Summertime and the Cookin’ Is Easy

You’re hungry--but it’s too hot to cook. We’ve come up with lots of ways to make your life deliciously easy.

The first is a meal of noodles we’ve put together from ingredients that are already cooked. All you do is buy, mix--and voila !--dinner in a flash.

The next is a seafood fry that takes mere minutes in the pot. Dip the crab into batter and throw it into hot oil; four minutes later dinner is ready.

Frying seem like too much work? Don’t worry. Our next suggestion is for a shrimp boil: The shrimp go in and out of a pot of boiling water in less than two minutes. If you cover the table with newspapers and let everybody peel their own shrimp, you don’t even have dirty dishes at the end of the meal.

We’ve also concocted the world’s easiest ribs: Buy bottled sauce, put them on the ribs, throw the ribs on the grill, sit back, relax and wait for dinner to cook itself.

Our final suggestion is a one-dish meal that can be assembled in a casserole and completely cooked in the microwave or steamer.

--MINNIE BERNARDINO and DONNA DEANE

CHINESE RICE NOODLE SALAD

1 pound slab flat rice noodles, cut 1/2-inch thick

1 pound Chinese barbecued pork, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 bunch green onions, sliced diagonally

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

4 cups torn red leaf or regular spinach

1/3 cup oyster sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Bring large pot water to boiling. Separate noodles and add to boiling water. Bring to boil again. Drain and rinse noodles and place in large bowl.

Toss in pork, green onions, cilantro and spinach. Combine oyster sauce, lemon juice and sesame oil. Pour over noodles and toss. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

WEST COAST FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned

Salt, pepper

1 cup packaged tempura mix

1 large clove garlic, minced

Oil for deep-frying

1 pound mushrooms

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Lemon wedges

Season crab to taste with salt and pepper. Prepare tempura mix according to package directions. Stir in garlic.

Heat oil to 400 degrees in deep fryer. Dip crab in batter and fry 3 to 4 minutes. Dip mushrooms in batter and fry 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle parsley over mushrooms. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.

SHRIMP IN BEER

1 (3-ounce) package crawfish, shrimp and crab boil

2 to 4 pounds large unshelled shrimp

1 lemon, quartered

Beer

Salt

Cayenne pepper, optional

Place crab boil, shrimp and lemon in large sauce pot. Add beer to cover and season to taste with salt and cayenne. Bring to boil and cook just until shells turn pink, about 2 minutes, depending on size of shrimp. Drain shrimp. Makes 4 to 8 servings.

BARBECUED KOREAN RIBS

1 (14-ounce) bottle Korean barbecue sauce or teriyaki sauce

3 pounds flanken cut ribs

Place barbecue sauce in large bowl or rectangular dish. Add ribs to coat with sauce (longer marinating time will enhance flavor, but ribs will take on sauce flavor immediately). Place ribs over hot coals and grill to desired doneness, brushing with sauce. Makes 6 servings.

QUICK-STEAMED SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLES

1 pound vegetables--broccoli, brocflower, small red potatoes, asparagus and/or baby carrots

Salt, pepper

1 pound precooked sausage (bratwurst or kielbasa)

Chicken broth or water

Butter or olive oil, optional

Cut up vegetables if large. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place sausage in bottom of steamer and add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup broth or water. Place vegetables on steamer rack. Cover and bring to boil. Steam about 10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.

If microwaving, pierce sausage and place in center of large round microwave-proof dish. Surround with vegetables. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and microwave on HIGH (100% power) about 8 to 10 minutes, turning sausage if necessary. Add pats of butter to taste and microwave 30 seconds. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Sausages and vegetables (cut in larger pieces) may be grilled over coals or stove-top grill, if desired.