amounts of heat as compared to an electric oven.

amounts of heat as compared to an electric oven. Each appliance offers v a different way to cook an entire \

meal in one dish. Refer to the own- \ er’s manual for great recipe ideas.

Fire up the grill or smoker instead of your kitchen. Cook the entire meal outside and eat indoors < where its cooler. Smaller or thinner cuts of meat will cook more rapidly on the grill and you don’t have to stand over the hot coals as long. Fish and seafood cook very quickly and are enhanced by cooking on the grill.

The cook can also stay cool this summer by choosing foods that require no heat to prepare. Salads are the first to come to mind. A tossed salad is always good, but try some new ingredients. Vary the type of greens with a mixture of spinach and escarole, bibb or endive. Then add color and texture with spring onions, yellow or zucchini squash, tomatoes, bean sprouts or any other vegetable that is in the garden or refrigerator.

To make a tossed salad a balanced meal in a bowl, add chunks of cooked pork, beef, turkey, ham or cheese and serve with hard bread or crackers. A variety of salad dressings or a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables can also add new life to the salad bowl.

Meat salads such as tuna or chicken salad can be made with canned meats. There are many variations of the meat salad which can be served attractively in a tomato or green pepper. Don’t forget salads that can be made with pasta, rice and potatoes.

Then there are the 1001 varieties of creations that can end up between two slices of bread or on a bagle or in a pita pocket. Instead of a salad bar try a sandwich bar. Some folks feel guilty about serving a sandwich for dinner, but when you think about it, you can easily combine a serving from each of the four food groups in one sandwich. Start with any variety of breads - rye, wheat, pumpernickel - then stack the sandwich with slices of ham, turkey or cheese. Add tomato slices and alfalfa sprouts and the last slice of bread. Some fresh fruit of the season for dessert completes a simple nutritious and cool meal.

Ham and cheese medley

1 8 3/4-ounce can pineapple tidbits

1 small head lettuce, torn in bitesize pieces (4 cups)

1 cup cubed fully-cooked ham

1 cup halved seedless green grapes

2 ounces natural Swiss cheese, cut in strips

Bibb lettuce

1 cup dairy sour cream

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup syrup. Toss together pineapple and next 4 ingredients. Line salad bowl with Bibb lettuce; spoon in salad mixture. Chill. For dressing, stir reserved syrup into sour cream till well blended; chill. To serve, spoon a little dressing atop salad. Garnish with additional green grapes and Bibb lettuce, if desired. Pass remaining dressing. Makes 6 servings.