Recipe Sifter

Baked stuffed manicotti the old-school way: pasta tubes packed with a beef and mozzarella filling, blanketed in a homemade tomato sauce simmered an hour with fennel seed and herbs, then baked bubbling under more cheese.

North Indian dahl palak: yellow split peas simmered with spinach, then finished with a sizzled tarka of butter, ginger, garlic, and garam masala. Vegetarian, gluten-free, weeknight-friendly.

Chicken and barley salad with tomatoes, celery, red onion, and a lemon-Dijon dressing. A high-fiber, diabetic-friendly main dish salad with a chewy, satisfying grain base.

Roasted vegetable terrine layered with grilled red, yellow, and green peppers, eggplant, zucchini, goat cheese, olives, and basil. A stunning make-ahead vegetarian showpiece.

Homemade Sri Lankan curry powder blends dry-roasted coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves with curry leaves and cayenne. Stores for months in an airtight jar.

Sugar-free diabetic-friendly white layer cake with almond extract, whipped egg whites, and skim milk. Light and fluffy two-layer cake made with artificial sweetener instead of sugar.

Main dish potato salad with cubed ham, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and green onions in a cottage cheese and sour cream dressing with mustard. A hearty no-cook meal served cold on lettuce.

Light, airy maple chiffon cake with brown sugar, walnuts, and a browned butter frosting. Eight whipped egg whites create the cloud-like texture in this classic tube pan cake.

A soft, honey-kissed buttermilk bread made entirely in the bread machine. Just add the ingredients, press start, and let the machine do the work.

Grasmere gingerbread: the famous Lake District gingerbread biscuit made with oatmeal, butter, ginger and golden syrup. Cross between a flapjack and a gingerbread, with origins in 1850s Cumbria.

Mixed bean casserole with four kinds of beans, cubed Spam, brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, and mustard baked low and slow. A classic potluck baked beans dish.

Sirloin tips browned and braised in red wine, soy sauce, and beef bouillon with mushrooms, snow peas, and water chestnuts. Served over rice with a thick, glossy gravy. Includes a Western-style noodle variation.

European-style buckwheat cake with a nutty almond sponge base filled and topped with cranberry cottage cheese mousse. A light, elegant layered dessert with old-world charm.

Low-fat cabbage soup with browned turkey sausage, orzo pasta, plum tomatoes, and Italian herbs. A filling one-pot meal in just 35 minutes.

Extra sharp cheddar gets worked into self-rising flour and cold butter for these tender mini cheese muffins. Bake dozens ahead and freeze for quick appetizers anytime.

Warm up your winter days with this delicious chili that's so easy to make, you can use your crockpot!