Recipe Sifter

Florida Keys black bean dip blended with balsamic vinegar, orange juice, red onion, and garlic. No-cook, five ingredients, ready in minutes.

Buttermilk pecan pralines cooked to soft ball stage for a creamy, melt-on-your-tongue candy loaded with toasted pecan halves. The buttermilk and baking soda create a caramel flavor that plain sugar pralines can't touch.

Julienned smoked turkey and nutty Jarlsberg cheese tossed with seedless grapes, celery and a sherry-spiked mayonnaise, finished with briny green peppercorns. A refined no-cook main course salad.

Vegetarian chili with soybeans and wheat berries instead of traditional kidney beans. Simmered with fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, red bell pepper, and warm spices. Better the next day.

Pork chops Abazia braised in white wine with fresh tomatoes, roasted red peppers, shallots, and rosemary. An Italian-style skillet dinner with a rich pepper sauce.

Turkey mole empanadas wrapped in flaky puff pastry with cilantro and scallions. Baked golden in 10 minutes for an easy Mexican-inspired appetizer with rich, spiced filling.

Madeira gravy made from turkey pan drippings, reduced Madeira wine, chicken broth, and thyme. A flour-free, intense holiday gravy that pulls depth from roasted bones.

Danish pastry twisted through with apricot preserves and topped with walnuts for a bakery-style breakfast treat that rises beautifully.

Hot cranberry pineapple punch brewed in a coffee percolator with whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Serves 22 and fills the whole house with the smell of the holidays.

Avocado salsa combines diced ripe tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and lots of cilantro in olive oil and lime juice, with chopped avocado folded in just before serving. Bright, chunky pico de gallo with a creamy upgrade.

Herb-seasoned turkey burgers with tarragon and white wine, grilled and served with a homemade barbecue sauce of tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, garlic, and Tabasco. Makes 12 burgers for a crowd-ready cookout.

Saffron-dusted veal scallops pan-seared and finished with a white wine lime cream sauce with green peppercorns. Served over blanched asparagus for an elegant spring dinner.

Asparagus and pimento side dish steams fresh asparagus and tops with lime juice, pimento, and pine nuts. A 10-minute Mediterranean-leaning side that works hot or chilled.

Homemade turkey gravy built from simmered giblets and neck, pan drippings, half and half, and a finishing splash of brandy. Rich, properly thickened, and worth the extra step on Thanksgiving day.

Frozen mocha toffee dessert with coffee-spiked vanilla ice cream and crushed toffee bars in a ladyfinger-lined springform pan, topped with Kahlua whipped cream. No-bake and make-ahead.

Slow cooker braised leeks with onion, garlic, tomato, and vegetable stock, finished with fresh dill. A gentle, hands-off side dish that cooks itself over 6-10 hours.