QUESADILLAS (OR: THE COSTCO CHICKEN RIDES AGAIN!)

Take a little left-over chicken, a few veggies, and a slice or two of cheese, slap it between two tortillas, and dinner is served. The following recipe is basic, but the sky's the limit for variations. The basic idea is to be frugal, creative and healthy; after that it's up to you. The ingredients below will make one good-sized quesadilla -- enough for all but the hungriest among us.

1/4 cup thinly sliced green pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced red pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion
2 sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked chicken meat
2 slices of cheese, or about 1/2 cup of grated cheese
2 medium tortillas
Pam cooking spray
sprinkle of garlic salt

Spray a medium skillet with PAM, put over medium high heat and add the vegetables. Stir and cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Don't cook them too much; a little crunch is a good thing. When they are soft add the chicken and stir it around for a minute or two to warm everything. Wipe out the skillet, spray with PAM again and return to the heat.

On a cutting board place a tortilla, a piece of cheese, the cooked veggies and meat, another piece of cheese and the final tortilla. Carefully transfer the stack to the skillet. Spray the top tortilla with PAM and sprinkle with a little garlic salt. Occasionally lift the bottom of the stack and check to make certain nothing is burning. When the bottom looks golden in spots, it's time to turn the quesadilla over. Put your large pancake turner (spatula) underneath it, lift above the pan and tilt the pan with the other hand to assist with the process. Any goodies that escape can be tucked back under the top tortilla. Repeat browning the second side, pressing on the stack occasionally to help everything stick together. The whole process should take less than five minutes. If the tortilla wants to get too brown before the cheese melts, turn the heat down to medium.

Don't let this list of ingredients keep you from trying this. Almost anything goes: broccoli, zucchini (not again!), canned green chiles, pepperjack or cheddar, leftover steak or shrimp, etc. Just be certain that your meat is cooked before it is added as the insides of the quesadilla don't get hot enough to safely cook it.

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN WRAPS

The lurking Costco (read: any deli pre-cooked chicken) chicken turns into a real asset in this recipe. While it's perfectly legal to saute a frozen chicken breast and dice the meat, having chicken already cooked makes this recipe come together in minutes. Should you need to cook some chicken, do it first, as the remaining ingredients should only be lightly sauteed, not stewed, in order to retain some crunch and individuality. The following quantity will fill four wraps, and one makes a good-sized serving for all but the hungriest individuals. You may notice that zucchini also shows up here, but only in a supporting role. Using a little olive oil in lieu of the Pam is also allowed, but not so much that the wraps become greasy.

1/2 cup chopped onions
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups black beans, rinsed if canned
1 medium-sized zucchini, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1/2 to 1 lime, depending on juiciness)
8 ounces of boneless cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 packet Taco Seasoning mix
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup lite sour cream
4 wraps (I prefer sundried tomato wraps, but whole wheat are good, too)

Spray a skillet with PAM, heat over medium high for a minute or two and then add the onions, pepper and garlic. Stirring frequently until the onions are softened. Add the beans and zucchini. Continue cooking while you squeeze in the lime juice, and add the chicken and taco seasoning mix. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix all ingredients thoroughly. As soon as the water has blended in, remove from heat and divide between the four tortillas. Top with avocado slices and sour cream (either inside before wrapping, or outside for a garnish after wrapping). These are pretty much knife and fork food -- likely to spill everything if you try to pick them up -- but really, really good.