Company's coming or it's five o'clock on Dec. 31st - you don't know what to make? You forgot to take that turkey or roast out of the freezer? You need a last minute fix.

Don’t panic.

Here are five real simple fast fixes.

Appetizer:

Tortillas or Burritos

Like so many of my recipes this comes from my good friend Adele Vernon who never has an exact recipe.

• 2 flat soft tortillas or burritos
• Salsa
• ½ all ready grated sharp cheddar
• ½ package of coleslaw
• or whatever you like and you think will go

Spread salsa, cheese and coleslaw and whatever else you like over one tortilla or burrito and then put the other one on top. Put in microwave for one minute.

Or fry up on a grill.

Cut with a pizza cutter into wedges.

Appetizer Index

Try June Chua's Asian Appetizers

Main Event:

Ground Lamb with Couscous

You can’t imagine a simpler faster more elegant meal. Its deceptively fancy.

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 two sprigs of green onion - chopped or finely cut
• ½ frozen garden peas
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground rosemary
• 1 tsp dry basil or chopped fresh to taste
• Olive oil for frying

Put couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Or just put in microwave for one minute. Mix it around and its done!

Put garden peas in a bowl just cover with water. Put in microwave for one minute.

Fry up ground lamb add spices and herbs. When brown add garden peas, and coucous.

Serve hot.

Meat Index

Salads:

Salads are so fast, easy and fill up a plate!

Here are two fast and easy ones.

Pasta Salad

Unless you can buy fresh pasta or have some left over you will have to boil the pasta so its not that fast but fast enough. This is a variation on my mother’s recipe.

• 2 cups fancy pasta – spirals or bow ties
• 1 small jar of artichoke hearts or pitted black olives or sun dried tomatoes
• One small package dried cranberries
• Thousand Island Salad dressing to taste

Boil pasta until soft. Drain well and wash in cold water. Put in artichokes, cranberries and dressing.

Mandarin Orange Salad

• 1 package pre- washed baby spinach
• 4 Mandarin oranges
• Optional – ½ almond slivers
• Italian Salad dressing

Just mix the spinach with mandarin orange slices add dressing.

Other Salads:

• Greek
• Potato
• Coleslaw
• Chicken Pasta Salad
• Salad Index

Dessert

This is a compromise between making a dessert from scratch to buying it in a bakery. You still buy the lady fingers but the rest is yours. You will have to prepare this ahead of time so it’s not that fast unless you can buy ready made custard or use ice cream or creamy thick yogurt instead of custard.

• 1 dozen Lady Fingers (can get them at any Italian bakery or good urban supermarket)
• 1 cup strong good cold coffee or approximately 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
• 3 level tablespoons custard powder
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons of sugar

Dip Lady Fingers in coffee - just coat them- or drizzle vanilla over them.

Make custard following the instructions on the back of the package. When done put Lady Fingers on top of custard. That simple.

Also see As Easy As Pie

Baking Index

Here are some other party and fast fix articles:

• Party Survival Guide
• Holiday Drinks
• As Easy As Pie
• Appetizer Index
• Phyllo Pockets
• Holiday Index

Another party fix is June Chua's Potluck Noodles