Recipe Sifter

Carrot cake bread: a tender carrot quickbread baked in two 9-inch pans, made with olive oil, cinnamon, grated carrots, and chopped pecans. Better the next day, optional orange-butter icing.

Kukul mas is the classic Sri Lankan chicken curry. Chicken rubbed with tamarind, cardamom, and curry powder simmers in thick coconut milk with lemongrass and fenugreek until fall-off-the-bone tender.

Homemade haggis loaf: approachable Scottish-style meatloaf with ground lamb, lamb liver, rolled oats, and warm spices baked in a loaf pan. A casing-free, kitchen-friendly take on the classic.

Creamy chicken and rice casserole with water chestnuts, celery, and crunchy almond-cornflake topping. Make-ahead freezer meal that feeds a crowd.

Healthier Thanksgiving stuffing with brown rice, apples, raisins, and toasted almonds for a low-fat side dish that works inside poultry or as casserole.

Bacardi Chocolate Rum Cake starts with a chocolate cake mix spiked with dark rum and chocolate pudding mix, then gets split and frosted with a boozy chocolate whipped cream. Rich, moist, and dangerously easy to make.

Another succulent chicken dish made with lemon pepper seasoning, balsamic vinegar and juicy cherry tomatoes.

Bok choy and shiitake are always good combination together, served with this refreshing sesame orange dressing, light and delicious side dish.

Browned chicken breasts bake gently with carrots, pearl onions, potatoes, and celery in a creamy mushroom and herb sauce. Low-calorie comfort in one covered casserole dish, ready in an hour.

Sea scallops stir-fried with broccoli, napa cabbage, snow peas, and shiitake mushrooms in a star anise and rice vinegar sauce. A light, veggie-loaded Chinese seafood stir-fry over rice.

Cold vermicelli tossed in a creamy lemon-garlic tahini dressing with olive oil. A 30-minute Mediterranean-inspired noodle salad that works as a side or light vegetarian main.

Velvety cold peaches and cream soup with amaretto and a whisper of nutmeg. A brilliant way to use overripe peaches, and just as good made with canned peaches in winter.

Mix self-rising and whole wheat flours with club soda into thin batter, pour into a hot skillet, and cook on one side only for spongy Ethiopian flatbread.

The great Apple Crisp I grew up on! Maybe this is one of the reasons I had by-pass surgery!

Pears Helene is a classic French dessert of poached pear halves served with hot chocolate sauce and optional vanilla ice cream and chopped almonds. Elegant, timeless, and surprisingly simple to make at home.

A scrumptious dish made with shrimp, tomatoes and celery that is best served over rice.