Recipe Sifter

Summer cucumber crisps: refrigerator quick pickles with cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and mustard seed. Sweet-tart spiced pickle chips, no canning, ready overnight.

Cool, refreshing big-batch fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, nectarines, and grapes tossed in chilled mint-lime simple syrup. A summer party showstopper.

This is a sweet way to lower your risk for cancer. Great with soup or sandwich, the spring salad is packed with fiber, antioxidants, omega, and lycopene.

Super cheese pizza sauce: a herb-loaded tomato paste base with oregano, marjoram, garlic and onion. Spread on crust, layer with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.

A lighter coleslaw with a tangy yogurt-mayo dressing, Dijon mustard, and white vinegar. Crunchy shredded cabbage, carrot, celery, and onion tossed together in 30 minutes. Keeps in the fridge for 2 days.

Slow-simmered Swedish red cabbage braised with apple, honey, red wine, and lemon. This tangy-sweet vegetarian side dish is a Scandinavian holiday table staple.

Vegan sweet potato curry with onions, curry powder, and red pepper flakes, simmered until tender and thickened into a glossy sauce. A simple, budget-friendly one-pan dinner.

Sweet potato whip blended with carrots, chicken broth, nonfat yogurt, and cinnamon for a lighter, less sugary take on mashed sweet potatoes. A great make-ahead holiday side.

Sweet and sour Alaska salmon nuggets: broiled wild salmon chunks served with a pineapple-ginger dipping sauce. A fun twist on takeout using Pacific wild-caught fish.

A tangy and delicious fish dish that has a unique flavor it gets from the apricots.

A quick Chinese-style vegetable stir-fry with bean sprouts, ginger, garlic, and red pepper in a glossy soy-sherry sauce. Ready in 20 minutes as a vibrant side or light main.

British tea loaf with raisins and sultanas steeped overnight in cold tea, baked with brown sugar and self-rising flour. A no-butter fruit bread that's moist and dense.

Red new potatoes tossed with teriyaki sauce, butter, Italian seasoning and a kick of red pepper, then microwaved until tender. A savory, fuss-free side dish ready in under 40 minutes.

Texas chile con queso, two ingredients only: a block of Velveeta and a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles. Melt, stir, dip. The Tex-Mex queso every Texan grew up on, ready in 20 minutes.

Rich Thai red curry with prawns and butternut squash in coconut milk sauce, ready in 60 minutes for weeknight Thai dinners with authentic restaurant flavor.

Thai-style marinade with soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, and citrus zest. A sweet-savory marinade for chicken and grilled meats, ready in 5 minutes.