Recipe Sifter

Cajun-spiced turkey burgers with cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper. Just 5 ingredients, broiled in 10 minutes for a lean, fiery burger.

Upside-down apple cinnamon rolls with just 4 ingredients: canned apple pie filling, refrigerated rolls, pecans, and brown sugar. Cooked in the microwave and flipped onto a plate in minutes.

Warm baked blue cheese dip with cream cheese, bacon, garlic, and chives, topped with chopped smoked almonds. The party appetizer everyone fights over the bottom of.

Pecan penuche fudge made with dark brown sugar, butter, and milk cooked to firm ball stage. A creamy, caramel-flavored candy with old-fashioned technique.

Vegan pink pony dipping sauce made with silken tofu, grated beet, horseradish, honey, and dry mustard. A creamy dairy-free dip that turns shocking pink and pairs with turnip chips or crudités.

A simple but succulent chicken dish that can be served with pasta, rice or a crusty bread.

Homemade low-fat turkey sausage patties with dried apples, sage, and nutmeg. Ready in 30 minutes, these breakfast sausages skip the grease and pack real country flavor into every bite.

Yogurt-marinated chicken breasts rubbed with toasted coriander, cumin, ginger, and cayenne, then broiled until charred and tender. Served on crisp julienned radishes with fresh scallions and lime.

A smoky Mexican salsa made with fried dried chili peppers blended with fresh orange juice and garlic. Bright, fruity, and full of heat, this salsa con jugo is unlike anything from a jar.

Loaded baked beans built from two cans of beans simmered with peppered bacon, anaheim and hot chiles, garlic and a trio of fresh herbs. A smoky, sweet-and-spicy side that turns canned beans into the star of the cookout.

Creamy broccoli soup made with a butter-flour roux, chicken bouillon, and half-and-half. Uses frozen broccoli for a quick weeknight soup ready in under 45 minutes.

Thai barbecued chicken brushes a hoisin, ketchup, molasses and chili-paste glaze onto poached chicken then finishes on the grill for sticky charred edges. The technique that prevents burnt sauce.

Asparagus spears wrapped in ham slices and baked under a homemade cheddar cheese sauce with dry mustard. A retro-style ham and asparagus roll-up that makes a satisfying weeknight dinner in about 35 minutes.

Raspberry pecan thumbprint cookies spiced with cinnamon and allspice, filled with seedless raspberry jam and topped with chopped pecans. Better the next day.

Tiny pasta shells tossed in a creamy Monterey Jack sauce with shrimp, minced clams, and a splash of dry sherry. A cozy, one-skillet seafood pasta ready in 45 minutes.

Roast duckling glazed with apricot basting sauce, served with wild rice studded with toasted pine nuts, chopped pears, and currants. An elegant holiday centerpiece.