Recipe Sifter

A make-ahead chocolate wafer crumb mix that stores for 6 months. Pull out a cup or two anytime you want a fast no-bake pie crust for cheesecake, mousse pie, or ice cream pie.

Sloppy Joes made from frozen beef-tomato mix with ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and celery. A freezer-to-table weeknight dinner on toasted buns in 35 minutes.

Fresh fruit cup with apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, grapes, and blueberries tossed in frozen lemonade concentrate and topped with chopped walnuts. A no-cook fruit salad.

Frozen summer fruit punch made by freezing pineapple, orange, and banana juice into a slush, then topping with strawberries and lemon-lime soda. Crowd-sized recipe serves 30.

Lighter New York cheesecake made with homemade yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese. Sweetened with honey and thickened with arrowroot for a smooth, guilt-free slice on a graham cracker crust.

Cod fillets brushed with oyster sauce, wrapped in napa cabbage leaves with soy-seasoned rice and ginger, then steamed into neat bundles. A light, elegant fish dinner served with mustard vinaigrette.

Classic double-crust blackberry pie with a flaky shortening crust and simple sugar-flour filling. No frills, just four cups of berries baked golden in a homemade shell.

Garlic garbanzos are roasted chickpeas tossed with olive oil, garlic, and fresh thyme, then served warm on toothpicks like a Spanish bar snack. A fast, low-fat, vegan appetizer that's ready in about 30 minutes.

Sweet potato mini bundt cakes with currants and fresh orange peel, rolled in cinnamon sugar while warm. Low-fat and made without butter or oil.

Stir-fried warm Asian salad with napa cabbage, fresh mushrooms, spinach, celery, garlic, and ginger tossed in soy sauce. A low-fat vegetable side dish ready in under 10 minutes.

Rainbow meringue torte: four crisp meringue discs layered with chocolate, mint chip, and strawberry ice cream, topped with whipped cream and toasted almonds. A make-ahead frozen showpiece dessert.

Baby banana mash thins ripe banana with a splash of breast milk or formula for a smooth, naturally sweet first food. Single-ingredient simplicity that introduces babies to the joys of solid food.

Crispy, golden Indian potato bondas made with a genius shortcut: instant mashed potatoes! Spiced with mustard seeds, turmeric, ginger, and green chilies, then dipped in gram flour batter and fried until irresistibly crunchy.

Four mini quiches in one bake: salmon-broccoli with Stilton, asparagus with Cheddar, leek with smoked salmon and Mozzarella, and tomato-olive with Feta and pesto. A buffet showstopper.

Honey apple tea simmers black tea with apple juice and honey for a warming spiced-cider-meets-tea drink. Perfect for cold afternoons, after-school snacks, and holiday gatherings. Ready in 20 minutes.

Spicy Korean marinade with shoyu, brown rice vinegar, and hot pepper sesame oil. Three ingredients that work on tofu, tempeh, chicken, or fish.