Paella is one of the Spanish cultures favorite meals. It is basically their version of one pan cooking. My family is from Spain and I grew up on Paella as an Italian would grow up on Pasta. My Sundays were for chicken, rice and seafood. When I had my own family, as most of you cooks, moms and dads know we allow are kids to call the shots on what they want to eat. Me, we ate what my mother put on the plate. We didn’t like it we didn’t eat again until morning. My daughters were on the opposite ends of the food liking scale. One ate nothing and the other ate everything. So when it came to my Paella I had 2 versions. Of course there are many versions, but these 2 are my family’s favorites. Hope you enjoy and have a great day!
Paella – Vanessa’s way
Ingredients:
1 1 lb. box of white rice (preferably Uncle Bens; 16 oz.)
½ chorizo; diced in tiny pieces
2 chicken cutlets; cubed
2 envelopes of sazon (con culantro y achiote)
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 32 oz. box of chicken broth
1 cup of ketchup
Directions:
In large sauté pan, heat oil, onion and chorizo. Cook until chorizo is golden brown, but not onions. Add in chicken and cook all the way through. Add in 1 envelope of sazon, blend and then add in rice. Combine the rice until it has a red color. Add in broth, garlic powder, salt, pepper, peas, ketchup and peas. Give a mix until broth has covered all ingredients. Lower heat and simmer with cover. Watch carefully so you don’t burn, but not mix rice again. Once broth has evaporated. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes and let stand and serve with garlic bread.
The alternate version is to add in the below ingredients at the same time as you add in broth:
1 can of chick peas
1 can chopped artichokes
10 shrimp and 10 scallops
Recipe By The Gourmet Mom
Lisa Montalva
