Recipe Sifter

Wholesome sweet potato cookies made with whole-wheat flour, oats, coconut, wheat germ, and chopped nuts, sweetened with honey and brown sugar. Soft, chewy, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Makes 4 dozen.

A thick, belly-warming chicken soup loaded with pearl barley, lentils, and tomatoes, seasoned with Adobo and Sazon for a Latin-inspired twist. Feeds six in under an hour.

Crunchy Italian biscotti loaded with hazelnuts, lemon zest, sambuca, and rum. Twice-baked for that signature snap, these tozzetti are built for dunking in espresso or a glass of vin santo.

Moist date cake studded with chocolate chips and pecans, baked in one pan with a hint of cocoa. A nostalgic New England sheet cake that's simple to make and impossible to resist.

No-fail rocky road fudge made by melting chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk, then folding in peanuts and mini marshmallows. No candy thermometer needed, just melt, mix, chill, and cut.

Black bean chili built on two meats: cubed stewing beef and pork shoulder browned with onions, peppers and jalapeños, then simmered with tomatoes, cumin and a splash of red wine. Thick, smoky, deeply savory.

Tri-color pasta salad with juicy tomatoes, black olives and zesty Italian dressing, dressed in stages so the noodles soak up flavor as they chill. An easy vegetarian make-ahead side for picnics and potlucks.

Southern banana bread with buttermilk and pecans: a moist, tender quick bread enriched with tangy buttermilk and studded with toasted pecans. The Sunday-morning Southern kitchen classic.

Oven poached pears in wine, whole ripe pears roasted upright in fruity white wine and honey with cinnamon, bay, and orange zest, then drizzled with the reduced syrup. An elegant, light, make-ahead dessert.

Cristina's brownies are dense, fudgy, and packed with a full pound of walnuts. Built on deep unsweetened cocoa and plenty of butter, then chilled overnight so they slice into clean, bakery-size squares. A serious brownie for serious chocolate lovers.

Apricot ice cream with low-fat yogurt and fromage frais instead of cream. A lighter frozen dessert built on dried apricot puree, perfect for hot afternoons without the heaviness of dairy ice cream.

Whole wheat spice muffins with cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger sweetened with honey. A warming, low-fat breakfast muffin that smells like the holidays.

Orange-spiced oatmeal raisin cookies with overnight orange-juice-soaked raisins, orange zest, and rolled oats. Plump, chewy, and citrus-bright.

Pumpkin and tomato bisque with butternut squash, maple syrup, and slow-sweated onions, finished with optional red pepper puree garnish. Low-fat, gluten-free fall soup that skips heavy cream.

Fudgy brownies made with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated, walnuts and unsweetened chocolate. Extra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate squares from a vintage recipe.

Cornmeal pancakes with a sweet, nutty flavor and tender crumb. A one-bowl batter you stir, pour, and griddle until the tops bubble. Stack them with syrup, fresh fruit, or chocolate sauce for an old-fashioned Southern breakfast.