Recipe Sifter

Deep-fried red bean paste cakes wrapped in egg roll skins and fried twice for a crispy, golden shell around sweet, smooth filling. Just three ingredients for a classic Asian dessert or snack.

Microwave antipasto with tuna, olives, peppers, mushrooms, and carrots in a tangy tomato-ketchup sauce. Make-ahead appetizer that keeps for two weeks in the fridge.

No-bake fresh peach pie with ripe peach wedges arranged in a swirl pattern, glazed with melted apricot preserves on a graham cracker crust. A summer dessert that lets perfectly ripe peaches do all the work.

A whole banana tucked into a hot dog bun with peanut butter and jelly. This 10-minute no-cook snack is a kid-friendly grab-and-go breakfast or lunchbox win.

Hot bananas a la Baloo are grilled bananas marinated in honey, sambal oelek, and soy sauce. Spicy-sweet Indonesian-Japanese fusion side that pairs with grilled meats. Just four ingredients.

Tomatillo guacamole made with cooked tomatillos, mashed avocado, jalapeno, and lemon juice. A tangy Mexican dip with bright, citrusy flavor that's ready in 20 minutes.

Classic bread and butter pickle slices with cucumber, onion, and green pepper in a sweet-tart cider vinegar brine with mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seed. Canned for the pantry.

Fowl gumbo with boiled chicken, okra, tomatoes, bell pepper, and celery in a rich brown gravy, finished with file powder. Serve over rice or cornbread for a true Southern bowl.

Two-ingredient cranberry relish made with fresh cranberries and sugar. The simplest stovetop cranberry sauce that beats canned every time, ready in under 15 minutes for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The secret to making the cucumbers crunchy is to salt them first and let the salt draw out excess moisture before use.

Whole wheat and cornmeal muffins sweetened with honey and made oil-free with applesauce. These low-fat, dairy-free muffins are simple pantry-staple baking at its most wholesome.

Banana orange juice breakfast smoothie with egg and vanilla. A creamy, protein-rich morning shake blended in under 10 minutes with just four ingredients.

Mom's shepherd's pie: leftover lamb cubed and simmered with onion, red pepper, rosemary, and parsley under a mashed potato crust. The classic Sunday-roast reinvention.

Beau's notes: * There are no "jalapeno beans;" there are jalapeno peppers and pinto beans. I have two recipes, both of which are quite tref, but a Catholic should worry? But if you are hosting a Jewish person, smoked turkey will substitute most agreeably for the chazer called for in either recipe.]

Borden's and Gordon's punch: French vanilla ice cream blended with vodka, cold coffee, and creme de cacao. A retro punch-bowl White Russian for a crowd, served slushy by the ladle.

Casco Bay Rice tosses brown rice with shrimp, crab, marinated artichoke hearts, and tomatoes in a sherry-white wine sauce. A coastal Maine-inspired seafood rice bowl ready in 30 minutes.