SIMPLE GRANOLA

SIMPLE GRANOLA Preparation time: 10 minutes. Baking time: 15 to 20 minutes. Can be made ahead? Yes. Up to 4 months if stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Can be frozen? No need. Can be doubled and tripled? Yes. 3 1/2 cups quick-cooking, not instant, oatmeal 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. with rack in highest position. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and spread on a cookie sheet or on a shallow roasting pan. (Do in two batches if your pan is too small.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, just until mixture starts to smell good. Take care not to burn it. Cool completely. Store in a covered container in refrigerator. Makes 5 cups; about 8 servings. LASAGNA

`Until I discovered no-boil lasagna noodles I hated to make lasagna,' Lora Brody writes. `Since I loved to eat it, however, I forced myself to fish those slippery suckers out of the boiling water, transfer them to paper towels to drain, and then wrestle them into the baking dish. Those travails are a thing of the past' with the Shade Pasta company's No-Boil Lasagna noodles.

Preparation time: 25 minutes. Baking time: 30 minutes. Can be made ahead? Yes. Assemble, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Can be frozen? Yes, after cooking. Cool first, and wrap in foil or plastic. Partially defrost and heat in the oven or microwave. Can be doubled? Yes. Use two pans. Good for leftovers? Yes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven. 32-oz. jar tomato sauce 15-oz. carton ricotta or cottage cheese 8-oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese 8-oz. package no-boil lasagna noodles 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. with rack in center position. Spray an oven-proof baking dish, approximately 13-by-9 inches, with nonstick vegetable cooking spray, or grease lightly with solid vegetable shortening.

Open all containers of ingredients. Line bottom of prepared pan with a layer of noodles. Spread one third of the sauce, sprinkle with half the ricotta, and top it with half the mozzarella. Spread the ingredients all the way to the edges of the pan. Add a layer of noodles to cover the cheeses. Repeat the layers, using one-third of the sauce and the remaining ricotta and mozzarella. Top with more noodles and the remaining sauce, and sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot, cut into squares. Serves 8.

Variations: Add any of the following ingredients between the layers of cheese: 1 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed; 1 cup chopped red or green peppers, sauteed; 1 pound hamburger, sauteed and fat drained off; 1 large can tuna, drained and flaked; two 9-ounce packages chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained (take care to squeeze the water out completely); one 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted, drained, and cut into fourths; 2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey; 2 cups chopped, cooke d sausage meat, drained. CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

`Your guests will yell for seconds,' Brody writes. Preparation time: 25 minutes. Cooking time: 25 minutes. Can be made ahead? Yes. The day before. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Can be frozen? Yes. Cool completely first, then wrap well in plastic wrap. Defrost at room temperature, wrapped. Can be doubled? Yes. Use two pie plates. Good for leftovers? Yes. Can be stored at room temperature for one day, then refrigerated for five days. Wrap well in plastic wrap for storage. 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup Bisquick 2 extra-large eggs 1 cup heavy cream 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter 8 oz. chocolate chips 1 cup chopped, dry-roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. with rack in center position. Spray 9-inch pie plate with nonstick vegetable cooking spray or coat it lightly with solid vegetable shortening.

By hand or in bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, Bisquick, eggs, cream, and peanut butter until mixture is fluffy. This will take about 1 minute in electric mixer and longer by hand. Pour and scrape batter into pie plate and bake for about 35 minutes, until puffed and dried in the center and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove pie from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. As soon as they melt, spread them over top with a rubber scraper or spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. Let pie cool completely before serving. Serves 8.