Recipe Sifter

Homemade English muffins cooked on a griddle, not baked. Soft yeasted dough with cornmeal-dusted tops and bottoms, full of nooks and crannies for catching melted butter.

Crunchy beans with turnips bakes a curried lima bean puree with steamed turnips, walnuts, and soybean sprouts. A plant-based side with Indian-inspired spice.

Horseradish applesauce: a sweet-and-sharp two-ingredient condiment that wakes up roast pork, ham, or veal. The grandparent of every modern fruit-and-heat sauce.

Vegan French onion soup built on deeply caramelized onions, garlic, and tamari for rich umami depth. No beef broth needed, just patience and good browning for a soul-warming bowl.

Harvest cookies made with mashed winter squash, chopped dates, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A no-sugar-added drop cookie thats soft, spiced, and naturally sweet from the fruit.

Minted pears with honey walnuts poaches whole baby pears in honey-sweetened mint tea, then crowns them with caramelized walnuts. Elegant fruit dessert that works hot or chilled.

Stir fried asparagus with mushrooms in a light chicken bouillon sauce thickened with cornstarch. A quick, low-calorie vegetable side dish ready in 20 minutes with bright green, crisp-tender asparagus.

Stuffed Chinese black mushrooms filled with seasoned crushed tofu, ginger, garlic, sesame, and scallion, then grilled or broiled. A vegan-friendly appetizer with earthy, umami-rich mushroom caps.

Tomato-zucchini casserole layered with chili powder seasoning and topped with crispy breadcrumbs. A light vegetarian side dish that puts summer produce to work.

Homemade beer mustard made with dry mustard, brown sugar, turmeric, and flat beer. No cooking required. Bold, tangy, and ready after a quick chill.

Refrigerator pickles made with sliced cucumbers and onions in a sweet vinegar brine with turmeric, mustard seeds, and celery seeds. No canning required. Keeps for 4 months in the fridge, and you can add fresh vegetables anytime.

English muffin mini pizzas with mozzarella, tomato sauce, oregano, and your choice of pepperoni, sausage, anchovy, or mushroom toppings. Ready in 15 minutes in the microwave.

Steamed halibut fish packets with sugar snap peas served over fresh diced tomatoes and basil. A light, naturally gluten-free dinner that cooks in just 5 minutes.

Appetizers have long been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktail.

Old-fashioned blackberry shrub, a sweet-tart fruit syrup mixed with lemon juice. Serve over ice, top with club soda, or float a scoop of sherbet for a colonial-era refreshing drink.

Cherry jello salad: a retro congealed salad with orange gelatin, canned red cherries, celery, and orange juice, molded firm and served on lettuce with mayonnaise and nuts. Midcentury classic.