Recipe Sifter

Fig chess tarts with a buttery lemon-scented shortbread shell, filled with brown sugar custard studded with chopped dried figs and walnuts. A Southern chess pie translated into bite-sized tart form.

Light red snapper stew with potatoes, tomatoes, and white wine in a brothy base built on the Cajun trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper. Low-fat and full of clean flavors.

Pressure cooker minestrone loaded with navy beans, fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, and a full cup of fresh basil. Cooks in 20 minutes under pressure with zucchini, cabbage, and green beans stirred in at the end for crisp-tender texture.

Minestrone genovese: classic Ligurian vegetable soup with white beans, potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, and pasta, finished with fragrant basil pesto stirred in at the end.

Irish smoked cod pie with a creamy mustard sauce, green peas, and buttery mashed potato topping baked until golden. Hearty comfort food from the Emerald Isle.

Honey curry bread machine recipe with whole wheat and bread flour, lightly spiced with curry powder and sweetened with honey and applesauce. A savory-sweet loaf with warm flavor.

Homemade sourdough bread with dried apricots, walnuts, and whole wheat flour. Makes 3 loaves with a tangy crumb and pockets of sweet fruit.

Quick oat bread made with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and buttermilk. No yeast, no kneading, no rise time. A hearty no-yeast loaf with sesame seeds on top.

Homemade tahini from scratch with just toasted sesame seeds and oil. Smooth, nutty paste for hummus, baba ganoush, salad dressings, and Middle Eastern cooking. Keeps for months in the fridge.

Plum relish slow-cooks plums with apples, onions, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, and cloves into a thick sweet-spicy condiment. Big-batch chutney for cheese boards and roasts.

Crusty Italian-style bread studded with minced prosciutto and Parmesan, baked on cornmeal-dusted sheets with steam for a crackling crust. Makes two gorgeous loaves that taste like a New York Italian bakery.

An easy yet tasty black bean salad that has corn, cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers and pumpin seeds, is tossed with a light and refreshing vinaigrette.

A traditional British chutney made with fresh or dried apricots, onions, raisins, and walnuts, simmered with spices and vinegar until thick and jammy.

Big-batch barley vegetable soup simmered in chicken broth with thyme, bay leaf, and your choice of seasonal vegetables. Customize with broccoli, zucchini, green beans, or mushrooms.

Chewy butterscotch brownies made with Bisquick, brown sugar, pecans, and coconut. Everything gets mixed in one bowl and baked until golden. The laziest route to a pan of seriously good blondies.

Quick black bean chili with honey-roasted ham, sweet corn, broccoli, and tomato in a cumin-chili broth. Serve over rice with crusty sourdough on the side. Ready in 45 minutes.