Recipe Sifter

Chinese green bean casserole with crunchy bean sprouts, cream of celery soup, and crispy fried onions on top. Four-ingredient potluck side that lands somewhere between Midwest holiday classic and chop suey night.

Easy cranberry party punch mixing lemonade, cranberry juice, and concentrated orange juice with bubbly ginger ale. Makes a gallon of fizzy, fruity punch in 10 minutes.

Hearty homemade German oatmeal bread with honey and whole wheat. Yields tender, chewy loaves with a golden crust that fill your kitchen with warm, yeasty aromas.

Pineapple butterscotch cake doctored from pound cake mix and instant butterscotch pudding, topped with crushed pineapple and butterscotch chips. The shortcut potluck cake that always disappears.

Keftedes tiganites are fried Greek meatballs with allspice, fresh mint, parsley, red wine, and soaked bread. Walnut-sized, flour-dredged, and fried crispy for a traditional Greek mezze or main dish.

A tasty side dish that doesn't take long to make or satisfy.

This fat-free blond fruitcake is packed with candied pineapple, dried apricots, and peaches, held together with applesauce instead of butter. Aged in orange liqueur for deep, boozy flavor.

Deer heart soaked, boiled, sliced into steaks, and pan-fried with steak spice, then served alongside a rosemary and thyme vegetable simmer. Nose-to-tail wild game cooking at its finest.

Gingerbread house dough that bakes rock-solid for sturdy construction. Built with shortening, dark molasses, and a generous hit of cinnamon and ginger. Cuts cleanly, holds shapes, makes 5 walls.

Easy chicken ravioli made with wonton wrappers, ground chicken, and cream cheese filling. Boils in just 4 minutes, freezes for up to 3 months. A 25-minute weeknight dinner for 4.

Grilled Hawaiian fish served with a fresh papaya relish made with ginger, cilantro, red bell pepper, and lemon juice. A tropical, light seafood dinner with bright island flavors.

Crockpot menudo, the traditional Mexican tripe and hominy soup made easy in the slow cooker. Tender tripe, posole, chile, and a calf's foot simmer all day into a rich, deeply savory bowl.

Cherry and almond Christmas cake: maraschino cherries, apricots, ginger, and almonds macerated in amaretto and brandy, baked into a lighter apple-puree batter, then soaked in more amaretto. A boozy, fruit-packed festive cake that keeps for a month.

A useful dry rub to add flavor to all kinds of poultry.

Low-fat apple bread pudding sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Egg whites and skim milk keep it light while apples and raisins add natural sweetness. A guilt-free comfort dessert.

This new spin on the delicious squash is perfect for the Autumn season and just in time for Thanksgiving.