I think I rocked dinner last night

I don't cook a lot, but sometimes I get it right. Last night was one of those nights.

The plan was for Steven to make a roasted chicken. When it looked like he was going to be a little late coming home from work, I decided to start dinner. The first thing I wanted to do was use the remaining half loaf of bread that we had from another night and make a little stuffing to put into the roaster. I chopped up the bread into good sized chunks and baked them in the oven for about 20 minutes to get them good and crunchy.

While the bread was cooking I chopped up a large onion and put that into a bowl with a softened whole stick of butter (this isn't the healthiest stuffing). On the stove I simmered a pan of chicken stock with sage and thyme in it. When that came to a boil I strained the liquid into a bowl. Once the bread was ready I broke up the chunks a little, keeping them fairly big and mixed that into the onion/butter mixture. I added salt and pepper and poured some of the chicken stock liquid into the bowl to get everyone moist.

Next I filled a medium casserole dish with the stuffing, covered with foil and put into the oven for an hour. The last 10 minutes or so I took off the foil.

The chicken was a piece of cake. I rubbed the skin with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper and put that bad boy into a roasting pan in the oven next to the stuffing on 375 degrees for an hour. The chicken usually takes a little longer if it has been frozen but is done once no blood comes out when turned.

For a veg we had green beans. Kerry snapped the fresh beans and I cooked them for a few minutes in the chicken broth liquid, making sure not to overcook them (we like them with a little crunch, not mushy).

Lastly, I took some whole tomatoes and cut them into slices, drizzling balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper over them. An easy, delicious addition (although one of the tomatoes wasn't fully ripe).

I was proud of my little meal. It's not often that I cook and somehow I feel like I get a little better at it each time! Have a happy and safe new year.

Cafe Seville

Last night we went to Cafe Seville in Fort Lauderdale. Our friends Kelly and Kerry are staying with us this week and they took us out to dinner, their treat!

Cafe Seville is located at 2768 E Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306. It isn't far from our house. We have driven past it, but have never had a chance to eat there. Kelly mentioned that she would like some Spanish food for dinner, so we looked in the Zagat guide and online and found this place. We called to make sure they were open. They suggested a reservation. It sounded busy in the background, a good sign.

When we arrived, the place was packed. It isn't a large restaurant; they probably have 10 or 11 tables. They seated us immediately and brought over the specials board. There were quite a few items being featured, as well as a good-sized selection of menu items. Steven and I each had a bowl of crab bisque and Kelly ordered a bowl of lentil soup. For the table we had an assortment of meats and cheeses. Very scrumptious.

For our entrees, Kelly and I had the paella (for 2). Steven ordered a seafood casserole, and Kerry ordered chicken with a yummy sauce on top. We also shared a carafe of sangria.

We all agreed that the food was wonderful and no one left hungry. For dessert, we forced down a piece of triple milk cake. I made myself take a bite of it, despite being so full that I wanted to pop.

We would definitely recommend Cafe Seville to anyone who enjoys Spanish food. The atmosphere, while a bit too cozy, is neat, the service is excellent, and, of course, the food is delicious. Average meal is around $24.