When time is tight in my house, the first items to go aren't manicures, catching some rays in the backyard or reading a trashy novel. Similar to many of my friends, I'm much more likely to slash slicing, dicing and chopping. Recipes that include those time-consuming steps are the first to get the ax. Let's face it: Even cutting multiple ingredients with a food processor takes precious time.

Supermarkets now sell many prepackaged alternatives in which you've paid for someone else to provide the muscle. However, soon enough, a craving once again usually emerges for the freshness and variety that only your own handiwork can provide.

Recently, I created a concoction that did triple duty, and thereafter I determined to never mince without multitasking again.

I was preparing a tuna salad; I wanted it to be especially fresh, flavorful and acquiesced when it came to pulling out the cutting board. My melange of chopped red onions, sliced celery, minced cilantro, diced dates, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice and plain yogurt started looking and smelling so appealing; however, I decided it was too time-consuming and fine just to mix into the tuna salad. I used a third for that — another third later in the week as baked potato toppers and the last third went into a steamed cauliflower/Brussels sprouts side dish.

Soon I was on the hunt for more sliced ingredients that could stretch. One of the keys is that the varied foundations, such as tuna, baked potatoes and steamed vegetables in the aforementioned, provide the minced mixtures with highly varied flavors and textures — the final dishes don't seem repetitive.

A creamy cucumber salad has become a favorite. Sliced cucumbers and onions are blended with a snappy horseradish-Dijon-fresh dill sauce. It's dynamic as a stand-alone salad, outstanding as a salsa for cooked fish or great mixed into cold salmon or crab salads. Or stuff some into pitas with roast beef or turkey.

Another sparkling example is "confetti" vinaigrette. Its chopped red bell pepper, onion, parsley, jalapenos and garlic mixed with fresh lime juice and extra-virgin olive oil make not only an innovative salad dressing (especially for bold, distinctive salads with chopped tomatoes and avocado), but also a wonderful salsa for sauteed, roasted or grilled meats and poultry, a great mix-in for a cold pasta salad or an excellent dipping sauce for bread.

Give it a try and you will probably never again mince without multitasking either:

CONFETTI VINAIGRETTE

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 small jalapenos, finely chopped (see Note)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chicken flavor bouillon

Yields 4 to 5 servings.

In medium bowl, combine bell pepper, onion, parsley, oil, lime juice, jalapenos, garlic and bouillon in medium bowl until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

It works great as a salad dressing. For instance, served over 4 tomatoes, cut into wedges, and 2 medium ripe avocados, sliced. Use as a salsa for sauteed, roasted or grilled meat or poultry. Try mixing the combination into cold pasta salads or as a dipping sauce for bread.

Note: Experts recommend wearing latex gloves when handling chiles. Avoid touching your eyes during or afterward.

— www.nestle.com.

DIJON-HORSERADISH CUCUMBERS

3 medium cucumbers

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 medium red onion, peeled and sliced very thin

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup course chopped fresh dill

1 1/2 cups creme fraiche

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh ground horseradish (or prepared spicy horseradish)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Peel cucumbers, trim and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds by scooping out the centers of the cucumbers with a teaspoon. Slice cucumbers crosswise into 1/4 pieces, place them into a colander fitted over a bowl and toss with kosher salt. Weight cucumbers down with another bowl fitted inside the colander, and put cucumbers in the refrigerator. Drain for 1 to 2 hours.

Transfer cucumbers to a large mixing bowl and toss with onion. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Pour vinegar mixture over the top of the cucumbers, and put in the dill. Let stand, marinate in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.

Just before serving, in a small bowl, whip the cream until thick and then add horseradish, Dijon mustard and pepper. Pour over cucumber mixture and gently mix.

— www.bumblebee.com.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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