Recipe Sifter

Vegan Indian potato cakes with curry powder, garlic, and onions, pan-fried in a nonstick pan with no oil. Crispy outside, fluffy inside, and served with mango or coriander chutney.

Pickled sweet peppers brined overnight and canned in an apple cider vinegar brine with horseradish and garlic. A classic boiling-water bath canning recipe for colorful bell peppers.

A fun take on breadsticks; baked rolls that use candied cherries twisted into the shape of a candy cane. Fun and lightly sweet, my kids adore them.

Pan-fried fish fillets with Jerusalem artichokes braised in white wine, rosemary, lemon, and heavy cream. An elegant dish where the artichokes melt into a thick, silky sauce.

Haricot Vert are tender French string beans. Use regular string beans if your supermarket doesn't carry them.

Homemade date syrup simmered from date sugar, water, vanilla, and cinnamon then blended smooth. A natural, high-fiber alternative to maple syrup or honey.

Pumpkin bars built on a spice cake mix shortcut: a press-in crust topped with a pumpkin custard layer, finished with chopped pecans. Thirty-two festive holiday bars from one box of mix.

Pan-seared pork chops glazed with a sweet-tart pineapple ginger pan sauce, topped with a cool watermelon relish spiked with jalapeño and lime. Sweet heat meets smoky crust in 30 minutes.

Grilled baby artichoke and white bean salad with thyme, red onion, and a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette with olives. A make-ahead Mediterranean side that improves as it sits in the fridge.

Microwave Irish coffee combines strong black coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and floated whipped cream for the classic warming after-dinner drink. Made in under 3 minutes with no special equipment.

One-pot rustic stew with rabbit, hare, veal, or chicken simmered with leeks, garlic, pearl barley, bay, and sage. A rural British-style dish where the barley doubles as starch and vegetable.

Nopales con huevos y serranos: Mexican scrambled eggs with cactus paddle strips, fiery serrano chiles, tomato, cilantro, and melted Monterey Jack. A hearty breakfast from Mexico's high desert tradition.

Homemade hummus made from dried chickpeas cooked from scratch, blended with tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Cooking your own chickpeas gives a creamier, smoother dip than canned.

Texas-style buttermilk pecan pralines with a caramel-colored, melt-on-your-tongue center. Makes nearly 4 dozen candies from a classic Cook 'Em Horns recipe.

Black eyed pea casserole layers spiced ground beef, black-eyed peas, and tomatoes between torn corn tortillas and melty cheddar, then bakes it into a hearty Tex-Mex bake with a Creole kick.

Finnan haddie, cold-smoked haddock gently poached in butter and a creamy milk sauce thickened with cornstarch. A classic Scottish comfort dish served with boiled potatoes.