Five-minute dishes? Chef Michael Symon thinks you can do it

I want to read so many of the cookbooks that are out on the market right now. I received several new books for Christmas, and I have enjoyed reading through them.

One I do not have is chef Michael Symon's "Five in Five" cookbook. I was told about this book by Southeast Missourian copy editor Nancy Hadler, who has tried several recipes from the book and has really enjoyed them. She did note that it may take longer then five minutes to prepare some the recipes.

You may recognize Symon from the ABC television program "The Chew." His book has recipes using five or fewer ingredients and take about five minutes to put together. That is not total ingredients, as he counts all spices, vinegars, oils, butter, water, sugar and flour, lemons and limes and general pantry staples as items on hand. His recipes count the five ingredients as items not generally found in the pantry staples area.

Michael Symon's Pork Saltimbocca

Pantry ingredients:

Olive oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

Five Ingredients:

6 (2-ounce pieces) pork tenderloin (pounded to a 1/4-inch thickness)

2 ounces sliced prosciutto

6 sage leaves

2 tablespoons whole unsalted butter

4 cups arugula, divided

Heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium high heat and add a few tablespoons olive oil.

* Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and lay the pork on top. Place 1 sage leaf on each piece of pork and top with a slice of prosciutto. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and lightly pound. Season the pork and the flour with salt and pepper then dredge the pork in the flour. Add it to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove meat from pan. Deglaze the pan with water and scrape all of the tasty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon, reducing the liquid by half. Check the seasoning here, adding more salt and pepper is necessary.

* Arrange the pork on a platter. n Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter. Add 2 cups of the arugula to the pan, and toss until lightly wilted, about 30 seconds. n Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over the pork and sprinkle remaining raw arugula over the cooked. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Helpful Tips: Ask your butcher to pound the pork for you.

Michael Symon's Rosemary Shrimp with Almonds

1 pound large 16-20 size shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 bunch rosemary

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Zest and juice of 1 orange

3 tablespoons butter

Extra-virgin olive oil (to brush grill)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

* Preheat grill or grillpan to medium-high. Skewer shrimp on the rosemary stalks. Season generously with salt and pepper. Brush grill with olive oil and grill the shrimp until cooked through and pink, about 2 1/2 minutes per side.

* In a pan over medium-high, melt the butter and then add the garlic, almonds, orange zest and juice. Add some of the rosemary, stir, and pour over the shrimp to serve.

Michael Symon's Fish Tacos

1 pound cod filets

12 white corn tortillas

1 cup cabbage (finely shredded)

1/2 cup red onion (thinly sliced)

8 ounces Greek yogurt

1/4 bunch cilantro

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Canola oil

1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds

1 lime (juice and zest)

* Season cod with salt and pepper. Place on flat top griddle over medium-high heat with a drizzle of canola oil. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. Once cooked transfer cod to plate and flake with a fork. In a bowl combine lime juice and zest, shredded cabbage, sliced onion, cilantro and cumin seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm each side of tortillas on griddle. To assemble the tacos, place a few pieces of fish into tortilla, then top with cabbage mixture and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve immediately.

Michael Symon's Pork Paillard with Beefsteak Tomato Salad

1/2 pound Pork loin (sliced 1/2-inch thick)

1 Beefsteak tomato (sliced 1/2-inch thick)

2 ears corn

1/2 red onion (sliced into rings)

1/2 bunch basil

1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons dill

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 clove garlic (minced)

* Preheat a grill or grillpan to medium-high heat. Season the pork on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Brush the grill with olive oil.

* Arrange the pork, onion and corn on the grill, cooking the pork for about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

* Cook the corn, rotating to cook evenly, for about 2 minutes per side.

* Cut the corn off the cob.

* Combine the corn, red onion and basil in a medium bowl.

* In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dill, buttermilk and a pinch of salt and crack of pepper together. Toss the corn mixture with this dressing.

* Plate the pork, and lay a slice of tomato over each piece of pork. Top with a spoonful of the corn salad.

Michael Symon's Chicken with Kale, Cucumber and Tomato Feta Salad

5 chicken cutlets (pounded thin)

1 bunch dinosaur kale (sliced into thin ribbons)

1 cucumber (peeled and sliced into chunks)

2 tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 cup feta (crumbled)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic (minced)

* Preheat a grill or grillpan to medium high heat. Brush the grill with extra-virgin olive oil, and season the chicken cutlets with salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill them for 3 minutes per side and remove to a plate.

* Season kale with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

* Grill kale until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

* Remove from grill and roughly chop.

* Add kale to a large bowl with tomatoes, garlic, cucumber and feta.

* Whisk together 4 tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss salad with dressing. Serve the chicken with the kale salad.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at newssemissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.