Easy Shrimp and Scallop Paella

For as long as I can remember, I have loved Paella. Well, really, what's not to love, seafood, smoked pork, rice. I fell even more in love with Paella one summer several years ago when I took a week long course for school administrators on teaching students learning to speak English. Our amazing instructor spent one afternoon demonstrating to us what highly effective teaching of these students is like. She taught us the legend of Paella speaking entirely in Spanish. Yep, I took one year of Spanish in middle school. Yep, I remember almost none of it. And yet, while I can't recount it in Spanish, I easily understood it from this great teacher and learned a few new Spanish words as well.

Here's the legend. The men of Spain were called to war. While away from their wives, they had to learn to cook on for themselves.  They were near the sea, so they began by eating seafood, mariscos. After a while, they became bored with eating mariscos for every meal and found wild chickens, pollo. They ate pollo for a while, but soon became bored with it. As they searched their surroundings, they found wild boar and used it to make meatballs, albondigas. Soon they became bored with eating just meat and found rice, arroz. But the only tools they had for cooking arroz were their shields. They filled them with arroz, mariscos, pollo and albondigas. Eating this delicious dish they grew not only strong but fat, gordo.

When one gordo soldier returned to his wife, she refused to let him enter the house. If he had in fact been away at war he should be returning weak and thin. Surely, if he had been at war, he had been taken care of by another woman. The soldier husband tried to explain how he had learned to cook at war, but she wouldn't believe him. To convince her, ella, he cooked for, para, her, ella. She was impressed and convinced that el gordo had learned to cook for himself, so she let him come back home. The dish for her, para ella, Paella, saved their marriage.

This recipe has more of a Cuban twist using annatto instead of saffron. I think it has more flavor, but you certainly could use saffron if you prefer it. I also know that many Paellas include green peas, but I can't stand them so I use green olives, which I think add a much better flavor. It also doesn't have any chicken, but I think the seafood is the best part.

I don't promise that this Paella will save your marriage, it is quite delicious and easy. You should try it soon.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces 1/2-inch cubes smoked sausage (about 1 3/4 cups)

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon annatto

1/2 teaspoon hot Spanish paprika or hot Hungarian paprika

3 1/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth, divided

1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

1/2 pound uncooked peeled deveined large shrimp

1/2 pound uncooked scallops

1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add smoked sausage, onions, and bell pepper, and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in annatto  and paprika, then 3 cups broth and rice. Bring to boil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Nestle shrimp and scallops into rice, top with olives, and drizzle with 1/4 cup (or more) broth to moisten. Cover and cook until shrimp and scallops are just opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Asparagus Risotto

Think Italian food, think pasta. Right? Well, being a rice lover, I LOVE risotto, rich, creamy and cheesy! Combine it with one of my favorite veggies, asparagus and I'm in heaven. OK, yes, it's labor intensive. You must stand, stir and slowly add stock, but it is soooo worth it. Last night Puppy Daddy chose Grilled Chicken Involtini with Basil and Prosciutto for our main dish. Asparagus risotto was the perfect accompaniment. 





There are several keys to great risotto. The first is using the right rice. Aborio is an Italian short grain rice that is very starchy, which is the key to creaminess. The next key is having plenty of warm broth or stock on hand. Finally, you need to stand close by to stir every few minutes and add broth or stock as the rice absorbs it.

You can flavor the risotto with a variety of vegetables. Lots of folks love mushroom risotto. My favorite is asparagus, one of my very favorite veggies. I use chicken stock (you could also use broth for a bit lighter flavor). I add the asparagus with the last bit of stock so that it stays nice and crispy. Finally, add your Parmesan cheese, some butter and the secret ingredient that I learned from my Italian friend Franca, a bit of cream! I'm not kidding, this is seriously delish and well worth the time!!!!

Ingredients
2 TB butter, divided
2 shallots
1 cup Aborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 - 2 TB heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a minute or two, until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan or heat in the microwave.

Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of hot stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes. With the last ladle of stock, add the asparagus. Turn off the heat.

* The amount of stock is approximate. You may need a little more or a little less.

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

The reason for this post is Puppy Daddy. Last night I had not really prepared for making a meal, so I did what I usually do on these occasions and made a casserole with what I had in the fridge and pantry. I wasn't sure I would post it, but Puppy Daddy loved it so much that he insisted. In fact, he must have been so excited to take the left overs to work for lunch today that he left the pantry door open when he got out his lunch bag, which by the way, is where we keep the dog treats. I realized this when I heard some mischief going on in the kitchen. When I walked in Hilton was ripping open the bag of Biljac snacks. I made a feeble attempt to get them, but if you know Whippets, you will realize that if a Whippet has something he doesn't want you to have, you will never catch him. In fact the only way I ever get something really tasty (especially a squirrel) away from my dogs is with dog treats, so I knew I should just give up. Now Hilton has eaten more dog treats in five minutes than he normally gets in six months! Oh well!!!

As I said this casserole was made with things I happened to have in my kitchen. Along with the broccoli, water chestnuts, rice, onion and celery, I also used left over chicken (from yesterday's Chicken Valerie), mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and chicken bouillon powder. You can switch out most of the ingredients for other things you have in your kitchen.

While the rice was cooking I sauteed the onion and celery in butter, and cooked the broccoli. Then I mixed the everything but the topping together in the pan with the rice. (I don't like Puppy Daddy to have to wash extra dishes.) 

Next this mixture went into a baking dish. Now for the topping. A few weeks ago I hosted a pool party. for lunch we had a salad bar and everyone brought a salad topper to share. Well, I think half the guests brought croutons. Of course all the extra bags were left at my house, so I am now trying to think of creative ways to use them. For this dish I just smashed some croutons up, sprinkled them over the top and poured a little melted butter over the top.


I baked the casserole in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Quick, easy and yummy way to use up what's in your pantry and fridge.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked rice (follow package directions)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 Tb butter, divided
1/2 cup diced water chestnuts
1 cup cooked broccoli (I steamed it in the microwave for 3 minutes)
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
3/4 cup crushed salad croutons

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice according to package directions. Saute onions and celery in one Tb spoon of butter over medium high heat. Mix together shredded cheese, mayo, sour cream, cream cheese and chicken bouillon powder. Combine this mixture with with the rice, onion, celery, water chestnuts, broccoli and chicken. Put in baking dish. Top with crushed salad croutons and the other Tb of butter, melted. Bake for 20 minutes.