toasted sunflower seeds. A quick, vibrant vegetarian side.

No-bake marbled raspberry cheesecake on an oatmeal cookie crust, with framboise liqueur and pink raspberry swirls. A summer-bright chilled dessert.

Mediterranean rosemary chicken stew with potatoes, carrots, black olives, lemon juice, and a triple-herb finish of rosemary, basil, and parsley. Light, brothy, sun-soaked, on the table in an hour.