Carrot

You can buy a cooked chicken and frozen puff pastry for this dish. Both make this pot pie a very easy family meal.

An herb crust and special Zinfandel sauce give new meaning to the word flavorful. What to drink: A full-bodied, tannin-rich Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Shullie Neumark of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, writes: "I like cooking but I'm a little bit impatient, which is why I make dishes that can be done ahead of time — and quickly. I hate being rushed before meals, especially when guests are on their way over. Those guests are usually good friends or members of our large family. My husband and I emigrated from South Africa seven years ago. I am retired from preschool teaching, but I still keep busy by cooking for the family. A typical South African dinner is a barbecue with lots of grilled lamb chops and sausages."

This light and lovely main course comes from executive chef Jeff Tunks at the acclaimed DC Coast in Washington, D.C.

The long cooking time makes this lamb meltingly tender. Offer noodles alongside.

In this dish, Elena Rovera prefers the clean, fruity flavor of Roero Arneis, a dry white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. She typically serves the chicken with rosemary potatoes. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Hot or cold, this soup is a great starter and can be a meal in itself. It's thickened with potatoes — not cream — but tastes self-indulgent just the same. [NB: This recipe requires a slow cooker.]

When a dark chilly afternoon in October portends a killing frost, gather the last of the garden's bounty and make a steaming pot of soup for dinner. This recipe makes a generous amount that will feed a family for more than one satisfying meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Years ago, when we were dating, my husband took me to Park Bistro in Manhattan," writes Therese Tetzel of Dallas, Texas. "To this day, we return to the restaurant every time we go to New York. Its version of coq au vin is the best I've had in the United States—similar to one we tried in Burgundy."

The azuki (Japanese red) beans called for in the following recipe are sometimes referred to as aduki or adzuki beans. To prevent sandwiches from getting soggy, the salad can be kept in resealable plastic bags and spooned into pita pockets just before serving.

Northern Greeks, particularly those from Salonika, eat a lot of clams and mussels, usually as mezedes. Here's an easy-to-make dish from Greece's "second city" Cappetino.

Add crunch to the meal by having rice cakes on the side. Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice to balance the flavors of the vegetables.