Recipe Sifter

Easy cranberry apple pie with a bright, tart-sweet filling of fresh cranberries and apples, simmered with orange juice and warm spice until glossy. A festive holiday pie that slices clean.

Homemade Mexican herb pasta made with durum semolina flour and dried cilantro using a pasta machine. A simple 4-ingredient fresh pasta with Southwestern flavor.

A 5-ingredient slow cooker chicken simmered in spaghetti sauce mix and white wine with fresh tomatoes and mushrooms. Set it and forget it for 4 to 6 hours.

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.

Swiss burgers on kaiser rolls topped with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing. A Reuben-meets-burger mashup for the grill.

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Prune puree: a low-fat baking substitute made from blended pitted prunes with fruit juice and lecithin. Replace butter or oil in brownies, cakes, and muffins with richer, moister results.

Mock apple pie made with soda crackers instead of real apples, using cream of tartar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to mimic apple flavor. A Depression-era classic that fools almost everyone.

French lamb brochettes grilled with rosemary, tarragon, and parsley. Cubed leg of lamb and onion skewered and charred over hot coals. Simple, elegant, and smoky.

Braune Bohnen, German green beans in a savory brown gravy: a dark roux loosened with broth and seasoned with a clove-studded onion, bay and a touch of sugar, then folded with al dente green beans. A cozy old-world side dish.

Fresh mango salsa with red peppers, cilantro, and garlic pulsed in a food processor, then tossed over chilled rice vermicelli. A bright, no-cook summer pasta dish.

Crunchy oyster crackers get tossed in ranch seasoning, dill, garlic, and lemon pepper, then toasted until golden for an addictive party snack that disappears faster than you can make it.

30-minute pork chop dinner with yellow rice, salsa-style tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. A five-ingredient weeknight meal ready before takeout would arrive.

Creamy ambrosia fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, coconut, mini marshmallows, and sour cream. A no-cook, make-ahead holiday side dish.

Tagliatelle tossed with crisp-tender snow peas, shallot, and garlic in a light cream sauce, topped with Parmesan and browned under the grill. A quick dinner for two in 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Bars: shortcut bars built on peanut butter cookie mix, dressed up with crushed peanuts, white sugar glaze, and a chocolate drizzle. Bake-sale ready in 45 minutes.