The key ingredient in this simple and delicious soup is orzo. Orzo is the Italian word for barley, but names can be deceiving, because orzo is not a grain. And despite its rice shape, orzo is not rice, even though orzo is also known as risoni in Italy.

Confused? Don’t be. Orzo is a pasta made from semolina flour, and when cooked it imparts a creamy texture to soups and pasta dishes -- and yes, it can also stand in as a substitute for rice, or even as an addition to rice dishes, such as rice pilaf.

There are a number of ways to prepare orzo, thanks to its shape. Prepare it as you would pasta, cooking in generously salted water until al dente and serving warm or in a salad. It can also be prepared in a method similar to risotto, where a cooking liquid, such as chicken stock, is gradually added while stirring the pasta until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. The result will be a creamy risotto-like pasta dish, thanks to the starch released from the pasta while stirring. Orzo can also be mixed into rice after toasting the grains first to release their flavor.

This easy weeknight soup is forgiving and welcomes any stray vegetables hunkered in your refrigerator. It’s a wonderful way to use leftover chicken from a roasted or a store-bought bird. The addition of the orzo elevates it a notch, with the pasta’s starch infusing the stock with a comforting richness.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Chicken Orzo Soup

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup orzo

6 cups chicken stock

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and fennel and saute until the vegetables are bright and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes more. Add the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the orzo and stir to coat and lightly toast, about 1 minute.

Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper and simmer until the chicken is heated through. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the parsley and serve.

A glazed ham is an easy way to prepare a celebratory Easter dinner -- or any dinner, for that matter. It’s also a gift that keeps on giving, yielding a generous portion of meat that can be shared and repurposed in sandwiches, eggs, hash, soups and salads.

Ham is so easy to prepare because you begin with a fully cooked store-bought ham. The long cook that you will do in the oven or on the grill is essentially a long warm-up, to thoroughly heat the meat and finish the process with a glaze toward the end of the cooking time to give it a crispy, glossy sheen. The glaze can be simple, but should include fruit and sugar, which will naturally balance the saltiness of the ham, while ensuring a crispy, caramelized lacquer.

The glaze in this recipe is spiked with bourbon. The alcohol burns off when you cook the glaze, leaving behind smoky, honeyed notes that complement the apricot and maple syrup. A little mustard and lemon juice add body and sharpness.

For best results, purchase a good-quality ham with the bone or partial bone in, which adds more flavor to the ham while cooking. Avoid a spiral ham, because it will easily dry out. Roast the ham in the oven or, better yet, on the grill. Grilling the ham creates another dimension of flavor from the smoke, and also frees up your oven if you have other dishes to prepare. This recipe provides instructions for both methods.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Apricot Bourbon Glazed Ham

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yield: Serves: 8 to 10

1 bone-in half ham, fully cooked and smoked, 8 to 10 pounds (not spiralized)

Apricot Bourbon Glaze:

3/4 cup apricot preserves

1/2 cup bourbon

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Remove the ham from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. With the tip of a sharp knife, score the rind and about 1/4 inch of the fat in a 1-inch crisscross pattern on all sides except the cut side.

Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer until the preserves dissolve, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

If oven roasting, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the ham cut-side down on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil from the ham and brush with some of the glaze. Continue to cook without the foil until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted close to the bone without touching (about 1 to 1 1/2 more hours more), brushing the glaze over the ham every 20 to 30 minutes or so. The ham should develop a deep mahogany color. If it gets too dark before the ham reaches the desired temperature, loosely cover with the foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

If using a grill, prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat (about 300 degrees). Place the ham directly in a grill pan. Grill over indirect heat with the grill lid closed for 1 1/2 hours. Brush with some of the glaze. Continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted close to the bone (about 1 to 1 1/2 more hours more), brushing the glaze over the ham every 20 to 30 minutes or so. The ham should develop a deep mahogany color. If it gets too dark before the ham reaches the desired temperature, loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. If desired, pour the pan juices into the remaining glaze. Carve the ham into serving pieces and serve with the glaze.

The name of this dessert is potentially misleading. It’s not exactly a cake, nor is it a bowl of fluffy mousse. But imagine the two concepts combined in a sublime chocolate confection that literally melts in your mouth. It’s flourless, too, which is wonderful for gluten-free diets, Passover, and frankly, for those chocolate fanatics who prefer their chocolate straight up -- or chilled in a springform pan, as it were.

The beauty of this dessert is that for all of its chocolate intensity, it is creamy and smooth without the density and darkness of a traditional flourless chocolate cake. This is thanks to the mousse component with its addition of whipped cream and egg whites. It’s also a convenient do-ahead dessert, since it should be prepared one day in advance of serving. You can prepare it in a loaf pan or a terrine; however, I like to use a 6-inch springform, which allows the dessert to release easily from the pan. While a 6-inch cake might look small, I assure you that each slice is rich and just the right amount of chocolate to finish a meal without knocking you over (if that’s ever possible, that is).

When ready to serve, simply cut it into wedges or slices. Serve as is, or with whipped cream, or with fruit. I had some time on my hands (don’t we all?) and repurposed a bag of frozen raspberries and a pint of kumquats into two fruit garnishes, which happen to complement each other magnificently while embellishing the cake. No pressure, though -- a simple sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar will do just fine, too.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Neutral vegetable oil for the pan

9 ounces dark (70%) chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

3 large eggs, separated

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Lightly oil a 1-quart baking dish, loaf pan or springform pan. Line the dish with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang for easy removal. If using a springform, line the bottom with plastic wrap or parchment.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm.

Add the 6 egg yolks to the chocolate and stir to combine.

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and salt and stir into the chocolate mixture.

Beat the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and refrigerate while you beat the egg whites.

Clean the mixing bowl and then beat the 3 egg whites with the granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream.

Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to two days.

To serve, remove the chocolate from the pan. Slice into wedges. Serve with whipped cream or raspberry coulis and/or candied kumquats (recipes below), or simply dust with confectioners' sugar.

Raspberry Coulis

Makes about 1 cup

10 ounces frozen raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries release their juices, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Cool and serve as is or strained through a fine-mesh sieve.

Candied Kumquats

Makes about 1 cup

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup water

6 ounces kumquats, rinsed and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the kumquats and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is syrupy and the kumquats are translucent, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and store the kumquats in the syrup.

Note: Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may increase the risk of food-borne illness.