271 red icing recipes

Red and golden raspberries marinated in a honeyed raspberry puree. A simple, elegant fruit dessert or topping for ice cream and angel food cake.

Strawberry balm syrup: crushed fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon balm simmered into a fragrant ruby-red syrup. Pour over ice with sparkling water, drizzle on pancakes, or swirl into cocktails.

Cranberry sauce for holiday meringues: a glossy, ruby-red dessert sauce made from cranberry juice, sugar, lemon, and a touch of cornstarch. Perfect spooned over crisp meringues, ice cream, or pavlova.

Halloween horrific witches brew floats a frozen blood-red severed hand of raspberry-cranberry ice in fizzy ginger ale and sparkling cider, garnished with gummy snakes. A spooky non-alcoholic party punch.

Avocado relish dices ripe avocado with red onion, bell peppers, Roma tomato, garlic, fresh chile, and herbs in lime juice and olive oil. Chunkier than guacamole, brighter than salsa. Perfect topper for grilled chicken or fish.

A refreshing no-cook bulgur salad with diced red apple, seedless grapes, grated carrot, and celery, soaked in apple and lemon juice. Light, fruity, and naturally fat-free.

Tropical fruit and black bean salsa with diced mango, pineapple, papaya, red onion, and jalapeño. A fresh, no-cook salsa that's sweet, spicy, and colorful.

Pearl barley and green lentils simmer with onions and mint in this traditional Iranian soup where turmeric and gentle spices create warming, earthy comfort in every spoonful.

Red flannel hash with corned beef, diced potatoes, and beets cooked in bacon drippings. The beets give this New England classic its signature rosy-red color and a subtle earthy sweetness.

Vegan unstuffed bell pepper soup with brown basmati rice, tomato paste, and loads of diced peppers in a savory tamari broth. All the flavors of stuffed peppers without the stuffing.

Southwestern three bean soup with kidney beans, chickpeas, and lima beans in a cumin-chili tomato broth with parsnips and carrots. Vegan and hearty.

Santa Maria beans made with pinto beans, bacon, ham, tomato puree, and red chile sauce. The classic California Central Coast side dish for tri-tip barbecue, slow-simmered until rich and tender.

Note: 15 bean mixtures are available packaged in supermarkets and health food stores. If you prefer, make your own by combining equal amounts of dried blackeyed peas, red kidney beans, white kidney beans (cannellini), green lentils, split peas, black beans, yellow split peas, navy beans, cranberry (Roman, shell, or shell out) beans, great Northern beans, pinto beans, small white limas, red lentils, cow peas (field peas), and pink beans. Avoid using beans such as garbanzos and large lima beans, as these take longer to cook than other varities.

My version of Bobby Flay's very distinctive southwestern, egg-less potato salad from his restaurant, Mesa Grill. Make sure you pour the sauce over the potatoes while they're still warm to ensure the flavors soak in. This salad goes nicely with grilled meat, poultry or seafood.

Green pepper jelly made with fresh bell peppers, vinegar, cayenne, and Certo pectin. A sweet-hot condiment that pairs with cream cheese and crackers, grilled meats, or barbecue.

Warm red-skinned potatoes tossed in a sweet-sour bacon vinaigrette that's the star of every church potluck and German family reunion from Cincinnati to Milwaukee.