The busier life gets, the more I cherish Sunday suppers.

Too many weeks, Sunday is the only day I get to cook something a little more complex, or new -- something good.

On a recent Sunday, I dug into a stack of new cookbooks, looking for good recipes, and, after two trips to the stores for ingredients, made these three. All of them are winners, and they work great together, but, of course, you could make them separately, too.

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GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SAUCE AU CHIEN

PG-TESTED

This is a recipe from the new cookbook by The New York Times' Mark Bittman, who is great for making simple work out of even the most exotic recipes. This one he replicated after a trip to Martinique, where he savored one restaurant's fabulous grilled fare -- from chicken to quail to pork kidneys -- all served with the same "powerful" sauce.

The name means "dog sauce," he notes, "a fact I chose not to research too aggressively." He says it's "great with almost anything grilled," including fish, shrimp and other shellfish, ribs or other pork and poultry. For a variation, add some chopped capers to the finished sauce.

• 1 tablespoon slivered or minced garlic
  
• 6 scallions, trimmed and minced
  
• 1 jalapeno, habanero or scotch bonnet (most authentic) chile, seeded, stemmed and minced, or chile paste or hot red pepper flakes to taste (start with about 1/2 teaspoon)
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, or to taste (fresh ground is best, but fresh pre-ground works fine)
  
• 1 tablespoon peanut, grapeseed, corn or other neutral oil
  
• 1/2 cup boiling water
  
• 8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
  
• Juice of one lime

Start the grill or preheat the broiler.

Prepare the sauce: Combine the garlic, scallions, chile, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, allspice and oil in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup of boiling water, stir and let sit.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and grill or broil it, turning 2 or 3 times, until it is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Taste the sauce and add more chile, salt, pepper or allspice if needed. Stir in the lime juice (which must be added at the last moment to retain its freshness). Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature, passing the sauce at the table.

Makes 4 servings.

-- "Quick and Easy Recipes from The New York Times" by Mark Bittman (Broadway Books, 2007, $19.95)

RAPINI WITH ORZO AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

PG-TESTED

This recipe comes from a new book that aims to bring new meaning to the term "fast food." It's titled "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" by Robin Robertson, a Virginia Beach, Va., woman who has written more than a dozen cookbooks and who writes an online cooking column (www.vegcooking.com). This recipe, one of 150 in the book, she says is "extremely versatile," as spinach or chard can be substituted for the rapini, and penne or rotini pasta can be substituted for the orzo.

• 1 bunch rapini (broccoli raab), coarsely chopped
  
• 1 1/2 cups orzo
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook the rapini in a pot of salted boiling water until softened, about 3 minutes. Use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the rapini from the water and set aside.

Return the same pot of water to a boil; add the orzo, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and reserved rapini. Cook until the rapini is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orzo and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the pine nuts.

Serves 4.

-- "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" by Robin Robertson
(Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007, $16.95)

ORANGE AND RHUBARB COMPOTE WITH RICOTTA CREAM

PG-TESTED

This dessert is from the quirky new cookbook "The Good, The Bad and the Yummy: Food That Suits Your Mood" by Adina Steiman, who presents recipes for all one's appetites. As she writes in the introduction, "Nearly every woman I know goes back and forth between the healthy and the hedonistic. Rather than fight the flip-flop, I say embrace it." This recipe falls under "good," as in good for you; the tart fruit and the ricotta's protein "ensures sustained energy and, paired with citrus, makes for a terrific contrast of puckery tartness and creamy richness." You can cook the rhubarb up to a week ahead and refrigerate until ready to make the dish.

• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup of water
  
• 1/2 vanilla bean
  
• 1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 2 large navel oranges
  
• 2 cups ricotta cheese (fresh if possible)
  
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of water with the sugar over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the sugar mixture, then toss in the bean pod itself. Add the sliced rhubarb and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb pieces are tender but still holding together.

Remove from the heat and let cool, then transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

When you're ready to eat dessert, cut the ends off the oranges and slice off the peel in slabs with a knife, revealing the orange flesh beneath. Slice the oranges into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Reserve the juices.

In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract together until blended and creamy. Whisk in the reserved orange juice.

To serve, layer orange slices, vanilla rhubarb and ricotta cream however it suits your fancy.

Makes 4 servings.

-- "The Good, The Bad and the Yummy" by Adina Steiman
(Running Press, 2007, $14.95)