This shelf holds one substantial ingredient: artisan flatbread crackers with enough salt and structure to stand alone. Tonight they become a composed plate, warmed and topped with a silky tomato butter spiked with anchovy and garlic, turning store-bought crackers into something a guest would not turn down.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 910 calories a serving, 71 g protein, 63 g carbohydrate, 43 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Mince 2 garlic cloves and 4 anchovy fillets together into a paste. Warm 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat and add the paste, stirring often, until the anchovies melt and the garlic softens, about 2 minutes.
2. Add half of a 14-ounce can of crushed canned tomatoes to the pan and simmer until the mixture thickens and tastes like sweet anchovy butter, about 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.5 min
3. Arrange the flatbread crackers on a baking sheet and warm them in a 350°F [175°C] oven while the sauce cooks, about 3 minutes, until they smell toasty.3 min
4. Transfer the warm crackers to plates, spoon the tomato-anchovy butter over them, and serve right away.

Note Swap canned sardines or smoked trout for anchovies if you prefer. Leftovers keep two days covered; refresh the crackers in a warm oven and warm the sauce gently. Serve with a salad of mixed greens and lemon vinaigrette, or add a poached egg on top to make it dinner for one with leftovers.