Recipe Sifter

Hawaiian burger sauce with barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, Worcestershire, black pepper, and scallions. A sweet-smoky topping for grilled hamburgers, ready in minutes.

Spiced raisin bars made with whole-wheat flour, apple juice-plumped raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. No refined sugar added. Topped with grated orange zest for a bright finish.

Vegetarian lentil stew simmered with carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, finished with red wine and plum tomatoes. A hearty, high-fiber one-pot meal with no added fat.

If you run out of preserved lemons, or decide on just a few day's notice to cook a chicken, lamb, or fish dish with lemons and olives and need preserved lemons in a hurry, you can use this quick five-day method taught to me by a Moroccan diplomat's wife. Lemons preserved this way will not keep, but are perfectly acceptable in an emergency.

Pineapple chiffon cake layered with chocolate cookies and a light-as-air gelatin mousse. A no-bake, low-calorie dessert with bright tropical flavor and lemon zing.

New Orleans-style crawfish consomme simmered with leeks, carrots, and bay leaves. A crystal-clear broth packed with sweet crawfish flavor, worthy of a masterchef.

Homemade dried orange or lemon peel air-dried at room temperature and ground into powder. A single-ingredient pantry staple that replaces citrus extract in baking, flavors teas, and punches up sauces.

China Moon ten spice honey dip with soy sauce and pickled ginger juice. A sweet, savory, and warmly spiced Chinese dipping sauce ready in 5 minutes.

Homemade mocha coffee mix with instant coffee, hot cocoa mix, powdered creamer, and sugar. Mix a jar, scoop and stir with hot water for an instant cafe mocha.

Grilled butterflied leg of lamb in a red wine, soy, and rosemary marinade. Smoky, garlicky, and pink at the center, sliced thin for an easy backyard centerpiece.

Manhattan Island clam chowder is the tomato-based East Coast chowder: littleneck clams steamed open, then simmered in white wine and fresh tomato broth with pork fatback, potatoes, and cracker crumb thickening.

Pan-fried trout draped in a silky cream sauce with honey, lemon, and toasted almonds. A rustic European-style fish supper that feels indulgent but comes together quickly.

Spicy and tasty way to have potatoes. You can use any type of Thai curry. I use a taste of Thai Panang Curry Paste.

This is great spread across the top of broiled salmon or halibut fillets. You can also toss it with pasta as a simple side dish, or add broiled or steamed slices of chicken, seafood, or vegetables to make a main dish.

Hill Country pickled peaches preserved in a sweet vinegar syrup with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, ginger, and white pepper. A Texas tradition for canning season.

Spinach dip with sour cream, mayonnaise, and chopped onion. Four ingredients, no cooking, and it tastes even better after chilling overnight.