Recipe Sifter

A tasty low-fat dish that goes great with any meal you prepare this summer.

Oven-baked fruit compote of dried apricots, apples, peaches, and raisins slow-cooked with honey, fresh lemon, and orange slices. Serve warm or chilled as a naturally sweet dessert.

Traditional holiday fruitcake loaded with raisins, currants, citron, and pecans, enriched with sherry, honey, and orange marmalade. Baked low and slow, best after aging.

Ice-water pickles: quartered cucumbers chilled in ice water, packed over onions, and covered with a boiling apple cider vinegar and mustard seed brine. Sweet, crisp, classic refrigerator pickles.

Peanut mojhy, a Pennsylvania Dutch molasses and brown sugar candy loaded with peanuts. An old-fashioned hard crack candy poured onto buttered tins with just five ingredients.

Traditional Italian minestrone with white beans, vegetables, broken spaghetti, and a Parmesan rind simmered into the broth for umami depth. The classic peasant-soup approach.

Buffalo chicken lasagna layered with hot sauce-spiked tomato sauce, ricotta, and crumbled blue cheese on top. Wing-night flavor in casserole form, no frying required.

Pit-master style Brunswick stew with smoked pulled pork, roasted chicken, okra, lima beans, and corn simmered in homemade stock. Low and slow for hours, packed with smoky, tangy heat.

Texas-style beef chili with cubed meat, toasted whole cumin, and six tablespoons of chili powder. No beans, no tomatoes, just beef, spice, and a slow 90-minute simmer.

Classic Boston baked beans slow-cooked for 8 hours with molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, and a kick of cayenne. Crusty on top, creamy underneath. The real deal.

Crisp whole wheat oatmeal cookies spiced with ginger and allspice, made with bran and brown sugar. Egg-free and simple to roll and cut, these British-style biscuits are wholesome comfort in every bite.

Plump shrimp in a from-scratch tomato-basil sauce with mushrooms, served over fettuccine with tender asparagus and Parmesan. A light, veggie-loaded Italian dinner ready in 35 minutes.

Turkey breast slices rolled around a herb-bright spinach stuffing with fresh basil, thyme, and lemon zest, then seared and baked with a savory mushroom sauce. A complete lean dinner with steamed potatoes and green beans.

Leftover turkey shepherd's pie with carrots, tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary in a whole wheat flour gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and baked golden. The best way to use holiday turkey leftovers.

Quick bread with chunky peanut butter, shredded carrots, brown sugar, and warm spices like allspice and nutmeg. Nutty, moist, and slices like a dream after cooling.

Fudge Yummies are layered chocolate brownie bars with a cream cheese filling, melted marshmallow top, and swirled chocolate cream cheese frosting.