Bistro in a Microwave

Bistro commonly refers to a small, unpretentious neighborhood restaurant that serves wine. It can be expected to offer simple, sound cooking, something your mom might have prepared for you if she had been a good French cook--food you could serve to your best friends and feel that you had treated them well.

Although most French bistros don’t have a microwave (and wouldn’t admit to one if they did), this particular menu lends itself well to that appliance. The chicory leaf salad sports big chunks of bacon, which is just about the first food anyone cooks in the microwave. By cooking the bacon in a glass measure rather than between layers of paper toweling, you can turn the bacon fat into a quick hot dressing with just a few additional ingredients.

Fish, another popular food for the microwave, turns out beautifully with two caveats:

* Thick fillets, such as these cod, should always be cooked on MEDIUM (50% power) rather than HIGH (100% power) for even heating. A lid or plastic wrap cover should be used, too.

* Fish should be cooked only until it flakes under the pressure of a fork, not until it falls apart.

SALAD WITH HOT BACON VINAIGRETTE

1 large head chicory (frise) or romaine lettuce

6 ounces lean bacon, diced 1/2-inch

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

French bread slices

Wash lettuce, dry and tear into chunks (about 4 cups). Place in salad bowl. Place bacon in 4-cup glass measure and microwave on HIGH (100% power) 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked but not overly crisp. Remove bacon pieces with slotted spoon and sprinkle over lettuce. Reserve bacon fat.

Add onion slices to bacon fat. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until tender-crisp. Add vinegar, mustard and sugar. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute to heat through. Whisk well and pour over lettuce. Toss and serve with slices of French bread. Makes 4 servings.

COD FRICASSEE WITH PARSLEYED POTATOES

4 medium red-skinned boiling potatoes

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 large sweet red peppers, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Dash cayenne pepper

1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cut in 4 serving pieces

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup chopped parsley

With vegetable peeler, remove circle of peel around middle of each potato. Place potatoes in 1-quart dish along with water. Cover tightly and microwave on HIGH (100% power) 6 to 10 minutes or until tender. Let stand, covered, until serving time.

Combine olive oil, butter, garlic and onion in 10-inch glass pie plate. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir in red peppers, balsamic vinegar, thyme, basil, fennel seeds, pepper, salt and cayenne. Cover with plastic wrap, turned back slightly on 1 side. Microwave on HIGH 4 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender, stirring once.

Stir again and place cod on top of peppers around outer rim of plate with thicker sections toward outside. Cover again. Microwave on MEDIUM (50% power) 9 to 11 minutes, turning fish over after 5 minutes.

To serve, divide pepper mixture among 4 large ramekins or soup plates. Top each with cod fillet that has been sprinkled with dash paprika. Add 1 potato to each plate and sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Peeling potatoes as indicated not only makes them attractive but serves another purpose. If cooked with peel on, potatoes should be pierced to release steam and keep potato from bursting. By peeling center strip you let steam escape.