Barley

Portobello and button mushrooms, along with herbs and garlic, enhance a creamy dish-which has no cream.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

While my brother and I were growing up, my mother made this soup in large quantities, always leaving plenty for freezing. Whenever my parents went out without us, Mom pulled out one of the many frozen tubs of this stew, which my brother and I nicknamed "Witches' Brew." I've hated it for as long as I can remember. I didn't start eating soup again until I was in my late 20s, and I still dislike stewed meat and cooked carrots. I blame it all on Scotch Broth.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Risotto, by definition, is made with rice. But other grains—like the barley in this main-course recipe—can be prepared in the same style with equally terrific results. Toasting the barley enhances its nutty flavor and keeps it from getting soft and mushy.

In this recipe from Rick Tramonto, chef at Tru in Chicago, chewy pearl barley meets silky European butter in an outstanding alternative to arborio rice risotto. For best results, use Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Offer this hearty and satisfying salad with grilled lamb or tuna.

A hearty soup that tastes just as good when rewarmed the next day.

Not so many years ago dried "exotic" or wild mushrooms could be found only in fancy specialty shops, but no longer. Many good urban and suburban supermarkets now carry little packages of various varieties. And Asian markets are a great source for dried shiitake, also known as Chinese black mushrooms. The dried mushrooms are an optional addition to this soup, but they do add a deeper, woodsier flavor.

Barley gives this a wonderful chewy texture.

Prepare a batch of this breakfast dish and store it in the refrigerator. Then simply reheat single servings in the microwave.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Grilled Marinated Lamb Chops with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes .

If you have cooked lamb, beef, or turkey on hand, use it instead of the chicken.

"Even in the spring it can be very chilly here in New England," saysMichelle M. Littlefield of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. "My mom and I like to prepare this soup on weekends — and our entire family loves to warm up with a bowl of it."

Hearty fare from Auberge Sauvignon. Filet mignon is used instead of a cheaper cut, but the result is worth it.