Recipe Sifter

Fiddleheads on toast turn early-spring foraged fern shoots into a brunch dish with white sauce three ways: with hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon, or rolled in ham and broiled.

Fiery chili soup with seared lamb, white hominy, green and red chili peppers, and crushed juniper berries. A hearty, spicy Southwestern-style stew simmered until the lamb is fork-tender.

Fiery salsa: fresh pico de gallo with ten jalapenos, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime, and lemon. Made ahead and chilled overnight for the bold heat to develop fully.

Fig pickles made from dried California figs simmered in apple cider vinegar, sugar, and pickling spices. Includes a herb pairing guide so the pickles complement turkey, beef, lamb, fish, or pork.

Baked apples stuffed with dried figs, cinnamon, and lemon zest, basted in orange juice. A naturally sweet dessert with no added sugar or butter.

Fireside cranberry apple tea made with cranberry juice, cinnamon-apple herbal tea bags, and brown sugar. A warm, caffeine-free winter drink ready in minutes.

Low-fat chicken fajitas with five peppers: red, yellow, green bell peppers plus jalapeno and black pepper. Lime and cumin marinated, served in whole wheat tortillas.

Florida Keys black bean dip blended with balsamic vinegar, orange juice, red onion, and garlic. No-cook, five ingredients, ready in minutes.

Microwave flounder or sole fillets rolled with chives, dill, and mustard, wrapped in lettuce leaves. A light, quick fish dinner ready in under 10 minutes.

A simple overnight yeast sponge starter made with just flour, water, and active dry yeast. The base for flavorful homemade bread with better texture and deeper taste.

A patriotic salute to classic cheesecake, this party-sized dessert is decked out with blueberry and raspberry stars and stripes.

Fragrant pilaf with basmati rice, chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, mustard seeds, and turmeric finished with cilantro and cayenne. A vegan Indian-inspired rice dish in 45 minutes.

Freezer mix goulash turns a frozen beef-tomato base into a quick weeknight dinner with paprika, mushrooms, ketchup, and egg noodles. Ready in about an hour.

Fresh berry tarts: a pair of giant 10x15 inch sheet tarts with vanilla cream over sweet pie crust, one tart piled with glazed cherries, the other with glossy blueberries.

Broiled fresh walleye brushes fillets with a lemon-garlic-basil paste, dusts with paprika, and broils skin-on until flaky. Classic Midwest shore-lunch style fish in 20 minutes.

Beer battered fried shrimp with paprika, white pepper, and Italian seasoning. A Southern-style golden crunchy shrimp fry classic for po-boys and shrimp baskets.