Recipe Sifter

Homemade refried beans mashed to a creamy, lard-kissed puree with queso fresco crumbles and crispy tortilla chips. A 35-minute Mexican side dish that puts the canned stuff to shame.

Hot and sour shrimp soup built on a quick homemade broth simmered from the shrimp shells, with tender chayote, mushrooms, fresh lemon juice for the sour bite, and chili paste for the heat. A bright, light take on the takeout classic.

Smoked salmon and dill pinwheels rolled with horseradish cream cheese, watercress, and dark bread. A make-ahead party appetizer with peppery bite and silky smoked fish.

Fettuccine Alfredo done traditional Italian-style: fresh egg pasta tossed with butter, cream, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Three ingredients, pure silk on a plate.

Yorkshire parkin made with fine oatmeal, golden syrup, lard, ginger, and mixed spice. A traditional sticky English gingerbread that improves after a few days wrapped in foil.

Slow cooker chicken saltimbocca rolled with ham and cheese, seared golden, then braised in a creamy white wine sauce with sage and Parmesan.

Indian gobhi samosas stuffed with grated cauliflower, peas, cumin seed, garam masala, amchoor, and asafetida, then deep-fried until golden and crisp. A spiced vegetarian snack perfect with chutney.

Instead of getting out the mayonnaise, why not try this spread that's perfect for sandwiches or crackers.

Put very ripe unpeeled bananas in a plastic bag in the freezer. Remove as needed to make this easy blender drink or dessert.

Buttery blueberry muffins bursting with berries thanks to a clever trick: mashing half a cup of blueberries into the batter for intense fruit flavor in every single bite.

Supreme style pizza stacks a ready-made Boboli crust with pizza sauce, provolone, mozzarella, pepperoni, salami, bacon, and black olives. A quick weeknight pizza that delivers full pizza-shop flavor in 15 minutes.

Spicy firecracker chicken wings simmered in a ginger-garlic stir-fry glaze with crushed red pepper and sherry. A sticky, glossy sauce coats every wing for bold Asian-inspired heat.

Old-fashioned rhubarb pudding with a stale cake or bread base, sweetened stewed rhubarb filling, and golden meringue topping. A Pennsylvania Dutch-style baked dessert that uses up leftover bread.

Tofu cubes rolled in wheat germ and cornstarch, then deep-fried until crispy and golden. A 3-ingredient vegetarian snack or side, ready in 30 minutes with soy or sweet and sour dip.

Chicken fried steak coated in crushed saltine crackers and egg, pan-fried golden then covered to steam tender. Four ingredients and no extra salt needed.

Artichoke and leek pizza: fresh baby artichokes braised with pancetta, onions, and sweet leeks, piled onto thin-crust pizza with mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. A restaurant-worthy springtime slice that looks and tastes like Rome.