Recipe Sifter

New Orleans crab canapes: buttered toast rounds topped with creamy crab and gruyere-parmesan cheese balls, baked until bubbly. A classic French Quarter party appetizer.

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Lighter cocoa oatmeal cookies made with egg whites and nonfat yogurt instead of whole eggs and butter. Studded with mini chocolate chips and chewy with 3 cups of quick oats. Makes a whopping 66 cookies.

A simple and tantalizing dish that is easy to make in your crockpot. Tastes amazing with a slice of toasted bread.

Crispy pan-fried potatoes seasoned with toasted cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cayenne, and loads of fresh basil. Eat them straight from the pan or wrap in a tortilla with cool yogurt for a quick, spiced meal.

Mom's beef stew braised in red wine and tomato sauce with white wine vinegar, oregano, potatoes, and carrots. Low and slow comfort food for six.

This low fat and low calories sorbet is perfect during the hot summer day, it helps you cool down the body and satisfy the mouth.

Salt cod and potato casserole (bacalhau) baked in tomato-parsley broth. A traditional Portuguese-style dish with flaked cod, sliced potatoes, and olive oil.

Creamy potato soup topped with strips of smoked trout and fresh watercress. Pureed with whipped cream and calf broth for a velvety, smoky bowl that pairs beautifully with crusty bread and cold beer.

Strawberry balm syrup: crushed fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon balm simmered into a fragrant ruby-red syrup. Pour over ice with sparkling water, drizzle on pancakes, or swirl into cocktails.

Layered fudge squares sandwich a homemade marshmallow fondant between two layers of milk chocolate fudge, then top with chopped nuts. Old-school candy-shop technique that yields about 48 squares of three-textured chocolate.

White chocolate coconut truffles with shredded coconut, a splash of coconut liqueur, and a creamy white chocolate ganache center. Easy make-ahead holiday candy.

A very nutritious salad and tastes refreshingly delicious.

A simple cranberry-cherry gelatin mold made from scratch with unflavored gelatin, cranberry juice, and whole cherries. Garnished with watercress and cream cheese balls.

Roasted eggplant and vegetable pate with charred eggplant, yellow peppers, ginger, jalapeno, cumin, and lime. A smoky vegan spread for crostini, crackers, or sandwich filling. Keeps a week.

This buttery, tangy and fruity plum tart is so delicious, the almond crumble adds the extra crunchiness.