Windows 7 introduced Pinning and Jump lists, two features that, when combined, let you get at your most recent projects quickly.

Visual Studio 2010 is also smart enough to differentiate between files, projects and solutions, only displaying the bigger-picture items in the jump lists.

To use these features:
1) Pin Visual Studio 2010 to the Taskbar.
2) Use VS2010 normally to open/close a couple of solutions.
3) Right-click the VS2010 icon on the Taskbar to see your recent projects.

If you're new to Win7 and don't know how to pin, try this:
1) Press the Start key on your keyboard
2) Type 2010 and wait for the search results to display VS2010's icon
3) Right-click on the icon and select 'Pin to Taskbar'

Good luck!