Recipe Sifter

Classic French tomato basil soup made from scratch with fresh Roma tomatoes and topped with sautéed fennel, zucchini, and mushrooms. A vegetarian potage that's rustic, fragrant, and deeply satisfying.

Fresh corn kernels sautéed with colorful bell peppers, scallions, and garlic get tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, chipotle chile, and lime juice for a smoky-spicy salad that works hot or cold.

Gooseberry burnt creams are a British dessert with tart gooseberry puree topped with whipped fromage blanc and double cream, finished with a crackable caramel sugar shell. A fruit-forward creme brulee.

Whole wheat cinnamon buns with a peanut butter, honey, and applesauce filling studded with raisins. No butter or eggs in the dough for a healthier spin on a breakfast favorite.

Spiced porridge cooked in milk with cinnamon, currants or raisins, and large flake oats. A warm, creamy breakfast ready in under 10 minutes on the stovetop.

If you're looking for a low-fat snack, try this scrumptious treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Pan di Spagna is the classic Italian sponge cake, made with just eggs, sugar, flour, and cornstarch. No butter, no leavening. The base for tiramisu, zuppa inglese, and Italian layer cakes.

Irish potted herrings baked in Guinness stout and vinegar with bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and onion rings. A traditional cold fish dish with deep, malty tang.

Broccoli with spicy chickpea sauce, steamed broccoli florets cloaked in a creamy hummus-style sauce of chickpeas, yogurt, blanched garlic, cumin, and cayenne. Vegetable side that doubles as a Middle Eastern main.

Delicious Australian lamb and pesto with healthy vegetables on the side

If you run out of preserved lemons, or decide on just a few day's notice to cook a chicken, lamb, or fish dish with lemons and olives and need preserved lemons in a hurry, you can use this quick five-day method taught to me by a Moroccan diplomat's wife. Lemons preserved this way will not keep, but are perfectly acceptable in an emergency.

Stoba is a traditional Caribbean lamb stew simmered with habaneros, tomatoes, lime juice, cumin, allspice, olives, and capers. Fall-apart tender meat with bold island heat and tangy brightness.

Rich chocolate truffle cheesecake on a chocolate wafer crust, served over a creamy raspberry sauce. Melted chocolate chips baked right into the filling for intense truffle flavor.

Homemade dried orange or lemon peel air-dried at room temperature and ground into powder. A single-ingredient pantry staple that replaces citrus extract in baking, flavors teas, and punches up sauces.

Black-eyed peas with fresh spinach sauteed in vegetable broth with a pinch of cayenne. A low-fat vegetarian side dish ready in 20 minutes flat.

Classic baked graham cracker crust with just 3 ingredients. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, bake 8 minutes, and you have a crisp, buttery base ready for cheesecake, key lime pie, or any chilled filling.