Recipe Sifter

Strawberry, melon, and avocado salad fans avocado and cantaloupe over baby spinach, tops with berries, and drizzles with honey-sherry-mint dressing. A stunning brunch salad.

Slow cooker ham and bean soup with diced ham, a leftover ham bone, dried beans, and chopped vegetables seasoned with onion soup mix and Italian herbs. Set it and forget it for 7 hours.

Moroccan tagine of okra and tomatoes uses a clever string-the-okra technique to keep pods whole while poaching in spiced tomato sauce. A vegetarian Maghreb classic served hot or warm.

Homemade Indian dough incense: a hand-mixed blend of cinnamon, sandalwood, cloves, benzoin, curry, and jasmine essence, shaped into cones or sticks to dry and burn.

Scottish Pride cupcakes from one batter, two flavors: orange marmalade and chocolate coffee. A clever two-in-one recipe that yields 30 cupcakes from a single base.

Spaghetti squash stir-fry with mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sherry. A veggie-packed, low-fat stir-fry that turns squash strands into noodle-like gold.

Fresh asparagus with a honey-simmered apple vinaigrette made from pureed apples, Dijon mustard, garlic, red wine vinegar, and a splash of brandy. An elegant Canadian-inspired spring side dish.

Grilled pizzettes top crisp, smoky individual crusts with sauteed yellow squash, tomato, basil, and melty smoked mozzarella. Cooked right on the grill for a charred, summer-fresh personal pizza.

Pineapple mint sorbet blends fresh pineapple, orange juice, lime, and mint into a smooth, tangy frozen dessert. A light palate cleanser or refreshing warm-weather finish, no ice cream maker required.

Chocolate brownie macaroons with melted chocolate, whipped egg whites, shredded coconut, and condensed milk. Fudgy centers with crisp tops, crowned with a blanched almond.

Vegan gumbo with okra, corn, crushed tomatoes, and the Cajun holy trinity sautéed in water instead of oil. A quick 30-minute plant-based soup that's full of Southern flavor.

Watermelon rind pickle: sweet-spiced preserves made from the often-discarded rind with cloves, allspice, vinegar, and sugar. A Southern canning tradition worth keeping.

Italian market pasta salad tosses bow-tie pasta with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, tangy gorgonzola and toasted pine nuts in a balsamic dressing. A light, no-mayo summer salad.

Quiabada is a Bahian Brazilian beef and okra stew with garlic, tomatoes, and malagueta peppers, simmered into a reddish sauce served over rice or angu.

Quince and cranberry compote slow-cooked with cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and orange zest. The quince turns deep pink after two hours and gets balanced with balsamic vinegar.

Traditional German lebkuchen cookies with honey, molasses, almonds, candied fruit, and five warm spices. Soft, chewy spice cookies brushed with lemon glaze for a classic Christmas treat.