Recipe Sifter

Layered asparagus casserole with saltine crackers, cheddar cheese, and a light egg custard baked until golden and set. Simple, old-fashioned comfort in under 45 minutes.

This quick Mexican bean dip is packed with flavor. It can be a dip or a filling to make burrito. Within about 10 minutes, you will be able to enjoy a quick delicious meal.

Grilled eggplant salad topped with a quick-pickled cucumber and red onion relish in cider vinegar dressing. A smoky, refreshing summer vegetable side.

Apricot and cardamom bars with dried apricot, apricot nectar, and unsweetened applesauce in the batter, finished with a sweet apricot glaze drizzle. Low-fat and done in 45 minutes.

Uncomplicated and satisfying, this recipe for anasazi beans is from savory.

Broiled banana on a toasted raisin English muffin with melted apricot jam and a sprinkle of cinnamon. A quick 10-minute breakfast or snack at just 86 calories.

Grilled pork loin rubbed with mustard, garlic, and ginger, basted with a horseradish mustard and apricot preserve glaze. An overnight-marinated roast with sweet-hot flavor.

Polenta pie with a cornmeal crust, pizza sauce, porcini mushrooms, and homemade yogurt cheese topped with capers and parmesan. A low-fat vegetarian take on deep-dish pizza.

Steamed seafood dumplings wrap a delicate shrimp-and-scallop filling with garlic, ginger and crunchy water chestnuts in wonton skins, then steam them light and tender. Served with a duck sauce and hot mustard dip.

Curried corn salad with red bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, and spinach in a tangy curry-mustard vinaigrette. A no-cook, low-fat side dish ready in ten minutes.

Randy Pollak's persimmon salad is a molded gelatin salad with orange Jello, hot grapefruit juice, and strained persimmon pulp. A vintage fruit salad served on lettuce with cottage cheese.

Traditional slow-cooked polenta finished with butter and Parmesan cheese. Stirred low and slow for up to 45 minutes until thick, creamy, and impossibly smooth.

Baked polenta grits triangles topped with a fresh cilantro and tomato sauce spiced with cumin and chili powder. A light vegetarian main dish or hearty brunch option.

Easy miso soup with cubed tofu, swiss chard, fresh corn kernels, and scallions. Six ingredients, ready in 15 minutes, naturally vegan and gluten-free if you use a soy-free miso.

Silky crab meat stir-fried with ginger, scallions, and cooking wine, finished with wispy egg white and poured over blanched baby bok choy. A light, elegant Chinese seafood dish ready in 35 minutes.

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.