One-Pot Meals

(Bacon and Root Vegetable Stew)

Serve with: Buttered noodles and steamed Swiss chard. Dessert: A bakery Linzertorte.

Although this recipe doesn't produce the familiar-looking red chili--it's more green than red--it does turn out a chili that has become one of our staff favorites.

"A good newspaper review of the Cosmos Cafe in Houston convinced me to try out the restaurant and particularly the owners award-winning green chili," says Janice E. Bryant of Humble, Texas. "It was everything chili should be—hearty and hot with a great kick from poblano chilies." Serve the chili with warm corn tortillas, and pass bowls of chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions and sour cream for garnishes. This recipe can easily be halved for a smaller crowd.

Market Tip: Avoid packaged ground lamb, which can be extremely fatty. Instead, buy shoulder meat or lamb stew meat, which has some fat, and ask the butcher to grind it.

This modification of a classic soup uses less cream than traditional versions.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A simple lemon and oil dressing-which works with just about any fresh vegetable-turns some of your garden's finest into a light summer pasta salad. Serve it in lettuce cups for a nice presentation.

With such hearty vegetables, this can easily be served as a meatless main course.

Thai food lovers will recognize this soup as the classic tom yaam goong. In its homeland the dish would have far more hot chilies. We've toned down the heat for newcomers to this cuisine, but veterans can add more chilies to make this soup as incendiary as they wish.

Saffron lends authenticity to this fragrant dish, which draws its inspiration from the paellas of Spain. Serve a green salad alongside, and uncork a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

For a great one-dish meal, serve this rich stew over rice. If you want to make it even more authentic, use couscous, a small grain-shaped pasta that is often found in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. It's available at many supermarkets and specialty foods stores.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For a simple dinner, present this flavorful soup with some warm crusty bread and a mixed green salad.