COOK'S CORNER AN EASIER `SEMI-HOMEMADE' WAY.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

If you're a Sandra Lee fan and embrace her semi-homemade cooking style combining 70 percent convenience products with 30 percent fresh ingredients, you'll want to pick up a copy of her latest cookbook, ``Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Cooking 2,'' (Meredith Books; $19.95). It's filled with more than 150 eclectic recipes from the Food Network television star and lots of color photographs. Chapters range from Italian, Mexican and Asian to comfort foods, light and healthful, slow cooking, special occasion and more. Some of the recipes are more appealing than others, depending on the convenience foods used and a cook's preferences.

For instance, we'd steer away from soups made using canned soups (not broths), along with a yam souffle made with canned sweet potatoes and chicken and dumplings made with canned chicken gravy. But suit yourself. There are plenty of other options using less innocuous products to speed preparation - and many would be good for quick holiday meals and entertaining when time is short.

While the mention of brand names included throughout the ingredient lists might be helpful to novice cooks, we found it off-putting. We're at a loss to know why the author uses this tack in all of her cookbooks, as we've been told in the past that she receives no remuneration for such mentions.

Following are three recipes from this new volume that sound appealing - and easy to prepare. Give them a whirl.

CRISPY ORANGE BEEF

BEEF:

1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak, cut into 1-inch strips

Salt and pepper 

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

SAUCE:

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

10 small dried Thai chiles

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch 

For Beef, season flank steak strips with salt and pepper, then toss with flour. Shake off excess flour.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch vegetable oil to 365 degrees F. Working in batches, fry flour-coated steak strips until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Do not crowd pan.) Drain on paper towels. Set aside and keep warm.

For Sauce, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute garlic in canola oil until fragrant. (Do not let garlic brown.) Add orange marmalade, 1/2 cup beef broth, chiles and soy sauce. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into remaining 1/2 cup room-temperature beef broth until well blended. Whisk cornstarch mixture into simmering sauce. Return to simmer, whisking, 3 to 4 minutes, until sauce thickens. Pour sauce over beef and serve. Makes 4 servings.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve on a bed of frisee and crispy fried rice noodles. Garnish with strips of orange peel.

TORTILLA SOUP WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 cup diced onions (use frozen if desired)

1 (32-ounce) carton chicken broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained if necessary

1/4 cup lime juice

2 cups shredded grilled chicken breast

Salt and pepper

2 cups broken tortilla chips

Chopped avocado, cilantro and green onions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, tomatoes, chiles and lime juice. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with tortilla chips. Serve with avocado, cilantro and green onions. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK PIE

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

1 cup buttermilk 

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

1 premade 9-inch deep-dish pie crust

Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Place chocolate chips in a double boiler; melt over low heat, stirring constantly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour and salt. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Add sugar mixture and beat with an electric mixer or whisk vigorously until well combined. Stir melted chocolate into batter.

Pour batter into pie crust. (You will have about 1 cup batter left over.) If desired, pour leftover batter into a 10- to 12-ounce buttered ramekin, custard cup or other small baking dish.

Bake pie in center of a preheated 325-degree oven 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes (and ramekin of leftover batter 40 to 50 minutes) or until pie is crisp on top and a knife inserted in center comes out with just a bit of moist chocolate on it.

Remove pie from oven and cool on a rack. If not eating immediately, refrigerate pie. Let refrigerated pie stand at least 1 hour at room temperature before serving. Garnish with whipped topping just before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) CRISPY ORANGE BEEF

Photos from ``Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Cooking 2, ``Meredith Books

(2 -- color) CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK PIE