Recipe Sifter

Friendship cake made with brandied fruit starter, butter pecan cake mix, and instant pudding for a dense, moist Bundt cake loaded with pecans and boozy fruit.

Peach Melba parfaits with peach-amaretto vanilla ice cream layered with raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Escoffier's classic dessert in parfait form.

Khombi Tarkari, spicy Indian mushrooms dry-fried with ginger, green chilies, turmeric, and roasted cumin seeds. A bold vegetarian side served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Old-fashioned chocolate fudge made from scratch with unsweetened chocolate, sugar, and milk. Hand-stirred on a platter until it transforms from glossy to creamy and firm.

Grilled flank steak marinated in lemon and garlic, served with grilled zucchini, fresh basil tomatoes, and toasted Italian bread. A complete summer meal off the grill.

Grilled marinated tofu sandwiches with horseradish mayo, sliced tomato, red onion, and lettuce. Firm tofu charred on the grill until crispy, then stacked on bread like a BLT.

These plant-based sausages taste great, contain no added fat except the vegetable oil they're fried in, and are easy to make. These ingredients yield fairly mild sausages; after you've tried them, adjust the seasonings to please your palate.

Farfalle pasta with broccoli pine nut pesto made from blanched broccoli, garlic, olive oil, and white wine vinegar processed into a coarse green sauce with red pepper flakes.

Bread machine Italian bread with egg whites for a light, airy crumb and a tender crust. Just six ingredients, five minutes of prep, and the machine does the rest.

Crunchy roasted peanuts coated in tangy lime juice, smoky chili powder, and a kick of cayenne. Five ingredients, oven-baked until dry and addictive. The ultimate party snack or game-day bowl filler.

Fettuccine tossed in browned butter and heavy cream with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and fresh nutmeg. A rich, five-ingredient pasta ready in 30 minutes.

Rabbit with sweet Italian sausage braised in a tomato-and-wine sauce with peppers, garlic, and a bright lift of orange. Lean rabbit browns in the sausage fat for deep, rustic Italian flavor over pasta or rice.

Layered chicken biryani with yogurt-marinated chicken, garam masala, fried onions, and basmati rice tempered with whole cloves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds. Fragrant, spiced, and deeply satisfying.

I am drooling thinking about the leftovers in the fridge. I can't wait to make and eat more.

Apple Cinnamon Tart has a no-butter oat crust pressed with apple juice, topped with fresh apple slices and a honey-sweetened yogurt gelatin filling. A light dessert at under 185 calories.

Savory baking powder biscuits with sauteed onion and shallot mixed into the dough. A food processor method for flaky, tender biscuits with a sweet onion flavor.