Recipe Sifter

No-bake fruit balls made with cherries, dates, walnuts, and coconut ground together and rolled in sugar. A quick, old-fashioned confection with natural sweetness.

Steamed Boston brown bread made with cornmeal, rye flour, whole wheat flour, molasses, and buttermilk. Cooked in coffee cans for three hours for a dense, moist, no-oven loaf.

Pinto Pizza Ole with a seasoned beef and mashed bean base, Monterey Jack cheese, green pepper, and fresh guacamole on top. A Mexican-inspired pizza that's also great meatless.

A unique lasagna layered with seasoned ground beef, spaghetti sauce, olives, corn, peas, and melted mozzarella. This family-size casserole puts a creative Midwestern spin on classic Italian lasagna.

Double chocolate peanut butter cookies with melted semisweet chocolate swirled into peanut butter dough, loaded with milk chocolate chips, and topped with a whole peanut. Thick, fudgy, and bakery-sized.

Whole wheat snickerdoodles swap half the white flour for whole wheat, giving these classic cinnamon-sugar cookies a nuttier, heartier crumb. Cream of tartar gives them their signature tang and chewy texture. Three dozen from one batch.

Lentil and rice one-pot dinner with carrots, garlic, and basil. A budget-friendly vegan meal that simmers in a single pot, no draining or sauteing required. High in fiber and plant protein.

Frijoles borrachos simmer pinto beans in beer with jalapeños, garlic, tomato, and cumin. The cantina-style side dish that pulls together in 30 minutes from canned beans.

Individual mini chocolate cakes baked in ramekins with a molten white chocolate center, toasted pecans, and a topping of whipped cream and grated dark chocolate. Restaurant-style plated dessert.

Grilled chicken kabobs glazed with honey Dijon mustard, threaded with red potatoes, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. A colorful, protein-packed skewer dinner that's ready in one hour.

Old-fashioned date nut bread made with boiling water-softened dates, baking soda, and chopped nuts. A dense, sweet quick bread that slices beautifully.

Oxtail is one of the most economical and most flavorful cuts of meat, and one that takes well to marinating for days in a hearty mixture of red wine, herbs, and vegetables. The longer you marinate the mixture, the more flavorful it will be, but be sure it marinates at least 3 days. Oxtail is also a fatty cut -- give yourself plenty of time to allow the stew to cook and then cool, so all the fat can be skimmed off. Serve this with thick noodles in warmed soup bowls, accompanied by a tossed salad, and of course, a robust red wine.

No-bake peanut butter Rice Chex cookies with pecans, sugar, and corn syrup. A crunchy, chewy candy cookie that sets on wax paper in minutes with no oven needed.

Three-layer chocolate almond cake with cocoa buttermilk layers, almond cream filling, and rich chocolate frosting. A showstopper from-scratch layer cake.

Fiery chickpea and butter bean pasta simmered in vegetable stock with hot chili peppers and jalapeños. A hearty, protein-packed vegan pasta that brings serious heat in just 30 minutes.

Golden biscotti packed with sliced and whole almonds, perfumed with orange zest and almond extract, then twice-baked into crunchy Italian cookies topped with cinnamon sugar. Keeps for months and begs for espresso.