Recipe Sifter

Shrimp couscous paella: a microwave twist on Spanish paella with chicken, shrimp, saffron, peas, and red pepper, finished with quick-cooking couscous. Weeknight dinner in 30 minutes.

Finnish-style rye bread made in the bread machine with whole-wheat and rye flour, yeast, and a touch of sugar or honey. Dense, nutty, hands-off loaf on the white bread cycle.

Spicy cottage cheese veggie dip blends raisins, curry powder, chili and onion into a creamy chilled crudite dip. High-protein, low-fat and ready in 20 minutes. Curry-meets-sweet flavor that hooks dippers.

Homemade hot dog relish with red and green bell peppers, onions, apple cider vinegar, and mustard seeds. A tangy, sweet canning relish that makes 8 pints for summer cookouts.

Raisin bulgur pilaf with cumin, made by soaking cracked wheat in boiling water for 30 minutes. Just 5 ingredients, no cooking, and diabetic-friendly. A simple, nutty side dish.

Fiery Caribbean pepper sauce blending mango, habaneros, ginger, turmeric, and mustard with vinegar. Fruity heat that keeps in the fridge for 6 weeks. No cooking required.

Spiced ground venison hash baked with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and chili peppers in a covered casserole. Hearty, lean, and loaded with Southwestern heat. Feeds five hungry folks.

Bow tie pasta with a chunky eggplant-tomato sauce simmered with basil, oregano, and cayenne in vegetable broth. A low-fat, oil-free vegan pasta that's full of flavor.

Classic beaver tails prepared the way old-time trappers did: blistered over hot coals, peeled, then roasted or boiled until tender. A traditional wild game preparation passed down through trapping cultures.

Garlic-rubbed pork spareribs baked low and slow, then glazed with crushed pineapple, chili sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. Sticky, sweet, tangy ribs with serious fall-off-the-bone tenderness.

Lemon macerated okra with Kalamata olives, garlic, bay, and thyme. Raw okra pods marinate in lemon juice and olive oil for 2 to 3 days, turning into a tangy Mediterranean antipasto snack.

Delicate, paper-thin cookies infused with toasted saffron, ground almonds, and a whisper of lemon. Sugar-sprinkled and crisp at the edges, this recipe yields 100 elegant bites.

Oven-baked crunchy chicken legs coated in seasoned flour, egg, and crushed corn flakes with a homemade paprika-salt seasoning. Crispy outside, juicy inside, no deep frying needed.

Orange sweet potatoes whipped with fresh orange juice, zest, brown sugar, and a secret splash of Angostura bitters. A lighter, butterless holiday side dish.

Old-fashioned sweet chunk pickles brined for two weeks, then packed in a warm cinnamon-clove syrup and water bath canned. Crunchy, spiced, and worth every day of the wait. Makes 3 pints.

Eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, and red bell pepper simmered in a spicy Thai chili paste and rice milk sauce with fresh basil. A hearty vegan stew for rice or grilled polenta.