Recipe Sifter

Chocolate dessert cups shaped over balloons and filled with airy raspberry mousse. No molds needed, just melted semisweet chocolate and a clever balloon trick for an edible Valentine's showstopper.

Tropical fruit salsa with diced mango, papaya, and avocado, brightened with lime, cilantro, jalapeño, and ginger. No-cook side for grilled fish, chicken, or chips.

Santa's white fudge made with sour cream, corn syrup, and sugar cooked to soft-ball stage, then loaded with candied cherries and pecans. Creamy holiday candy in an 8x8 pan.

Kobeba samakeyah are Lebanese fish-filled bulgur croquettes seasoned with cumin and cilantro, deep-fried golden, and served with homemade tahini sauce. A Middle Eastern classic.

Grasshopper pie with a chocolate wafer crust, mint-chocolate liqueur custard set with gelatin, and grated chocolate garnish. The retro 1950s dinner-party showstopper.

Ruffled phyllo tart packed with rhubarb, apricots, and strawberries under shattery, golden layers. A crisp, elegant spring dessert that looks like a bakery showpiece with half the butter.

Vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls filled with grated potato, rice, and dill, slow-cooked in a tomato, apple, and ginger sauce. A hearty, meat-free crockpot dinner.

French potato salad dressed with olive oil, white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, and tarragon instead of mayonnaise. A light, tangy, no-mayo alternative served warm or at room temperature.

Fruit medley punch: a pink party bowl of puréed strawberries, apricot nectar, and citrus, fizzed up with ginger ale. Crowd-pleaser for showers, brunches, and holiday tables.

Persian sugar-pickled garlic simmered in red wine vinegar with cloves and black peppercorns. Sweet, tangy, and mellow after a month of refrigerator pickling.

Oven-baked fruit compote of dried apricots, apples, peaches, and raisins slow-cooked with honey, fresh lemon, and orange slices. Serve warm or chilled as a naturally sweet dessert.

No-bake gianduja truffle cake with a praline and pirouette cookie base, topped with bittersweet chocolate mousse, dusted in dark cocoa. A restaurant-quality dessert.

Overnight porridge with cracked wheat, rolled oats, molasses, and dried fruit soaked overnight then cooked in minutes. A hearty, make-ahead whole grain breakfast with no added sugar.

Raisin orange polenta cookies fold Cointreau-soaked raisins, bright orange zest, and a scoop of cornmeal into a buttery Italian-style drop cookie. Golden, subtly crunchy, and citrus-bright.

Marinated vegetable toss with tomatoes, radishes, red onion, celery, and cucumber in Italian dressing, chilled overnight. A crunchy, make-ahead side salad with no cooking required.

A hearty one-pot vegan stew of brown rice and lentils simmered with tomatoes, carrots, celery and Italian herbs. No oil, high in fiber and protein, and everything cooks in a single pot.