Recipe Sifter

Tomato vegetable broth with carrots, parsnips, turnip, celery, and an onion stuck with cloves simmered slow with fresh herbs. A clean, deeply flavored homemade vegetable stock that beats anything from a box.

Tex-Mex skillet cornbread with a spiced black bean, pepper, and tomato filling topped with homemade cornbread batter baked golden in a cast iron skillet. A one-pan vegetarian dinner.

Whole baked apples cored and stuffed with dried cherries, chopped almonds, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then baked in apple juice and honey until fork-tender. A rustic fall dessert lighter than pie but just as comforting.

Cream of beet soup with fresh beets sauteed in butter with marjoram, simmered in broth, pureed smooth, and finished with heavy cream and red wine vinegar. A vibrant magenta soup with velvety texture.

Buttermilk biscuits make these cinnamon rolls super easy and my kids love them.

Hot cherry fruit compote baked with rum, curry powder, candied ginger, and brown sugar. A retro holiday side dish for ham or turkey, or chill and serve as dessert with ice cream.

Curried turkey salad with papaya, kiwi, toasted almonds, and a warm chutney-yogurt dressing served in crispy tortilla bowls over fresh spinach.

Vodka can be made from a variety of grains. Barley and wheat are the most common but corn and rye can be used as well. It can also be made from potatoes and beets. Grain vodkas are generally considered to be the best.

Seasoned beef meatloaf with oatmeal, thyme, nutmeg, and cayenne, bound with eggs and beef stock. Starts at high heat for a crust, then bakes low to stay juicy.

Danish pastry twisted through with apricot preserves and topped with walnuts for a bakery-style breakfast treat that rises beautifully.

Traditional fermented beet kvass, the tangy ruby-red base for authentic borscht. Just beets, water, and a slice of bread create this Old World staple in 4 to 5 days.

Sauteed curly endive with garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar piled over olive oil-tossed spaghetti. A quick vegetarian pasta with a bitter-sweet edge that keeps you coming back.

Pressure cooker quinoa cooked in vegetable stock for a fluffy, flavorful grain in just 2 minutes of pressure time. A fast rice substitute with tender yet crunchy texture.

Layered no-bake mocha mousse slice with coffee-soaked sponge fingers, white chocolate cream, and a dark chocolate Kahlua mousse top. An Australian tiramisu cousin that slices clean and cold.

Vanilla chip biscotti studded with white vanilla chips and twice-baked Italian-style for a crisp, dunkable cookie. Almost fat-free in the dough, with a clean vanilla-citrus crumb.

Chinese American fortune cookies bake from a thin batter of cake flour and egg whites, then fold around personal messages while still warm. A homemade version of the takeout staple.