Recipe Sifter

The original Irish coffee invented at Foynes Airport: hot coffee, brown sugar cubes, Irish whiskey, finished with a float of cold lightly whipped cream. Four ingredients, one warming cocktail for cold nights.

Classic chocolate chip cookies with butter-flavored Crisco, brown sugar, and walnuts. Crispy edges and chewy centers in 30 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies perfect for any occasion.

Thick and spicy spaghetti sauce gets its character from an unconventional spice rack: basil, paprika, cinnamon, curry powder, hot sauce, and burgundy wine simmered slow into a deep, complex pasta sauce.

Thumbprint buttercream cookies made with brown sugar, egg yolks, and shortening, coated in stiff egg whites and nuts, then filled with buttercream icing after baking.

A cozy vegetarian pasta soup loaded with sliced meatless sausage, serrano chiles, red bell pepper, and sweet peas in a lemon pepper broth. Hearty, spicy, and ready in an hour.

Canned pork and beans melted with gooey cheese spread, green onions, and fresh tomato for a warm, scoopable dip that's ready in 10 minutes flat. Grab the chips.

Toasted country bread brushed with olive oil and oven-toasted until golden, the base for bruschetta and tomato salad toasts. Two ingredients, restaurant-quality crunch.

Toasted crab rolls with a mayo-bound crab salad, melted cheese, and crispy bacon on split dinner rolls. A quick open-faced seafood sandwich baked until bubbly.

Tom Yum Goong is the classic Thai hot and sour shrimp soup: bright lemon, fish sauce, chilies, and Chinese mushrooms in a fragrant broth. Ready for a weeknight, authentic enough to crave.

Tomato and herb salad layers sliced ripe tomatoes over crisp lettuce with a chopped-tomato oregano vinaigrette. Fat-free, low calorie, diabetic-friendly side ready in 20 minutes.

Layers of tender leeks and firm tomatoes baked under golden bread crumbs and melted cheese with a splash of red wine vinegar. A rustic, customizable vegetable casserole ready in 45 minutes.

Homemade tomato basil pasta made with just three ingredients: durum semolina flour, dried basil, and tomato juice. A simple, oil-free fresh pasta dough.

Tomato butternut soup with pureed squash and chunky diced tomatoes, simmered in soy milk with fresh ginger. A creamy, vegan-friendly soup with half-smooth, half-chunky texture.

Microwave tomato soup made from canned condensed tomato soup, finished with grated Parmesan. Ready in 8 minutes for a tureen or 3 minutes per mug, the easiest hot lunch in the recipe box.

Quick tomato-spinach pasta sauce blended with fresh basil, dill, garlic, and vegetable soup mix. A pantry-friendly sauce that stretches a jar of spaghetti sauce into a full vegetable-rich dinner.

Too much fruit salad is a big-batch medley of pineapple, melon, citrus, peaches, kiwi, and banana bathed in apricot nectar and chilled overnight so the flavors meld. A bright, make-ahead crowd salad.