Recipe Sifter

Cantaloupe fruit salad with fresh pineapple, apple, raisins, coconut, and walnuts served with low-fat yogurt. A tropical no-cook fruit bowl with crunch from nuts and chewiness from coconut.

Make-ahead spaghetti and meatball casserole assembled the night before with uncooked pasta, jarred sauce, and frozen meatballs. Refrigerate overnight, bake, and serve.

Ground beef browned and simmered with uncooked noodles, tomato sauce, and onion soup mix in one pot. No stirring until the end. American-style goulash that practically cooks itself.

Blinchaty pirog is a Russian layered crepe pie filled with seasoned ground beef, mushrooms, red wine, and dill, topped with a cool yogurt sauce. A showstopping centerpiece dish.

Bread machine pizza dough with cornmeal, whole wheat flour, and applesauce for a chewy, slightly sweet crust. Makes 3-4 pizza crusts using the dough cycle on large-loaf machines.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this delicious fudge made with puffed rice cereal and seedless raisins.

Fruit-flavor popcorn balls made with Jello gelatin, corn syrup, sugar, and salted peanuts. Pick any Jello flavor for colorful, kid-friendly popcorn treats in 15 minutes.

Banana Daiquiri blends fresh banana, light rum, banana liqueur, orange liqueur, lime juice, and cream with crushed ice into a smooth, tropical cocktail. Ready in 5 minutes.

Midnight muncher bars with a marbled chocolate and vanilla base, caramel pecan frosting filling, and a glossy chocolate ganache topping. Three decadent layers in one rich bar cookie.

Here's a light, spicy chicken recipe for a warm-weather evening.

Chicken crêpes featuring mushrooms and walnuts in a creamy sauce is a delightful and satisfying dish that combines the tender, juicy chicken with the earthy flavors of mushrooms and the rich, nutty taste of walnuts for a pleasing variety of textures.

There is a bit of confusion about these two plants. For some reason,the fennel plant, which resembles celery with fern like tops, has been called sweet anise in produce markets. The true anise is cultivated only for its seeds. So what you see labelled "sweet anise" in your market is probably fennel, but no matter what you call it, this is a highly interesting vegetable. Every part of this aromatic plant has a taste and aroma similar to licorice. The stems are eaten like celery,uncook, or cooked and served as a vegetable (heavenly with apples in waldorf salad) available from September to May.

Linguine in a mushroom garlic cream sauce with rosemary, black pepper, and melted Bel Paese cheese. A rich one-skillet pasta ready in 40 minutes.

No-bake blueberry pie with sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and lemon in a crumb crust. Just chill and serve for a creamy, fruity dessert that's foolproof.

Homemade peach liqueur infused with fresh peaches, vodka, lemon peel, and cinnamon. A DIY fruit liqueur that steeps for 8 weeks into a smooth, fragrant sipping cordial or cocktail mixer.

These light, fluffy yet delicious almond and coconut meringue drops are perfect for potluck or parties. They are easy to pick up and pretty much nobody can resist these cute little drops.