Recipe Sifter

Mandarin orange and mixed greens salad with toasted pine nuts and a white wine vinaigrette. A quick five-ingredient low-calorie side salad ready in 10 minutes.

Cherry-studded cookies loaded with white and dark chocolate, inspired by the iconic ice cream. Kirsch-soaked cherries deliver a boozy punch in every bite.

Quick 'n easy chicken breast recipe that only uses a few common pantry ingredients. Pair it with rice and veggies and you can have it ready in 20 minutes or so.

Horseradish garlic burgers with thyme, chives, and melted Havarti on toasted onion rolls. Grilled gourmet patties with bold, sharp flavor.

Chunky California beef and bean chili made with cubed round steak, scratch-cooked beans and fresh-toasted cumin. Three peppers and a jalapeño build layered heat in this lean, hearty bowl.

The bread is good warm, cool, or toasted. It stales faster than store-brought white bread, so wrap the loaf well and use quickly or freeze.

Drunken apple-pumpkin pie blends pumpkin and applesauce in one custard, finished with a dramatic flame of warmed rum poured tableside. Topped with pecan halves and warm baking spices. A holiday showstopper for Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.

Vegetarian mince pies with a suet-free, no-suet British mincemeat: dried fruits, ripe banana, almonds, brandy, and warm spice tucked inside flaky shortening pastry. The traditional Christmas pie, made meatless.

Mary Rogers's sourdough biscuits use an overnight starter sponge for a tender, tangy biscuit with a soft crumb. A pioneer-style overnight rise that beats any quick biscuit hands down.

Smoky pumpkin soup built on bacon fat and beef stock, finished with Marsala wine and crisp bacon. A savory, deeply autumnal bowl that skips the cream and leans on real depth.

Grilled portobello mushroom burgers marinate big meaty caps in balsamic, garlic, and a touch of cayenne, then grill until juicy and tender. A satisfying vegan burger piled with tomato, onion, and lettuce.

Mom's cranberry orange scones with tart frozen cranberries, bright orange zest, and a buttermilk-tender crumb. An overnight flour-and-fruit rest soaks up excess moisture for the perfect texture.

These meatballs were very easy to make, and they had great flavor. We added the meatballs to the spaghetti sauce, and our meal was filling and delicious.

Silky semisweet chocolate ganache made with just four ingredients: heavy cream, butter, sugar, and chocolate. Use it as a glaze, frosting, truffle base, or filling.

I make triangles and leave out the mizithra or cottage cheese (too wet for these). Great appetizers if you make them small.

A cheesy pizza pocket stuffed with 3 kinds of cheese, spinach, tomatoes, olives and salami.