Leafy Greens

Barley gives this a wonderful chewy texture.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Partnered with a green salad, these little sandwiches are terrific with the flavorful barley soup .

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Although this dressing is rich in flavor, it has a surprisingly light and silky texture, which keeps it from weighing down the fragile lettuce.

Just add steamed rice for a complete family-style Chinese dinner.

Supermarkets, as well as butcher shops, sell a variety of chicken sausage — just use your favorite.

If you're planning to use the leftovers to make the fried rice with pork and kale , reserve 3/4 cup of this sautéed kale.

For an elegant dinner, just add a salad of Bibb lettuce and Belgian endive with walnut-oil vinaigrette, and pass a basket of warm French bread. A purchased apple tart makes a lovely finale.

The aioli is quickly made by mixing garlic and tarragon into purchased mayonnaise.

Serve with: Grilled portobello mushrooms and a rice salad with sliced radishes. Dessert: Scoops of coconut, pineapple, and passion-fruit sorbets drizzled with rum.

Thyme really shines in this soup; sautéed apples are an interesting sweet garnish.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr (not including frico) Test your springform pan with water for leakage before getting started. If it leaks, tightly wrap the bottom and halfway up the side of the pan with two layers of foil before filling it.

The radicchio is seasoned in the style of a Sicilian agrodolce ("acid-sweet") dish, which typically combines a vegetable with raisins, pine nuts, vinegar, and a sweetener.