Recipe Sifter

Enchilada chili dogs roll a hot dog and a smear of chili sauce inside a soft tortilla, then bake until golden. A fun, hand-held, kid-friendly mashup of two cookout favorites.

Low-fat oatmeal loaded with fresh apple chunks, raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. A warm, naturally sweetened breakfast bowl that's also diabetic-friendly.

Fava beans simmered or refried with onion, Roma tomato, and cilantro. A flexible Mexican-style habas preparation, two methods in one, great as a side or stuffed in tacos.

Marinated mushrooms simmer briefly in a tart bath of white wine, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil with shallots, garlic, and coriander. A chilled make-ahead appetizer ready in 40 minutes.

Quick mushroom sauce of sliced mushrooms browned in butter and finished with a splash of Worcestershire. A fast, savory pan sauce to spoon over steak, omelets, or fish. Ready in minutes.

A simply seasoned sweet and sour refreshing cucumber salad.

Fresh fig appetizers two ways: prosciutto-wrapped quarters with lime and black pepper, or fig halves filled with pecan cream cheese. No-cook, elegant cocktail bites.

Spicy fish pickle: crisp fried fish simmered in a tangy, chili-spiked vinegar masala, then stored to mellow into a fiery South Indian condiment for rice and roti.

Fish spread mashes cooked flaky fish fillets with creamy avocado and fresh tarragon for a three-ingredient sandwich filling. Naturally rich, no mayo required, ready in 10 minutes.

Quick flame-toasted whole wheat tortillas with charred spots and puffy steam pockets, brushed with butter for fresh-from-the-comal flavor in minutes.

Flat cat cookies, the gleefully gruesome Halloween treat. Roll out refrigerated sugar cookie dough, cut roadkill cat shapes, add red candy eyes and a drizzle of jam blood. Easy enough for kids.

Flavored pizza doughs knead prosciutto, provolone, or other add-ins right into risen pizza dough for built-in flavor that goes beyond toppings. Simple technique, huge flavor upgrade.

Easy focaccia bread made from store-bought pizza dough, brushed with olive oil and topped with your choice of herbs, garlic, or sun-dried tomatoes.

Mock apple pie made with crackers instead of apples, boiled in sugar syrup with cream of tartar. A Depression-era trick pie that tastes surprisingly like real apple pie without a single apple.

Forgotten cookies are chocolate chip meringues baked for 2 minutes then left in the turned-off oven overnight. Crispy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that literally make themselves while you sleep.