Recipe Sifter

Monster-shaped bread for Halloween made from store-bought dough with cinnamon sugar filling, raisin eyebrows, and candy decorations. A fun baking project kids can help shape and decorate.

Fresh Bartlett pears cored, stuffed with minced Chinese dates and orange honey, then gently steamed until tender. A traditional Chinese dessert with just three ingredients that's elegant and naturally light.

No-bake chocolate fingers made with powdered milk, cocoa, powdered sugar, raisins, cherries, and candied peel. A fudgy, fruit-studded candy that firms up in the fridge.

Tri-pasta salad combines ziti, bow-tie, and spinach rotini with tri-color peppers, olives, and capers in a no-oil herbed red wine vinaigrette. Colorful, tangy, and low-fat for picnics and potlucks.

Cajun red beans and rice cooked in the microwave with ham, onions, garlic, and cayenne pepper. A Louisiana Monday night staple that simmers hands-free in a microwave-safe casserole.

Crispy baked capellini pancake topped with a sweet-spicy serrano and bell pepper relish. Vegetarian side dish with crunchy golden edges and a kick of heat.

Grilled sausage kabobs with bratwurst, Italian sausage, kielbasa, and new potatoes basted in a bacon-beer BBQ sauce. Three sausage varieties on one skewer for the ultimate cookout.

Lemon tea snow with strawberry sauce: a light, airy gelatin dessert flavored with lemon and instant tea, beaten with egg whites into a cloud. Served with a warm-set strawberry-currant sauce. Retro Southern tearoom fare.

Pounded chicken breasts stuffed with sautéed taro, butternut squash, and onion, then steamed until tender. A light, Hawaiian-inspired dinner ready in 40 minutes.

Fresh no-cook crab salad sandwich with crunchy cucumber, celery, and chopped olives tossed in lemon mayo. Five minutes to a cool, satisfying lunch.

Old-fashioned spiced raisin drop cookies with brown sugar, buttermilk, and cake flour for a soft, cakey texture. A simple, homey cookie with warm mixed spices and plump soaked raisins.

Homemade honey mustard made from scratch with dry mustard powder, honey, apple cider vinegar, and turmeric. A creamy condiment that keeps refrigerated for up to a month.

Tropical ice punch blends mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, orange juice, and maraschino cherries into a frozen base. Add ginger ale and white wine to serve.

Potted herrings in Guinness bake rolled herring fillets in a stout-and-vinegar bath with onion, bay, cloves, and peppercorns. Classic Irish preserved fish, served cold.

Breakfast sundae layers nonfat yogurt, fresh fruit, granola and raisins in a sundae dish for a no-cook morning bowl. Five-minute parfait that turns leftover fruit into breakfast.

Whole chicken slow-cooked on a bed of potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery with basil and seasoned salt. The cooking liquid turns into a savory thyme and soy sauce gravy.