Serve Delicious Meals Without Cooking

Keep a few key products on hand and great tasting meals become easy.If you don’t want to cook during hot summer months, or if you want good picnic and lunch box meals, the recipes on pages 50 and 51 are dedicated to you. The Food for Health Test Kitchen found that great tasting meals are possible without having to cook or wash pots. The trick is to stock your kitchen with a few key ingredients.Sandwiches are an obvious menu item for no-cook meals. Keep various breads, rolls and pitas on hand along with condiments such as: bean dips, nonfat yogurt, nonfat mayonnaise, mustard and nonfat salad dressings. Purchase deli meats which are low in fat and sodium and use less than suggested portion sizes on package to keep sodium content low. Fresh vegetables such as: peppers, onions, cabbage, lettuce, shredded  carrots, sprouts and mushrooms add color and flavor and should make up the bulk of the sandwich.Wraps are fancy sandwiches made by filling and rolling lowfat flour tortillas with your favorite vegetables, nonfat cheeses and condiments. Food for Health Test Kitchen tip: warm tortillas slightly in microwave (10 seconds) to make rolling easier.Salads can be made from canned tuna or salmon, lean deli meats and a variety of fresh vegetables. Canned beans, lentils and yams add heartiness and speed to your salads. Speedy sauces include: nonfat mayonnaise, nonfat yogurt, pasta sauce, nonfat salad dressing and a combination of olive oil spray and vinegar.