Recipe Sifter

Hearty mushroom barley soup simmered for hours with soy sauce, dill, garlic, and fresh parsley. A thick, savory vegan soup that fills the kitchen with warmth.

Holiday pork loin stuffed with brown rice, toasted almonds, orange, and crystallized ginger, glazed with cranberry-orange sauce. A festive Christmas centerpiece roast that slices into ruby-red rounds.

A herb-loaded Greek vegetable casserole from Mystras with eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, okra, and fresh dill and parsley, topped with toasted breadcrumbs. Vegetarian comfort food, served warm or cold.

Old-fashioned cooked fondant made from scratch with sugar, cream, and butter. Silky smooth candy base for truffles, mints, and filled chocolates. A real confectioner's skill worth learning.

Granny's minestrone is a hearty vegan vegetable soup packed with carrots, cabbage, zucchini, leeks and kidney beans in a tomato broth, finished with elbow macaroni. Slow-simmered for deep, comforting flavor.

Buttery thumbprint cookies with brown sugar and vanilla, filled with a dot of raspberry jam. A diabetic-friendly treat that's ready in 30 minutes with just 7 simple ingredients.

Mother's Day baked apple-cinnamon French toast assembles overnight, then bakes into a puffed, custardy casserole with dried apples, raisins, and warm spices. Zero morning-of stress.

Homemade oatmeal wheat germ dog biscuits with whole wheat flour, molasses, and evaporated milk. Baked low and slow until crunchy. No preservatives, just real ingredients.

Homemade caramel turtle candies with pecan halves, melted caramels thinned with whipped topping, and a semi-sweet chocolate shell. Three ingredients, no thermometer.

Slow cooker chicken drumsticks glazed in orange juice and honey with a kick of jalapeno. Just 5 minutes of prep, then the crockpot does all the work for tender, sweet-heat chicken.

Sauerkraut balls with corned beef, ham, and tangy kraut bound in a thick roux, breaded and fried golden. The Ohio bar-snack classic with crackly crust and a savory, slightly sour center.

Seafood wrapped 'n rolled: grilled shrimp and lobster tossed with sesame oil, crisp bok choy, and bean sprouts, rolled up in soft flour tortillas. A fresh, fast Asian-fusion seafood wrap.

Mixed bean soup with black beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas slow-cooked with crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and garlic in the crockpot. Topped with cornmeal dumplings.

Nero Wolfe's bread triangles spread with anchovy paste and pan-fried in butter until golden and crispy. A salty, savory literary appetizer inspired by Rex Stout's famous fictional detective.

Bold brisket marinade paste with Szechuan peppercorns, garlic, paprika, lemongrass oil, dry mustard, and red wine. Score the meat, rub it in, and marinate for several days for deep flavor penetration.

What a great way to cook with seasonal veggies. I used both green zucchini and yellow summer squash that grew in my garden as well as tomato, and it was yummy and refreshing.