Paella

I always thought paella was a complicated dish.  It turns out it's actually fairly easy, but there are a lot of ingredients.  The great thing about paella is that you can make it with a lot or minimal ingredients. It can be vegetarian or full of meat and seafood.  The one I chose to do is full of meat and seafood.  I've seen paella with lobster, fish, etc.  The ingredients are endless so use your imagination and really get creative with this.  There are a lot of static recipes for paella out there, but honestly, just use them (and this one) as a base.  Put your own spin on it and make it your own.  The only real staples to paella are short grain rice or arborio rice, saffron, and a tomato base.  A tomato base can be sofrito or, in my case, diced tomatoes.  After that, the sky is the limit.  Add anything you want and play around with the recipe.  If you decide to add mussels to the dish and are unsure of how to clean them - check this article out - it's awesome!!

Sauté the Chicken and Garlic

Add the Vegetables

Spices, Tomatoes, and Keilbasa

Add the Rice

Add the Chicken Stock and Seafood

Cooking the Rice and Seafood

Final Plating

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 2 Large Onions (diced)
• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 2 Chicken Breasts (cubed)
• 1 Bag Frozen Peas
• 2 Rings of Kielbasa (chopped)
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (12oz)
• 2 Tbs. Thyme
• 2 Tbs. Parsley
• 1.5 Tbs. Paprika
• Season Salt to taste
• 12 oz Bay Scallops
• 14-21 Shrimp
• 1 Bag of Mussels
• 4 Cups Arborio Rice
• 6 Cups Chicken Stock
• 3 Tbs. Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  Add oil to pan and sauté garlic.
• 2
  Add chicken and kielbasa. Sauté until chicken is about half done.
• 3
  Add thyme
• 4
  Add onions, peas, and peppers and sauté.
• 5
  Add parsley, paprika, season salt, and tomatoes.
• 6
  Add rice and mix well. Sauté the rice for a few minutes and then add stock.
• 7
  Add scallops, shrimp, and mussels to the dish and simmer for 25 minutes or until most of the liquid is dissolved and rice is tender.