r our taste for light cuisine Updated kebabs stick up fo

The '50s kebab that tried to capture a salad and steak on astick may have put skewers in mothballs for the next 40 years.

But now it's time to dust off those steel blades and stick tocombinations that work well. Choose ingredients with comparablecooking times and compatible flavors, and you'll find that kebabs area wonderfully easy and versatile dish for the grill.

Partner chicken with chunks of fresh, juicy nectarines: Thetaste of the fruit accents the chicken. To further flavor thesekebabs, brush them with a mixture of honey, mustard, thyme, hotpepper sauce and lemon juice. It is a hot, sweet, savory kebab forthe '90s.

Now that salad and kebab are separate courses, you can trysomething more palatable than singed green pepper squares. Instead,layer potatoes, tomatoes, avocado and basil and dress with oil andvinegar. RECIPES LAYERED SALAD

1 medium red potato, boiled, cooled and sliced

1 small avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 small tomato, diced

2 rounded tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine or garlic-flavored vinegar

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Arrange potato slices on large salad plate. Top with avocadoslices, then tomato pieces. Sprinkle with basil. Whisk togetheroil, wine, salt and pepper to taste and pour over vegetables. Setaside 10 minutes for dressing to soak in before serving. Makes 2servings. NECTARINE-CHICKEN KEBABS

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon white wine or water

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Dash hot red pepper sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice Salt and freshly ground whitepepper

2 whole, small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 halves)or 1 large, boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 halves)

2 large nectarines

Combine honey, wine, mustard, thyme, red pepper sauce, lemonjuice and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Set aside.

Cut chicken into large chunks, about 16 pieces. Pit nectarinesand cut into 16 chunks. Alternate chicken and nectarine pieces on 4metal skewers. Leave a little space between each piece of chicken orfruit. Baste well with honey-mustard sauce.

Place skewers on oiled grill over hot coals and grill 8 to 10minutes, basting occasionally with sauce. Turn kebabs over and cooksecond side 5 to 7 minutes, basting once or twice. Season kebabswith salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Makes 2servings.