Recipe Sifter

Red lentils with spinach simmered with onion, garlic, ginger, and chili powder until the lentils break down into a thick, creamy dal. Finished with a stir of yogurt. Vegan-adaptable and high in fiber.

Elegant black tie tomatoes topped with a yogurt-mayo dressing and a half teaspoon of black caviar each. Six-ingredient appetizer that dresses up halved tomatoes for cocktail parties.

Easy kidney bean and corn salad tosses pantry staples with red onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime for a vegan, gluten-free side. Better the longer it sits, perfect for potlucks and meal prep.

Cajun-style grilled pork chops rubbed with a triple-pepper spice blend of white, red, and black pepper plus onion powder. Just 6 ingredients for bold, smoky flavor.

Appetizers have long been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktail.

Chicken and chili stew with browned drumsticks, white beans, cherry tomatoes, and chili powder, finished with fresh cilantro. A make-ahead one-pot stew loaded with garnish options.

Baked yams sliced into smoky barbecue sauce and served with ripe sliced mango. Just 3 ingredients, 30 minutes, and a sweet-smoky-tropical combo you didn't know you needed.

Poached salmon steaks gently cooked in a lemon-and-vegetable broth, served with creamy horseradish sauce. A light low-calorie classic for dinner parties or healthy weeknights.

This versatile salsa is a tasty twist on an old favorite and can be enjoyed in many ways from tacos to salad.

Chilled two-tone melon soup with cantaloupe and honeydew poured side by side for a striking orange-and-green presentation. A refreshing no-cook summer appetizer with sherry, citrus, and fresh mint.

Mom's hush puppies made with pancake mix and yellow cornmeal for crispy, golden deep-fried cornbread balls. Just four ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.

China Moon serrano-lemongrass vinegar, a fragrant infused rice vinegar simmered with fresh ginger, lemongrass and serrano chiles. A bright, spicy condiment to splash into dressings, dipping sauces, stir-fries and noodle bowls.

Vodka witch's brew is a Halloween punch with apple juice, lime, vodka, and lime sherbet floated in club soda. Eerily green, slushy, and easy to scale up for a crowd of 16.

Four-bean salad marinated for two days in a sweet wine vinegar and cider vinegar dressing with tarragon and basil. Green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas layered with sliced onion rings.

Three beans simmer with tomatoes, jalapeños, and a full can of beer in this hearty vegetarian chili. Cumin and chili powder bring the heat home.

Old-fashioned gingerbread cake with New Orleans-style molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. A moist, dark, warmly spiced snack cake served hot with whipped cream or applesauce.