The Little White Plate : At Home Gourmet Cooking

Ingredients 1 pound pork tenderloin,trimmed 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste 3 tablespoons apricot preserves, divided 4 ripe but firm fresh apricots or nectarines, halved and pitted 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 2 tablespoons minced shallot 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 4- to 5-ounce bag watercress, or baby arugula (about 8 cups) Preparation Preheat grill to high. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the pork, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. Brush the pork with 2 tablespoons preserves and continue grilling until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F, 2 to 5 minutes more. Grill apricot (or nectarine) halves on the coolest part of the grill, turning occasionally, until tender and marked, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pork and apricots to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 tablespo...

Ingredients 3 tablespoons canola oil, or toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest 3 tablespoons lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 12 raw shrimp, (8-12 per pound), peeled and deveined 3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered lengthwise 2 plums, pitted and cut into sixths Preparation Whisk oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt in a large bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl to use as dressing. Add shrimp, jalapeños and plums to the remaining marinade; toss to coat. Preheat grill to medium-high. Make 4 kebabs, alternating shrimp, jalapeños and plums evenly among four 10-inch skewers. (Discard the marinade.) Grill the kebabs, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Drizzle with the reserved dressing. NOTES: I served mine over grilled polenta "disks".

Wow a bonus day!  2 updates! Ingredients: 1 Goat Cheese “Log” (approx 4 oz) 1 Cup Panko - Italian Seasoned (Japanese Breadcrumbs see notes below) Raspberry Vinegrette to liking 5 oz (approx) Baby Mixed Salad Greens Extra virgin olive oil 1 Egg 1 Cup Flour Directions 1. Place 3 bowls next to each other on your workspace.  Fill the first with flour, the second with a lightly beaten egg with just a splash of water added, and the third with panko. 2. Slice the Goat Cheese into 8 slices 3. Roll the slices into small roundish balls. 4. Dip the ball into the flour, then the egg, then the panko, coating evenly.  Place on a small plate.  When all are done move plate to refrigerator for ½ hour or so. 5. Heat a saucepan to medium heat, pouring extra virgin olive oil in to cover the bottom nicely, (bout 1/8” deep) 6. Take one of the panko balls and fry gently, rotating till all sides are lightly browned.  Place on a plate on p...

Ingredients 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1/3 cup lemon juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons packed fresh oregano, minced 2 tablespoons packed fresh sage, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 cup finely diced celery 1 sliced medium onion (optional see below) 2 cups pineapple chunks (optional see below) 24 raw shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined Directions Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, oregano, sage, chives, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a small bowl. Add beans, tomatoes and celery to the large bowl; toss well. Preheat grill to medium-high or place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Thread shrimp onto 6 skewers. (If using a grill pan, you don’t need to skewer the shrimp.) Oil the grill rack or the grill pan. Grill the shrimp until pink ...

Ingredients 1 pound tilapia fillets 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (see Tip) 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon canola oil 3 scallions, thinly sliced Preparation Sprinkle both sides of tilapia fillets with five-spice powder. Combine soy sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tilapia and cook until the outer edges are opaque, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, turn the fish over, stir the soy mixture and pour into the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until the fish is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes more. Add scallions and remove from the heat. Serve the fish drizzled with the pan sauce. Notes: WOW lots and lots of flavor in this - was a big hit. I served mine with a steamed sweet corn southwestern style mix.

Ingredients 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1-1 1/4 pounds bone in, ribeye steak 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups thinly sliced onion 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese Preparation Preheat grill to med-high temp. Pat steaks dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Add the steaks to the grill and cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn over, reduce heat to medium-low and cook to desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the steaks from the grill and set aside, covered with foil. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a medium large pan and  the heat to medium. Stir in onion, water and brown sugar, and red wine vinegar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown and the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. (Add more water a tablespoon at a time if the onions are browning too quickly...