Recipe Sifter

A few healthy twists make these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies still taste heavenly delicious, but much better for you.

Ran out of plums and had leftover so developed this recipe to use strawberries instead of plums that the original called for.

The bread is good warm, cool, or toasted. It stales faster than store-brought white bread, so wrap the loaf well and use quickly or freeze.

These scrumptious snacks are made with whole wheat flour and meat drippings.

Added sliced Provolone, which I melted over the top under the broiler and made the sandwiches in pita pockets. Delicious!

I make triangles and leave out the mizithra or cottage cheese (too wet for these). Great appetizers if you make them small.

Roasted root vegetables with ground cumin and coriander: sweet potato, parsnip, rutabaga, and turnip tossed in warm Middle Eastern spices and roasted until evenly browned. A simple four-root side finished with fresh cilantro.

Swedish meatballs in a creamy dill and mushroom sour cream sauce, served over egg noodles with green beans. Club soda in the meat mixture keeps them light and tender.

Cereal crunch coffee cake with crushed wheat flakes baked into the batter and a cinnamon-cereal crumble on top. A lighter brunch cake with raisins, brown sugar, and a hint of nutmeg.

Italian vegetarian lasagna layered with sherry-sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, and bell peppers with a three-cheese ricotta-cottage-Parmesan filling. Lighter than meat lasagna, still hearty.

Pork chili con carne with ground pork, tomatoes, kidney beans, and chili flakes. A leaner twist on classic beef chili with a quick 40-minute simmer.

Almond rice casserole packs brown rice, TVP, miso, and toasted almonds into a hearty vegetarian main dish. Earthy thyme and marjoram tie it together. Bakes or microwaves with the same simple assembly.

Almond Cookies: tender Italian-style cookies built on real almond paste, butter, and almond extract. Pressed flat with a sugared glass for crackled, sparkling tops. Makes 5 dozen.

Oven-baked potato wedges with crispy skin, made with just cooking spray instead of deep frying. Soak, shake in a bag to coat, and bake at high heat for golden, low-calorie fries.

Danish pastry dough is the classic laminated yeast dough behind bakery wienerbrod: enriched with eggs and milk, folded with a full pound of butter to create dozens of shatteringly flaky layers.

Potato, sausage, and leek gratin layered with smoked sausage, green onions, and milk, topped with buttered breadcrumbs and baked golden. A hearty, cheeseless one-dish dinner gratin.