| Here's a guide to some prepared products and | | | | vinegar and sherry wine vinegar,add lots of flavor to |
| condiments to keep on hand to makeassembly | | | | fresh salads, slaws, cooked vegetables and stir-fries. |
| cooking simple and creative. If the higher prices of | | | | They also can beused as a marinade for fish fillets |
| some of the items, such ascut vegetables and | | | | and chicken breasts destined for the grill or broiler. |
| cooked chicken, are discouraging, remember the | | | | Dessert sauces, such as bottled caramel sauce and |
| adage ``time ismoney.'' | | | | lemon curd, can be used for morethan just ice cream |
| IN THE CUPBOARD: | | | | toppings. Caramel sauce can top brownies, cakes and |
| Small pasta, such as rice-shaped orzo, tiny bows, fine | | | | fried bananas. |
| angel hair and couscous | | | | Lemon curd makes a fine filling for a fruit tart when |
| (granular semolina) cook quickly and can be the base | | | | spread over a cooked tart shell orspooned into |
| of a main-dish salad for help visit Additions could | | | | shortcake cups. Canned fruit packed in juice, such as |
| include chopped vegetables and onions from the | | | | apricots and peaches,puree nicely in a blender or food |
| supermarket salad bar, chopped fresh herbs (such as | | | | processor for an instant dessert sauce or ice |
| dill) and smoked fish or chicken from the deli case. | | | | creamtopping. |
| Instant rice generally gets poor marks for texture, | | | | IN THE REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER: |
| but several new quick-cooking ricesrate well in our | | | | Cooking fresh produce has never been easier thanks |
| book. For example, a brown rice that cooks in 10 | | | | to items such as peeled babycarrots, cut broccoli and |
| minutes retains muchof the chewy texture of | | | | cauliflower florets, cleaned salad greens and spinach |
| traditional brown rice (which requires 40 minutes to | | | | leaves. |
| cook) andall of the nutty flavor. For added taste, | | | | Shredded coleslaw mixes and broccoli slaw (julienned |
| cook the rice in broth or bouillon, or substitutespicy | | | | broccoli stalks, carrots and redcabbage) adequately |
| tomato juice or salsa for part of the cooking liquid. | | | | form the base of a fast side dish or main-dish salad |
| Stir chopped, cooked meats,vegetables and beans | | | | or stir-fry. |
| and shredded cheese into the cooked rice for a | | | | While rotisserie chicken has its place in our grocery |
| substantial maindish. | | | | carts, sometimes it's just moreconvenient to stock |
| Likewise, seasoned rice and sauce blends cook | | | | up on chilled cooked chicken or chicken pieces. They |
| quickly -- about 12 minutes in amicrowave oven -- | | | | keep |
| and are natural bases for additional ingredients such | | | | (unopened) for more than a week in the refrigerator |
| as choppedherbs, diced tomato, frozen vegetables | | | | and can be eaten as is, reheated orshredded for |
| and canned beans. | | | | adding to salads, stir-fries, soups and casseroles. |
| No-boil or instant lasagna noodles make assembling a | | | | Fresh pasta cooks faster than dried. Frozen filled |
| pan of lasagna a snap and theysave dirtying another | | | | pastas, such as tortellini and ravioli,can be cooked and |
| pot. | | | | eaten hot with a bottled pesto or marinara sauce or |
| Canned beans, such as garbanzo, black, pinto and | | | | chilled and tossedwith bottled salad dressing, frozen |
| white beans, add variety and textureto all sorts of | | | | peas and diced green pepper for a hearty pasta |
| fast meals, including soups, salads, chili, stews, pastas | | | | salad. |
| and rice dishes. Beanflakes rehydrate in 5 minutes | | | | Whichever pasta you choose, always start the water |
| with boiling water and form the base for refried | | | | to boil before assembling the rest ofthe ingredients. |
| beans,soups and dips. Canned refried beans can be | | | | Prepared pizza crusts come in all shapes and sizes |
| served as is for a side dish or used inside aburrito or | | | | these days. Keep a couple on handfor doctoring up |
| enchilada. Or stir in a few tablespoons of salsa and a | | | | for a quick meal even the children will eat. |
| couple of dashes of hotpepper sauce for a quick | | | | Keep quick-cooking meats, such as turkey cutlets, |
| bean dip. | | | | fully cooked sausage, bonelesschicken breasts, pork |
| Bottled sauces, such as salsa, pesto, remoulade | | | | tenderloin and steaks, in the freezer. Most can be |
| sauce, Thai peanut sauces, Asianteriyaki and hoisin | | | | cooked frozen |
| sauce brushed over fish, chicken and pork chops | | | | (allow a little extra time) or thawed carefully in the |
| while they grill orbroil add interest, flavor and color for | | | | microwave oven. |
| help visit If time allows, marinate the chicken or pork | | | | The freezer case offers more choices than ever |
| in thesauce 1 or 2 hours before cooking. | | | | before for fast vegetable fixes. Today,mixed |
| The ethnic aisles of large supermarkets hold many | | | | vegetables could be anything from broccoli, corn and |
| canned or bottled foods that canturn ordinary | | | | red peppers to a |
| cooked pasta, rice, meats and vegetables into new | | | | Western-style combo of potatoes, green beans, |
| dinner ideas. Canned orbottled caponata, for example, | | | | onions and red peppers. Add themixtures to cooked |
| an eggplant, tomato, celery and olive mixture, is | | | | pasta and beans or soups, or fry with leftover |
| greatover pasta or pan-fried meats and grilled fish. | | | | potatoes for a quickhash. |
| Likewise, roasted red peppers, marinatedartichokes, | | | | Likewise, frozen fruit sports new combinations, such |
| instant polenta, olive paste, chili paste with garlic and | | | | as a blend of kiwi, pineapple,mango, papaya and red |
| Thai seasoning mixesoften offer quick flavor | | | | grapes. Use the fruit for salads, compotes and as |
| solutions. | | | | layers in aparfait. |
| Vinegar, such as seasoned rice vinegar, balsamic | | | | |