Recipe Sifter

A composed salad of flaked smoked mackerel, halved grapes, and toasted hazelnuts with a lemon-mint brown rice ring and chilled yoghurt. An elegant, refreshing centrepiece.

Crisp celery meets tart Granny Smith apples in this vibrant salad tossed with toasted walnuts and a tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette for the perfect balance of crunch and zing.

Grilled portobello mushrooms over angel hair: meaty grilled portobello caps sliced over fresh angel hair pasta in a quick garlic cream sauce. A vegetarian main in about 45 minutes.

Lemon fritters: puffy, golden drop fritters fried until crisp and showered with a bright lemon sugar sauce. An old-fashioned skillet dessert done in 30 minutes.

Marmalade biscuit squares with orange marmalade and butter baked under a Bisquick biscuit dough, then flipped upside down. A sticky-sweet treat in 30 minutes.

Pineapple apricot crush blends canned apricots with pineapple juice and ice into a tropical slushy drink. Three ingredients, ready in 5 minutes.

Neil Perry's Rockpool Coffin Bay scallops with braised capsicum and tomatoes: pan-seared scallops on a blanched pepper-tomato base, crisped herbs, and lemon-olive oil pan dressing.

Fluffy apricot salad dressing made with apricot nectar, eggs, and whipped cream for a fruity, custard-like topping. A retro gem that transforms any fruit salad into something special.

Shawayuh is Yemeni-style grilled steak seasoned with hawayij spice blend and cooked over hot coals. Simple, bold, and smoky with just meat, spice, oil, and fire. Authentic Middle Eastern barbecue.

Aunt Bunny's Stuffing combines apple, orange, pineapple, water chestnuts, and preserved ginger with raw sausage and 13 herbs and spices for a holiday turkey stuffing that's genuinely unlike any other.

Fresh fruit frappe blended with watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, mango, strawberries, and orange juice over crushed ice. A refreshing no-cook summer drink.

Lemon chocolate bars with a cocoa shortbread base, silky lemon curd middle, and bittersweet orange ganache on top. Three layers of contrasting flavor in every rich bite.

It was nice and moist, if a tad on the heavy side. The recipe is actually for cupcakes, but can make one big layer. The frosting is outstanding, a definite keeper.

Mexican rice cakes top puffed rice rounds with refried beans, picante sauce, cheddar and jalapeños, then bake until bubbly. A light 20-minute Tex-Mex snack or quick lunch.

Homemade Indian spice blend with coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, turmeric, dried chili, cloves, ginger, and allspice. A versatile hot and spicy seasoning mix ground fresh in a spice mill.

Homemade siopao steamed dumplings stuffed with a savory shrimp, ground pork, and water chestnut filling. Makes 30 pillowy buns from scratch, street-food style.