Recipe Sifter

A tasty yet light salad is made with brown rice noodles, soy beans, carrot, bell pepper, red onion, sea weed, and a sour-sweet dressing.

This very rich cake from the West Indies is ideal for those who prefer not to ice their Christmas cakes.

Pad phed pladuk: a fiery Thai catfish curry built on a from-scratch pounded chili paste of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime, with fish fried in fresh coconut cream. Bold, aromatic, and seriously hot.

Pizza Uno's deep-dish Chicago-style pizza copycat: buttery cornmeal crust pressed up the sides of a 15-inch pan, loaded with mozzarella, Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, and parmesan. The real-deal windy city experience at home.

Mennonite bread, a hearty honey-sweetened loaf built from whole wheat, rye flour, and wheat germ with tangy buttermilk for a tender crumb. Wholesome, faintly sweet farmhouse bread for sandwiches and toast.

Gobhi mung simmers split yellow mung beans with cauliflower, potatoes, and turmeric, finished with a sizzling cumin-ghee tarka. North Indian vegetarian comfort dish.

Golden millet porridge simmered with onions, carrots, squash, or parsnips and sea salt. A four-ingredient vegan whole grain breakfast with a creamy, slightly nutty texture that absorbs any vegetable you add.

Vegetarian black bean chili made from scratch with dried beans, green chiles, and cumin, topped with a sharp red onion, tomato, and cilantro salsa. Slow-simmered for deep flavor.

A traditional English fruit loaf where dried fruit soaks overnight in hot tea, then bakes low and slow with self-rising flour, mixed spice, nutmeg, and marmalade. No butter needed. Keeps brilliantly.

Punchbowl Cake layers crumbled yellow cake, vanilla pudding, cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, bananas, coconut, and pecans in a stunning no-bake party dessert. A Southern crowd-pleaser that feeds a crowd.

Kahlua chili: ground beef chili spiked with coffee liqueur, served Cincinnati-style over spaghetti with cheddar and onion. The coffee-and-cocoa background note that makes it work.

Fig oat bran muffins with banana, apple juice, honey, and cinnamon. A high-fiber, low-fat muffin loaded with dried figs and whole grain oats for a wholesome breakfast.

Portuguese corn bread (broa) for the bread machine with a high ratio of cornmeal to bread flour and olive oil. Rustic, golden, and slightly gritty with a crisp crust.

Fried barley stir-fried with scallions, celery, carrots, and daikon radish finished with soy sauce. A hearty, nutty twist on fried rice using pearl barley.

Homemade Italian pepperoni sticks smoked and dried from scratch with beef, anise, allspice, and hot chili peppers. A serious charcuterie project for sausage makers.

Palouse lentil soup with crispy bacon, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic simmered in chicken broth with marjoram. Named for Washington's lentil-growing capital, ready in 40 minutes.