Getting you through the workweek - recipes for five entrees; menu suggestions included

Sunset, Nov, 1991

AS OUR LIVES BECOME busier, it's often difficult to find time to cook a good dinner. Supermarkets recognize the time crunch that many people face and offer a wide choice of foods suited to preparing speedy and convenient meals at home.

Here we offer five entrees, each with menu suggestions, to get you through the workweek. Recipes are designed for two or three but can be easily doubled for a larger group. Most require only one pan for cooking, minimizing cleanup.

In many supermarket produce sections and salad bars, you'll find vegetables and fruit already washed, trimmed, cut, and ready to eat raw or cooked. When you buy this produce, check carefully for freshness. Once cut, most vegetables and fruit deteriorate rapidly; it's best to buy only what you plan to use within a day or two.

Frozen vegetables are another fresh-tasting alternative. They're ready to use (without last-minute shopping) at a momen't notice.

At the meat and poultry counters, many selections are trimmed, boned, and thinly sliced for quick sautes and stir-fry dishes. Some meat, poultry, and fish also come marinated. Throughout the store, quality sauces, dressings, oils, vinegars, cheese, spices, and herbs add instant flavor to many dishes.

Keep in mind convenience costs. If you're willing to spend time to clean and cut vegetables and slice meat, you'll find these dishes are still easy to prepare but at a lower price than if you used presliced ingredients.

Salsa Fish Chowder

Precede or accompany whole-mel chowder with crisp raw vegetables to dip in purchased guacamole. Offer toasted corn tortillas (available in the Mexican section) or tortilla chips to eat with the avocado dip, or crumble the tortillas into the broth. For dessert, fill seeded ripe papaya or small cantaloupe halves with vanilla ice cream or lime sorbet.

3 cups homemade or canned regular-strength chicken broth 1/3 cup regular or quick-cooking long- or short-grain rice 1 cup frozen corn kernels 1/2 pound boned and skinned mild white-flesh fish, such as rockfish or lingcod, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 cup refrigerated or canned tomato-based chunk-style salsa or canned Mexican-style stewed tomatoes Lime wedges

In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring broth and rice to a boil. Cover and Simmer until rice is tender to bite, 15 minutes (5 minutes for quick-cooking). Add corn, fish, and salsa; cover and simmer until fish is just opaque in thickest part (cut to test), about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls; add lime to taste. Serves 2.

Per serving: 352 cal.; 29 g protein; 4.9 g fat (1.2 g sat.); 48 g carbo.; 512 mg sodium; 40 mg chol.

Fettucine Cambozola

Creamy cambozola or gorgonzola cheese forms a flavorful sauce as it melts on hot strands of pasta. Serve it with breadsticks and sliced tomatoes or crisp salad greens dressed with olives and marinated artichoke hearts. Conclude the meal with wedges of honeydew with lime.

About 8 ounces fresh fettuccine 1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas 6 ounces (about 1 cup packed) cambozola or gorgonzola cheese, diced Freshly ground pepper

In a 5- to 6-quart pan, bring about 3 quarts water to boiling. Add fettucine and cook until barely tender to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in peas. Drain

Return pasta and peas to pan. Add cheese and 2 tablespoons hot water. With 2 forks, gently mix over low heat until cheese melts and coats past, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift onto 2 to 3 warm dinner plates. Add pepper to taste. Makes 2 or 3 servings.

Per serving: 492 cal.; 27 g protein; 18 g fat (11 g sat.); 56 g carbo.; 918 mg sodium; 131 mg chol.

Mu Shu Sandwiches

For supper sandwiches, tuck a quick stir-fry of meat and vegetables into pocket bread halves. Add pickled ginger and scallions if you like. Look for the pickles as well as the hoisin or oyster sauce in the Asian section of your supermarket. If desired, serve with hot canned broth seasoned with green onions, mushrooms, and more ginger. For dessert, try canned litchis, including their syrup, over ice.

2 tablespoons salad oil 1 1/2 cups (about 9 oz.) thinly sliced onion 1 cup (about 4 oz.) thinly sliced green or red bell pepper 1/2 pound boned and skinned turkey or chicken, or beef, pork, or lamb, cut into thin, bite-size strips 2 tablespoons hoisin or oyster sauce Whole green onions (optional) 2 or 3 pocket bread rounds (6 yo 7 in. wide), cut crosswise Pickled scallions and pickled sliced ginger (optional)

Place a wok or 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil, sliced onion, and bell pepper; stir-fry until vegetables are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and add 1 more tablespoon oil to pan. When pan is hot, add meat strips and stir-fry until meat is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add hoisin sauce and cooked vegetables; stir to mix.

Pour into a bowl; garnish with green onions. Offer pocket bread halves (warm, if desired), scallions, and ginger alongside. Fill bread halves, as desired, to make sandwiches. Serves 2.

Per serving: 338 cal.; 22 g protein; 12 g fat (1.9 g sat.); 36 g carbo.; 640 mg sodium; 52 mg chol.