WE ALL order in or pick up a bucket of chicken. It’s one of those fed-up-with-cooking alternatives we’re lucky to have available. But it can blast a big hole in the budget. Most of us love a home-cooked meal, Young people, after spend- ing time in their new digs, long for the smell of dinner when they come home. Ask any of our daughters — the thing they miss most is a meal ready when they come home. One alternative to ordering in is a fast, hot sandwich. (A family meal doesn’t always have to be meat and potatoes.) Some sand- wiches move fast from the freezer to the oven. Others make up in five minutes and bake in 10. Some recipes don’t need repeating — it’s quite simple to toss up a grilled cheese or a Monte Ciisio. The secret is to have something to go a:ong, giving us a snare of each day’s essential vitamins and minerals. This week, I'll give you a few old-family-favorite hot sand- wiches. Next week, look for a selection of vegetables that keep for days and add the crunch to the sandwich plate. The secret for a hot sandwich is plenty of protein, good bread and ingredients close at hand. What’s the sense of trying to speed up dinner if you need to make a run to the store? A few hints: @ Keep tins of salmon, tuna, corned deef and chicken in the cupboard; @ Vegetable fillers such as celery and onion keep well; © Hearty bread and seed buns freeze well. When they’ve become a- bit dry, process them into crumbs for stuffing. Go a step further, dry the crumbs on a cookie sheet for breading. @ Velveeta cheese is a cop-out but it works! I don’t know any- thing you can’t do with it — filla Monte, team it with onions in a grilled cheese, stir it into a hot filling, lay it on bread with top- pers. And it keeps! Once the package is open, you can store it in the fridge for months, well wrapped. Two- pound blocks come on sale — I’ve paid less than $5! @ Bagged and frozen, a filled bun can be heated in minutes. If you have marinated vegetables, a col- eslaw or pared sticks in a con- tainer, you’re in business. ogee Fish Boats So simple! Please note that dic- ed onions and diced green peppers freeze well. | chop quarter-cup lots and freeze in sandwich bags, overwrapping with big freezer bags. Perfect for including in any dish that is to be cooked. 3 big rolls, split’ (try Kaisers, whole-wheat hamburger buns, or, the best — homemade) 1 (flat) tin tuna or salmon Ys cup each, diced onion, diced green pepper 2 hard-cooked eggs, diced Real mayo to moisten — I start with a tablespoon and add as needed Cheese to top — grated cheddar, about % cup or %”* slices from a block of Velveeta are desi Top the split rolis with a mix- ture of fish, vegetables and cggs, moistened with mayo. Top with cheese and bake at 350°F, about 10 minutes. Pizza Sandwich Loaf BUDGET BEATERS I hadn’t made this in years! Suzy came over for a Sunday lunch and loved the re-heated frozen leftovers. I prefer to bake the whole loaf but freeze the ex- cess before adding the cheese top- ping. 1 loaf French bread, lengthwise 11d. Jean ground beef % cup dried onion flakes Y2 cup sliced black olives 1 tin mushroom pieces, drained but keep the juice in your freezer-gravy container Ya cup grated Parmesan cheese 1-8 oz, tin tomato sauce 2 teaspoons mixed Italian herbs Dusting of salt and pepper 1 cup grated white cheese — jack is my favorite but use what you have. I toppeu the freezer lef- tovers with Swiss. Must: everything but the bread and cheese. Spread the filling right to the edges of split bread. Bake the haif-loaves 20 minutes at 375°F. Top what you'll use with cheese and let the rest bake along for 10 minutes. Cut the loaves into !’’ slices. Freeze the untopped slices. Serve the hot, cheesy pieces with split tomato is marinated soup (home-made wonderful) — or vegetable salad. Bean salad is great, as is col- eslaw, Corued Beef Burgers 1 keep these in the freezer or whip them up in 10 minutes! Everyone needs a tin of corned. beef stashed in the pantry. | love the ereen olives in these buns. 1 tin corned beef, mashed Ys cup ketchup Y cup sliced green olives 1 bunch green onions, sliced, in- cluding lots of tops 1 cup grated medium cheddar Mix filling ingredients and spread on split buns. Top with the other half of the buns. Wrap each in foil and bake about 20 minutes at 375°F or toss on a_ heated barbecue. Or divide onto split rolls and top with a bit more cheese. Bake uncovered, 15 minutes at 375°F. Freeze leftovers, if anv! Bunwhiches This is similar in flavor to the tinned mix. 1 Jb. leaa ground beef 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper 1 small tin tomato sauce Y cup ketchup 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon vinegar Dash Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot, prepared (bottled) mustard Cook the beef and vegetables gently, breaking up the meat, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in remaining ingredients and spoon into hot, split rolls. Optional: Add sliced tomatoes, lettuce and/or grated cheddar to the filled buns. Fast Franks 1 tin refrigerated crescent rolls 8 wieners 8 sticks cheddar — about 4" and as long as the wieners. Separate the rolls. Split the wieners and fill with cheese. Wrap each in a piece of dough. Bake as the package directs. ————— | TREATMENT OF VARICOSE AND 7 SPIDER VEINS Why suffer in vein? 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