5 ingredients, 30 minutes, 1 meal

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

The book: "What's For Supper: 5-ingredient Weeknight Meals" by Southern Living Test Kitchen Specialist Vanessa McNeil Rocchio; 256 pages, $19.95. Published by Oxmoor House, 2013.

What you get: More than 150 meal ideas that take less time to prepare than it does to go out to pick up fast food. All the recipes are tested and approved. The book also includes a guide for stocking your pantry, a list of must-have kitchen tools and appliances, and handy time-saving tips. Chapters cover grilling, no-cook suppers, pastas and pizza, breakfast and beyond, one-pan meals, easy side dishes and three-ingredient desserts.

We want to try Citrus Chicken and Beet Salad (Page 59); Creamy Blue, Pancetta and Fig Pizza (P. 96); Spicy Egg and Cheese Croissant (P. 129); Lemon and Shallot Brussels Sprouts (P. 196) and Cream-filled Pound Cake (P. 236).

In her own words: "A home-cooked meal is always better than fast food. For me, nothing tops the simple pleasure of sharing a delicious meal with my family." — Vanessa McNeil Rocchio

What we made:

SMOKED SALMON WRAP (P.78)

2/3 cup chive and onion cream cheese

1 14-ounce package flatbread

2 4-ounce packages smoked salmon

½ cup sliced red onion

2 tablespoons drained capers

Spread about 2 tablespoons cream cheese over each flatbread. Divide salmon, onion and capers among the flatbreads. Fold in half, and secure with wooden picks.

Our assessment:

The pairing of cream cheese and smoked salmon served on a bagel has been a longtime breakfast classic. This is the lunch version. It took us less than 5 minutes to put these sandwiches together. The result is a gourmet sandwich with plenty of flavor. The capers are a pleasant compliment to the smoked salmon. So is the red onion. The cream cheese adds a smooth richness.

These are easy to make ahead of time and pack well for lunch or a picnic — just tightly wrap the sandwiches individually in plastic wrap and you won’t need toothpicks to keep them closed. Serve with vegetable chips and cut fruit or berries and you have a quick and lovely meal.

If you can’t find flatbread at your grocery store, try pita bread to make pocket sandwiches.

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