DELICIOUS, QUICK AND EASY AS 1-2-3.

Byline: Food Editor

Everyone is in a hurry these days - and many don't want to spend much time in the kitchen. Cookbook authors have capitalized on the trend, attempting to make it easier for home cooks to whip up something to eat with just a few ingredients, saving shopping and preparation time.

Rozanne Gold popularized the three-ingredient trend in 1996 and, since that time, has written seven cookbooks on the theme, including ``Desserts 1-2-3''and her latest, ``Christmas 1-2-3.''

It was also in 1996 that Andrew Schloss got on the bandwagon with his book, ``Cooking With Three Ingredients: Flavorful Food Easy as 1,2,3.''

With the concept more timely than ever, HarperCollins just re-released the book in paperback ($17.95). If you missed it the first time around, now you can try Schloss' creations. The collection of 250 accessible recipes still sounds tempting - and showcases how easy and quick home cooking can be.

Schloss noted that the book had transformed him from a cooking-from-scratch stickler to a streamlining fanatic. His mantra is ``How do I get more with less?'' That seems to be what we're all looking for these days - great-tasting dishes without much effort.

He uses lots of high-quality prepared foods, condiments and the like to come up with dishes like Thai Peanut Shrimp, Goat Cheese Provencal Spread, Seared Scallops in Caper Brown Butter, Thin Mint Ice Cream Cake and more. Give the following intriguing selections from Schloss' book a try - and you'll have something ready to eat in no time flat.

BROCCOLI TARRAGON BISQUE 

Ignore the name and don't tell anyone what's in the soup. Try as they might, they will never be able to guess. The sweetness of the tarragon blends seamlessly with the acrid cabbage flavor of broccoli, creating a third titillating sensation that's completely magical. Serve this soup as a first course before a grilled fish or a roasted chicken.

1 bunch broccoli

2 large bunches fresh tarragon OR 1 teaspoon dried

4 cups chicken broth

With a small sharp knife, cut ends off broccoli stalks and peel stalks. Cit broccoli stalks and florets into thin slices. Combine all ingredients in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until broccoli is very tender, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a food processor or blender. Puree as smooth as possible. Mix in remaining liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

GRILLED FISH WITH FETA VINAIGRETTE

Salad dressing is the best-kept grilling secret. A simple vinaigrette has all the ingredients necessary to flavor grilled foods and keep them moist. Here half the vinaigrette is used for marinating and basting, while the remainder seasons a fresh feta cheese sauce.

4 (8-ounce) firm-fleshed fish steaks (such as salmon, swordfish OR tuna)

1/2 cup Italian dressing

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Rub fish steaks with 1/4 cup dressing, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Mix remaining 1/4 cup dressing with feta cheese. Set feta vinaigrette aside.

Remove fish from marinade and grill or broil 4 inches from high heat source 3 to 4 minutes per side, until fish is barely firm. Pour feta vinaigrette over fish and serve. Makes 4 servings.

GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ARTICHOKE SALSA 

Two of the great contemporary convenience foods, marinated artichoke hearts and flavored diced tomatoes, come together to form this good and effortless sprightly salsa.

1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, marinade reserved

3 tablespoons canned diced tomatoes with jalapenos (salsa style)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, trimmed

Finely chop artichoke hearts in food processor or with a large knife. Add tomatoes and chop until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Mix in 1 tablespoon reserved artichoke marinade. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set salsa aside.

Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch. Brush lightly with some of remaining artichoke marinade. Grill over a hot fire or broil 4 inches from heat source until browned and firm, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve grilled breast halves, each topped with a few spoonfuls of salsa. Makes 4 servings.

CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD PUDDING

In these three basic ingredients are everything you need for a classic bread pudding. The raisin bread provides fruit, spice and filling. The pudding adds sugar, flavor and thickener. And the milk is the liquid.

f=C Helvetica Condensed w=9 l=111 (16-ounce) loaf raisin-cinnamon-swirl bread, cut into 1-inch dice

6 cups milk

2 (3-ounce) boxes cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix

In a 9 1/2x13 1/2x 2-inch baking dish, toss diced bread with 2 cups milk. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix remaining 4 cups milk with pudding mix until smooth. Pour over soaked bread and toss lightly. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour, or until browned and set almost all the way into middle. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 12 servings.

VARIATION: You can make a chocolate bread pudding following the same procedure by substituting a chocolate loaf cake for the bread, chocolate milk for the plain milk and chocolate pudding for the vanilla pudding.

CHERRY BERRY CRISPS

FILLING:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

1/2 cup cranberry juice OR orange juice

2 (16 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

TOPPING:

3/4 cup quick OR old-fashioned uncooked oats 

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons margarine, melted

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Filling, in a medium saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cranberry juice, mixing well. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened and clear. Remove from heat; stir in cherries and cranberries. Spoon filling into 6 small (about 6-ounce) ovenproof custard or souffle cups or heart-shaped ramekins, dividing evenly.

For Topping, in a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix well. Sprinkle some of topping over fruit mixture in each cup, dividing evenly. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

VARIATION: Spoon filling into an 8-inch-square glass baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 270 calories; 5 grams fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 50 milligrams sodium.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (``Cooking With Three Ingredients: Flavorful Food Easy as 1,2,3'')

(2) On Valentine's Day, treat someone you love to Cherry Berry Crisps. They are cholesterol free and contain just 5 grams of fat per serving.