Recipe Sifter

Quick 20-minute red beans and rice with canned kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and Cajun seasoning. Sauté onions, celery, and red peppers, simmer with spices, and spoon over brown rice for easy weeknight comfort.

Heaven and hell cake stacks airy angel food and dark devil's food layers with peanut butter mousse between, all under a glossy chocolate ganache. A showstopping light-and-dark cake with a chocolate-peanut butter heart.

Honey mustard salad dressing with a creamy sour cream and mayo base, Dijon mustard, and honey. Five-minute no-cook recipe that doubles as a dip for chicken tenders or veggies.

Five ingredients and zero fuss: angel hair pasta tossed with canned tomatoes, diced ham or pepperoni, and a mountain of melted mozzarella. This is the weeknight dinner that gets a 5-star rating from the whole family.

Angel food ice cream cake layered with vanilla ice cream and topped with sweetened fresh strawberries. A no-bake summer dessert that serves a crowd of 15 in 15 minutes of active prep.

Homemade apple jelly made in the microwave with apple juice, pectin, and red hot cinnamon candies for a spicy-sweet twist. Yields 6 half pints in under an hour.

Old-fashioned chocolate fudge made with unsweetened chocolate and evaporated milk using the soft-ball candy method. Creamy, dense, and ready in under an hour with an optional peanut butter swirl.

Edible flower salad with nasturtium leaves and blossoms layered over Vidalia onions and tomatoes, finished with celery and vinaigrette. Stunning and peppery.

Make your family go crazy over this succulent crockpot dish made with lean pork chops and spices of your choice.

A light, brothy borscht of cabbage and beets simmered with carrot, celery, and tomato juice into a ruby-red, sweet-and-sour soup. Vegan, low in calories, and even better the next day.

Homemade German-style mustard with whole mustard seeds, cider vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, and honey. Bold, grainy, and fiery. Keeps in the fridge for months. Gift-jar worthy.

Marinated eggplant in olive oil: salt-pressed, vinegar-soaked strips layered with garlic, oregano, and chile in extra-virgin oil. An Italian antipasto that gets better for months.

I have used this recipe for years. Chicken, pork, fish, or wings in all sorts of flavors--Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Cajun, etc. I have shared this recipe more than any other.

Miso and maple marinated pork skewers grilled with apple wedges and onion. Thin-sliced tenderloin woven onto skewers for a sweet, savory, Japanese-inspired cookout.

Vegetarian Chinese boiled dumplings (shwei jow) with handmade wrappers and a tofu, mushroom, and lily bud filling. Served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce. Makes 24.

A rustic blueberry pie baked right in a cast-iron skillet with a golden pastry lid and no bottom crust. Just 5 ingredients and 30 minutes from stove to table.