A Month of Easy Meals - basics of cooking

Put down the magazine and pick up a pencil. Write down the names of the dishes you most often make for dinner. How many did you come up with? Be honest--five, eight maybe?

A famous chef once observed that the average American cook prepares the same seven or so dishes over and over again--which doesn't make for a very varied culinary experience nor an easy time of it if you're truly hungering for a change. Well, guess what? This month you're off the hook--we're giving you a different menu for each night that, for the most part, will take under an hour to prepare. Best of all, these meals are more than a reprieve from monotony; they illustrate principals that can help you expand your repertoire on your own in the near future.

Here are the underlying concepts:

* Remember to keep everyday meals simple. If you plan an elaborate dish, accompany it with easy-to-make side dishes. Focus on energy-sustaining complex carbohydrates like grains and complement them with beans, tofu, tempeh, eggs, nuts or seeds for protein. And make sure to include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits for additional vitamins, minerals and fiber.

* Think about meals in advance. Something as simple as soaking dried mushrooms or transferring tempeh from the freezer to the refrigerator before you leave for work may significantly reduce the time it takes to prepare dinner.

* Always make more than you need. Soups and casseroles often taste better the second time around when the flavors have had a chance to mingle, and planned extras, such as grains, beans and sauces, provide a head start on future meals. Treat leftovers as launching pads for new dishes. Turn any remaining grains, beans and vegetables into burgers, for example, or stuff squash with left-over rice pilaf.

* Peruse the entire menu before you begin cooking. Mentally order the tasks--if you're going to need boiling water for pasta or noodles, put a pot on to heat right away. Begin with the dish that will take the longest to prepare.

* Finally, tune into the season. Think soups, stews, baked vegetables and casseroles in cold weather. Switch to stir-fries, salads, sandwiches, grilled vegetables and chilled soups when it's warm. Most vegetables and fruits are available year-round, but seasonal, local produce is always best in terms of taste and price.

Regard the following menus as flexible. If you or your family members don't care for spinach, substitute another leafy green. And improvise: If you have pears rather than apples, make a pear crisp or pie. If you've forgotten to buy couscous for a dish but have rice on hand, use the rice. And feel free to switch menus around to suit your schedule.

Here's how our menus work: The highlighted recipes appear on the pages that follow and dates indicate that the recipe appeared in a past issue from 1998. Enjoy this break from your normal routine, and next month try making your own plan--it's easier than you think.

Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onion Lasagna

12 SERVINGS LACTO

This lasagna is slightly unconventional, but not so mush that traditional lasagna lovers won't love it. The caramelized onions have a delicious sweetness that is offset by the robustly flavored chard.

12 oz. dried or 1 lb. fresh lasagna
noodles
4 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bunches (about 3 lbs.) red Swiss
chard, stemmed, leaves
coarsely chopped and
blanched
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste
4 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan
or Asiago cheese

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until just tender, about 8 minutes for dried and 1 minute for fresh. Drain and rinse under cold water. Spread noodles on clean kitchen towels and cover with plastic wrap.

In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 30 seconds. Add chard and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard to medium bowl and stir in ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown all over, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Cook, stirring, until deep amber in color, about 20 minutes more. Remove from heat and splash with vinegar. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups milk over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, put flour in small bowl and whisk in remaining 1/2 cup milk until smooth; whisk into hot milk mixture and whisk constantly until sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Stir in Asiago or Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Coat bottom of prepared dish with 1/2 cup of sauce. Line bottom with a single layer of noodles. Spread half the chard over the noodles. Add another layer of noodles, arrange caramelized onions on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread another 1/2 cup sauce over all. Add another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining chard mixture. Finish with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil or coat with nonstick cooking spray and use it to tightly cover dish. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

PER SERVING: 221 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 10G TOTAL FAT (4G SAT. FAT); 21G CARB.; 17MG CHOL.; 304MG SOD.; 2G FIBER.

Carrot Soup with Cilantro

5 SERVINGS LACTO

Toasted fennel seeds perfectly complement sweet carrots, apples and sweet potatoes, while fresh lemon juice adds a nice tang in this brilliantly colored soup.

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 lbs. carrots, sliced
1/2 lb. sweet potatoes or yams,
peeled and cubed
2 Tbs. white or brown basmati rice or
regular long-grain rice
1/4 tsp. turmeric or curry powder
5 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
2 Tbs. minced cilantro or parsley

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add fennel seeds and toast until darkened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add apple, carrots and sweet potatoes and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, turmeric, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain vegetables and reserve broth. Discard bay leaf. Transfer vegetables and small amounts of reserved broth in batches to food processor and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup and any remaining reserved broth to soup pot. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

PER SERVING: 195 CAL.; 4G PROT.; 4G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 37G CARB.; 6MG CHOL.; 670MG SOD.; 6G FIBER.

Tandoori-Style Chickpeas

6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE 30

Snow-white steamed cauliflower tops this colorful stew that is scented with the aromatic spices of India.

2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced uncooked potatoes
1 tsp. peeled, grated fresh gingerroot
1 Tbs. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
16-oz. can diced tomatoes
16-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and
drained
3/4 cup water or tomato juice
1/2 of 10-oz. box frozen spinach,
thawed
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, potatoes and ginger and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add curry powder and cumin and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add tomatoes and chickpeas; bring to a boil, stirring. Add water slowly and spinach. Place cauliflower on top of stew. Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender,. 10 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne.

PER SERVING: 161 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 3G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 30G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 359MG SOD.; 7G FIBER.

Recipe by Steven Petusevsky.

Barley Shiitake and Spinach Pilaf

4 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE

In this substantial dish, other mushroom varieties (such as cremini and portobello) can be used instead of the shiitakes if you wish.

1 cup pearled barley
3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
(2 1/2 cups) (see glossary, p. 87)
8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
2 Tbs. tamari
2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Add barley and water to medium saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, about 1 hour.