A few days ago, someone asked me for a different way to roast a chicken, and I have her this recipe. I haven't made this in a long time, and it was a welcome change from the ho-hum regular roasted chicken we all know and love.
Evening and Dinner
What's for dinner this evening? There are lots of recipes for dinner or dishes you might want to eat after the sun goes down.
Broiled Ahi Tuna with Blood Orange Balsamic Reduction
Since we didn't make a big Holy Thursday Seder meal this year, I thought it would be nice to make something memorable for Good Friday. Catholics are bound not to eat meat on Good Friday. I was at the market on Thursday picking up some last-minute things, and the butcher brought out two lovely pieces of Ahi tuna. I already had purchased Blood Oranges at the Farmer's market earlier in the day. I also wanted something simple for Friday night because we would be spending a good deal of our day in the church for the Stations of the Cross and The Seven Last Words of Christ.
I have to say I was proud of my son. Our church has the kids from the middle school put on a play, complete with Roman soldiers and a real wooden cross. Spane said to me, "Mom, can we leave, it's really sad." Later, I saw he had a tear in his eye, and I knew that he had finally GOTTEN it. We will be going to Easter Vigil on Saturday night (Sunday according to the liturgical calendar), so we will once more be joyous again.
After all that, I was kind of tired when we got home. I looked on the Internet for tuna and blood oranges, and everything was pan-seared. I wanted it to be broiled, so I went my own way. It was delicious, and I suggest you try it. You can even do the whole thing on the grill, just make sure you have an oven-safe pan for the sauce.
Jalapeno Stuffed Peppers for 2
What's on Your Plate
Jalapeno Stuffed Peppers are a practical leftover recipe that uses already cooked rice and pickled jalapeños from a pizza order to make a quick vegetarian dinner. The peppers cook gently in a covered roaster, the filling stays creamy and balanced, and the dish adapts easily to what you already have.
Baked Asparagus Fries
Baked asparagus fries make an excellent appetizer or side dish. Did you know that you can eat asparagus with your fingers?
Chicken with Mushrooms in Wine Sauce
Chicken with Mushrooms in Wine Sauce is good enough for company, but easy enough and fast enough for a weeknight. Pair it with asparagus, new potatoes, and white wine and you have an excellent dinner.
Szechuan Orange Pork Roast
Szechuan Orange Pork Loin Roast is spicy, tender, and moist. It's very easy to prepare and makes a great presentation. It will be the star of your Chinese-inspired meal.
Szechuan Green Beans
Szechuan Green Beans were featured at Harvest Inn in Glendale, now, sadly closed, but the recipe still lives in my kitchen.
Bacon Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Bacon Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms are an appetizer that's easy on your time and easy on your wallet.
Crab Bisque
Recipes in this Post
I am so happy that it is finally getting cooler in Southern California. As a matter of fact, there was thick cloud cover this morning, and I had to wear a sweater. It was a good day for soup.
After making Crab Salad with Thousand Island Dressing, I had a half a package of crab left over. I also had some cream left over from making something else. I knew I needed to use that crab, I needed to use the cream, and I wanted something warm. I have always liked crab bisque, so I decided to make that.
I had this brilliant idea when looking in my pantry and spying a can of Great Northern white beans. I didn't have that much cream, and I really wanted the soup to be filling. To compensate for not using real crab, or real crab stock, I added a little anchovy paste for flavor. Both additions worked beautifully. Honestly, if you wanted to, you could omit the cream completely, as the beans do a fine job of thickening without all those calories.
Stuffed Ciabatta Garlic Bread - Great with Antipasto
Stuffed Ciabatta Garlic Bread makes a great appetizer or side for a big salad.
We are very lucky living in Glendale, where there is a wonderful bakery that makes the best bread, including a Ciabatta bread. When I picked Spane up this afternoon and needed some things at the store, I passed by the bread aisle and couldn't help smelling the fresh bread.
This bread was pillow-soft with a crisp crust very reminiscent of the true Ciabatta bread found in the Lake Como region of Italy. It is nothing like the stuff that comes from mass bakeries.
Since the bread is small but rather flat and elongated, I knew it would be perfect for Stuffed Garlic Bread to go with our Antipasto Salad with Original Brown Derby Dressing.
Suggestions on Making Stuffed Ciabatta Garlic Bread
When making this, you could use a relatively soft Italian bread or even sourdough would work well. Choose the cheeses that you like. Some sun-dried tomato would be good with this. Some homemade pesto would be another option. If you want to have an alfresco dinner with the grill, then wrap the bread well with foil to void burning it. Enjoy!
I highly recommend using Penzey's Tuscan Sunset instead of Italian seasoning. It's the perfect blend and I find myself using it a lot. It's salt-free and has a much fresher flavor.