Weeknight Meals

Serve these with a salad and some sausage for a hearty main course.

You can steam, grill, boil or broil the shrimp or, even easier, buy them already cooked. Saffron rice and greens mixed with some olives, red onion slices and a garlicky olive oil dressing are perfect side dishes. Sliced oranges sprinkled with a bit of sweet Sherry and paired with some crisp sugar cookies would round out the Spanish-inspired menu.

Broil or sauté an assortment of red, green and yellow bell pepper strips to serve alongside the chicken, and complete the main course with orzo pasta tossed with olive oil. Baklava from the bakery and strong coffee finish this Greek-themed meal.

This recipe originally accompanied Crown Roast of Pork with Apple and Pork Stuffing and Cider Gravy . Part of the terrific stuffing is used to fill the crown roast of pork, and the rest is baked alongside. But if you are making the stuffing to go with other meats, simply bake all of it in a shallow baking dish until a meat thermometer registers 155°F.

Crusty French bread, a spinach and mushroom salad and buttered noodles round out the menu, and a rich bakery chocolate cake finishes it in style.

For the following salad, you may prepare the dressing and lettuce early in the day so they can be tossed together just before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this saucy dish with steamed rice or crusty French bread.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Gumbo Z'herbes with Red Beans , Shrimp, Crab, and Oyster Gumbo , Chicken, Sausage, and Okra Gumbo , and Beef Filé Gumbo . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Orzo--the small rice-shaped pasta used here--is available at Italian markets and most supermarkets.

This compound butter is great on lamb or chicken, too. Or try it on crusty hot bread.