Recipe Sifter

Curried fruit pizza topped with apples, pears, banana, grapes, and candied pineapple simmered in curry cream on crispy pizza dough. Sweet, spicy, and totally unexpected.

No-bake chocolate pudding pies in single-serve graham cracker crusts with cinnamon, whipped topping, and chocolate curls. Ready in 10 minutes flat.

Non-alcoholic holiday punch with lemonade, orange juice, grenadine, and bubbly ginger ale. A festive, kid-friendly party drink ready in 10 minutes flat.

Ensalada de Nochebuena, a traditional Mexican Christmas Eve salad with oranges, bananas, beets, jicama, pineapple, peanuts, pomegranate seeds, and sugar cane on a lettuce-lined platter.

Four-ingredient thermos lunch with black beans, corn, brown rice, and salsa. No cooking, no microwave needed. Pack it hot in the morning and eat it warm at your desk.

Broiled snapper fillets and caramelized bananas topped with fresh orange juice, zesty chili peppers, and red onion. A tropical, low-fat dinner that's on the table in 20 minutes flat. Squeeze lime over everything.

Pasta with black beans and spinach in jarred pasta sauce, topped with Parmesan. A protein-packed vegetarian dinner using pantry staples and frozen spinach, ready in 25 minutes.

A lighter peach brulee: ripe sliced peaches with orange juice, blanketed in tangy Greek yogurt and topped with a crackly broiled-sugar crust. The flavors of creme brulee with a fraction of the work.

Red wine, tomato, and rosemary sauce simmers a French mirepoix with red wine, tomato paste, and fresh rosemary, then thickens with arrowroot for a glossy, fat-free finish. Versatile for meats, polenta, and pasta.

Layered Creole vegetable casserole with okra, lima beans, corn, peppers, and tomato, topped with crumb-coated sautéed okra. A vegetarian gumbo-inspired bake that gets better the next day.

Italian-style green bean salad tossed with thinly sliced onions, red wine vinegar, olive oil, basil, and Parmesan. A low-calorie make-ahead side dish that gets better the longer it chills.

Stuffed artichokes in olive oil: trimmed artichoke hearts filled with fava bean and dill rice, then slow-braised in lemony olive oil. Classic Turkish 'zeytinyagli' meze served cold.

Muffaletta sandwich with Italian salami, ham, provolone, and American cheese on round bread, served warm with a tangy New Orleans olive salad dressing. A French Quarter classic.

Indian carrot and yogurt relish (raita) with blanched shredded carrots, cumin, chili, and onion. A cool, tangy condiment ready in minutes.

Old-fashioned hermit cookies spiced with molasses, coffee, and five warm spices. Soft, chewy, and loaded with raisins, bake them as drop cookies or cut into bars.

Pepperoni pizza sticks made with refrigerated breadstick dough, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, baked golden and served with warm pizza sauce for dipping.