Recipe Sifter

Whole wheat couscous with brown lentils, fresh tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan simmered in vegetable juice. A low-fat vegetarian one-pot meal with hearty protein and bright Italian flavors.

Turkish eggplant pilaf cooked in olive oil with pine nuts, currants, cinnamon, allspice, tomatoes, and a full cup of fresh dill. A traditional zeytinyagli dish served cold as a vegetarian main or mezze.

Fettuccine noodles toss with a creamy sauce made from sour cream and yogurt in this lightened Alfredo where garlic and Parmesan deliver classic flavor without the butter and cream.

Homemade papaya liqueur infused in vodka with lemon zest for one week, then strained and aged. Just 4 ingredients for a tropical, fruity spirit. Best made in May or June.

Roast loin of lamb stuffed with soft-cooked apples, ginger, and lemon juice. An Irish-inspired main dish roast with sweet fruit tucked inside and garlic slivered into the fat.

Poor Man's Jambalaya with tasso ham, andouille sausage, the Cajun holy trinity, and gumbo file seasoning - all cooked in one cast iron skillet in about 70 minutes.

German beer-braised Brussels sprouts simmered in beer until tender, then finished with butter and salt. A traditional 4-ingredient side dish that converts sprout skeptics.

German oxtail soup (Ochsenschwanzsuppe): browned oxtails and veal tails simmered five hours, then strained, pureed, and thickened with a dry-browned flour roux and a finishing splash of Madeira.

Vegan stuffed eggplant with bulgur, mushrooms, and oregano. Hearty Mediterranean-style boats with a meaty mushroom-grain filling, baked until the skins go silky and the tops crisp.

Pineapple upside-down cake made in the slow cooker with pineapple rings, maraschino cherries, and brown sugar caramel base. No-oven retro dessert for warm-weather entertaining.

Herring salad with apples, dill pickles, and horseradish in a sour cream sauce. Matjes herring soaked in buttermilk overnight, then dressed for a classic Northern European appetizer.

Quick yeast bread from scratch in 90 minutes: proof active dry yeast in warm water, stir in flour and oil, shape into two loaves, and bake until golden brown.

Hot spiced punch made in a coffee percolator with cranberry juice, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Fill the house with the smell of the holidays in 20 minutes.

Beet kvas is a traditional Ukrainian fermented beet tonic made from grated beets and lukewarm water. Six-day wild fermentation yields a deep red, sour drink with probiotic benefits.

A savory and delicious soup made with juicy tomatoes, chickpeas and succulent veal sausage.

This is a wonderful and light dessert to offer people as a contrast to the heavy holiday meals and desserts normally offered at this time.