Recipe Sifter

Roast fillet of beef: a whole tenderloin studded with garlic and marinated in soy, port, and thyme, then roasted and rested for a tender, rosy centerpiece. An elegant make-ahead roast for holidays.

Basic peanut-style dipping sauce (no actual peanuts) with cashew butter, tahini, coconut milk, lime, miso, and ginger. A richer, Thai-leaning satay sauce for grilled skewers, coconut shrimp, or crudités.

Spam and potato casserole with cream of potato soup, sherry, and Parmesan baked until bubbly and golden. A quick comfort food dinner from pantry staples.

Italian sweet-pickled cauliflower (cavolfiore in agrodolce) with blanched florets and onions jarred in a spiced white wine vinegar syrup with mustard seeds, cinnamon, and cloves. Ready in a week, keeps all year.

Baked brie topped with spiced cranberry sauce, brown sugar, pecans, and a hint of rum extract. A gooey, 15-minute holiday appetizer that disappears fast.

Gooseberry pie with a tapioca-thickened filling and a hint of orange zest. Baked in a double crust that starts hot for a flaky bottom and finishes at a moderate temperature.

Matzo meal cookies with coconut and brown sugar, baked until rich brown and filled with jam centers. A Passover-friendly cookie with no flour, no eggs, no leavening.

Quick cherry-almond drop cookies made with cake mix.

Homemade summer sausage made from ground beef with liquid smoke, curing salt, mustard seed, and coarse black pepper. Mix, roll, chill overnight, and bake for smoky, savory sausage you slice and serve hot or cold.

Crispy phyllo bundles filled with curried shrimp, coconut, chopped peanuts, yogurt, and chutney. Makes 24 golden bite-sized appetizers. Freezer-friendly, so you can bake them straight from frozen for easy entertaining.

Scottish oat bread for the bread machine with oat flour, whole wheat, bran, honey, and applesauce. A hearty, fiber-rich loaf with a nutty, slightly sweet crumb.

Maple nut biscuit ring made with refrigerated biscuit dough, brown sugar, pecans, and maple syrup. Five ingredients, one bundt pan, and golden pull-apart bread in under an hour.

A spicy and savory dish that can be served plain or as part of a meal. Tastes amazing with a crusty bread bowls.

Kris Kringle no-bake bars layer crisp rice cereal with peanut butter and corn syrup, topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips. Six ingredients, 30 minutes, no oven needed.

Make your own self-rising flour with these three simple ingredients.

Velvety mushroom barley soup with a clever trick: half the barley gets pureed with sauteed mushrooms for extra body. Lightened up with skim evaporated milk and a splash of dry vermouth.