Weeknight Meals

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The mushroom caps are the pizza "crusts." Chopped pepperoni, onions, olives or bell peppers also make great toppings.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A version of the Tuscan specialty, fagioli all'ucccelletto.

Serve this stew over rice or on its own as a soup. Either way, sprinkle lettuce with rice vinegar and oriental sesame oil for a light salad. Sliced blood oranges and holiday cookies will do nicely afterward.

Asparagus Soup with Saffron

The wonderful flavor for the halibut comes from sautéing it with anchovies, parsley, and garlic and then finishing it in the oven along with the tagliarini and its creamy cooking water. Shellfish such as clams, mussels, or prawns are also all delicious prepared in this parsley, garlic, and anchovy sauce. Serve with a dry reserve Riesling, such as Oregon's Argyle Vineyards, 1996.

This Welsh dish is also called "rabbit." The name rabbit may be traceable to the fact that the Welsh, who live in prime dairy land, were as fond of melted cheese as they were of rabbit. "Rarebit" may have been a later gentrification of the word, or a reference to the texture of this rare (soft) dish. Either way, it is excellent served in bite-size pieces for a party.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Once a week, I go to the farmers' market in Santa Monica and purchase fresh produce, including a variety of wild mushrooms," say Vilma Rozansky of Los Angeles, California. "I developed this risotto recipe around their earthy flavors. The dish can be a satisfying starter or a meatless entré e." Vilma uses mushroom broth, but we substituted vegetable broth because it's more widely available.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These steaks would be great served with the Endive Salad . Tip steak is from the round, which is a tougher muscle and has less marbling than other cuts of beef. It should be cooked rare to medium-rare for maximum flavor and juiciness.

On a weekday, accompany this main course with breadsticks and marinated vegetables from the deli. Wrap up with grapes and cookies. For a festive occasion, start with an antipasto of olives and roasted vegetables, then serve an arugula, radicchio and toasted walnut salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. Finish with an Italian fruit crostata.

This dish, which pairs the sunny flavors of Provence with the comfort of mashed potatoes, makes a nice accompaniment to grilled meat, poultry, or fish.

These mushrooms make a wonderful side dish for just about anything.