Fast Food Tastier When Homemade Use Ingredients Packed With Flavor

Do you really taste fast food? Do you bite into a fluffy bun, sliver of meat and salty potato sticks and savor every morsel?

If you don’t, why eat it? In the same amount of time it takes to go to your nearby carryout, you can make a delicious meal.

By using robust-tasting ingredients you can have almost instant meals at a fraction of the cost. For example, late-summer tomatoes are so packed with sweet, spicy juices that they create their own delicate sauce when sliced. You don’t need to simmer them more than five minutes to have a great pasta topper.

Other favorite foods that deliver a flavor punch include blue cheese, anchovies, garlic, capers and herbs, especially arugula and basil.

But how do you put these tastes into a 15-minute dinner?

Very simply. To make a great linguine dish, add diced tomatoes to a saute of zucchini, garlic, anchovies, capers and basil. Mix with cooked pasta and it’s fast food with flavor.

You may not think of a sandwich as a meal, and it’s probably not if you’re using tasteless fillings. Think flavor and make a Stilton cheese, arugula and hazelnut spread. Smear it on bread or on pear slices or both. Now you’re showing good taste.

Linguine With Tomato, Zucchini and Capers

1/2 pound linguine

Salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

6 anchovy fillets, minced

2 tablespoons capers

1 large ripe tomato, cored and diced

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Freshly ground white pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chicken broth, optional

Cook linguine in large pan of boiling salted water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet. Add zucchini and garlic and saute over high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add anchovies and capers and heat through.

Drain linguine and toss with zucchini mixture to coat. Stir in tomato and basil. Season generously with pepper. If pasta is a little dry, add chicken broth or boiling pasta water and toss again. Serve warm.

Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 623 calories, 17.2 grams fat (25 percent fat calories), 22 grams protein, 97 grams carbohydrate, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 587 milligrams sodium.

Arugula, Stilton and Hazelnut Sandwiches

1/2 cup Stilton cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk

2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

1/4 cup chopped arugula leaves, stems removed

2 (4-inch) chunks French bread

2 pears, cut into thin, lengthwise wedges

Blend together cheese, cream, nuts and arugula in bowl until light.

To serve, arrange dollop of cheese spread on each of 2 plates. Place 1 piece French bread and 1 sliced pear on each plate. Spread cheese mixture on bread and top with pear slices, or spread on bread or pear slices.

Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 400 calories, 12.1 grams fat (27 percent fat calories), 9 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrate, 24 milligrams cholesterol, 494 milligrams sodium.