Instructions: WHEN IT comes to computers, my wife, the computer guru of our family, says that if you wonder, Why cant someone invent a shortcut to make this task easier? someone already has. When it comes to making dinner preparation easier, the gurus of your supermarket produce section also have invented a few things.

You probably could do a weeks worth of salads with the myriad salad mixes available, from coleslaw to mesclun. I like the cleaned greens and other vegetables, though Im not wild about the dressings that come with many of them.

Id rather make my own Caesar dressing and put it on those pristine hearts of romaine, the tender inner leaves. Cleaned spinach also saves a lot of time.

Broccoli florets (sometimes mixed with cauliflower florets) are convenient for stir-fry and pastas. Some stores also carry broccoli crowns, the whole head of the broccoli without the stem.

Sliced mushrooms are commonly available. Button or white mushrooms can be used in stir-fries or salads. They can jazz up plain vegetables, such as string beans or asparagus, or make sauteed chicken breasts or turkey or veal cutlets a little special (perhaps with a splash of white wine or Marsala). Meaty portobellos can be part of a vegetable ragout over polenta or used as a filling for fajitas or tacos.

Hate to skin your knuckles grating carrots? Think matchstick carrots. Use them in salads, such as an Asian salad with daikon and ginger, a carrot salad with raisins and walnuts or coleslaw. If you also dont like peeling garlic, consider whole peeled cloves. Better yet, use chopped garlic from a jar. And dont forget the salad bar. Its a good place for bell pepper strips, sliced onions, celery crescents and more.

Yes, these items cost more. But dont we always pay for convenience, whether its valet parking or having a pizza delivered? And besides, vegetables dont weigh very much.

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