Paella

This is a family standby at our house, though I realized when I was making it this weekend that I don't think I had made it since moving in to our house, which was over 2 years ago! Man, time flies when you're having fun! There are tons of different versions of Paella - it is a traditional Valencian dish, which is located in Spain. It is comprised of seafood, rice, green vegetables, and spices (and apparently beans, according to Wikipedia), the main seasonings being curry, saffron, and some type of spicy sausage. I'll be honest, I've never made it with saffron, just because I don't have any on hand! This recipe is the one passed down to us from the hubby's parents, and to them by his grandma, which is kind of cool. We've adapted it from there, but in the spirit of keeping the family recipe alive, I will post it as written and share my changes below.

Paella

      Ingredients
12 small fresh clams, 12 medium size shrimp in shells, mussels, squid, octopus, scallops, or any other shell fish
8 oz chorizo or pepperoni, sliced
2 Tbs. cooking oil
Chicken pieces (8 portions)
30 oz. chicken broth (about 4 cups)
1 medium sized onion, cut into wedges
1 sweet red or green pepper, cut into strips
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups white rice, uncooked
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp saffron (if you have it)
2 tsp curry powder
5 oz. package of frozen green peas

     Directions

1. Clean and shell shrimp
2. Cook sliced chorizo, pepperoni or sausage in skillet for 10 minutes, drain fat, and set aside to cool. 
3. Heat oil in skillet and brown the chicken pieces for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. In a sauce pan, heat chicken broth to a boil. Meanwhile, brown onion, pepper, and garlic in the oil remaining in the skillet used for the chicken. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, and set the bottom shelf to the lowest setting.
5. Add rice and seasonings to the boiling broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and then remove from heat. 
6. Pour rice into Paella or Pyrex pan (use at least a 9 x 13)
7. Arrange chicken, sausage, and shrimp/shell fish on top of the rice. Scatter peas over it all. Set pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until rice is done. NEVER STIR!
8. When done, remove and cover with a kitchen towel for ~5 minutes, then serve. 

Alright...so from the get-go, I hate peppers. Of any sort. So I don't put those in, ever. For seafood, I use 1 pound of the pre-cooked shrimp and no other shellfish - I've used any size from salad shrimp to jumbo shrimp, whatever your preference is should work. For sausage I use pepperoni cut into chunks (not sliced) and increase the amount from 8 oz to 16 oz. And for the peas, I usually use around 8-10 ounces, because I like peas. And it helps break the spiciness of the dish a little bit. I usually use chicken tenders for my chicken and cook however many will fit on the top of the 9 x 13 pan (usually 6-8). Instead of draining the pepperoni after cooking and using separate cooking oil, I brown the chicken in the skillet I used to cook the pepperoni. It gets an awesome flavor from the leftover pepperoni oil, and browns pretty well. 

As for changes in the cooking process, we have found that the rice is NEVER done in the 30 minutes allotted to it in the oven. Usually it takes 45-60 minutes if followed as directed. So to combat this, we combine everything except for the shrimp, peas, and chicken in the chicken broth and boil it for ~10 minutes. Then stir the shrimp and peas into the pot and immediately put into your Pyrex pan. Place the chicken pieces on top and cook for the specified 25-30 minutes. We have found that this keeps the peas from getting mushy and the shrimp from getting overcooked and chewy. This is a hearty dish, which just the right amount of spice to keep it interesting without being too spicy for me! 

I would love to hear if you have made paella before, or what changes you would make! 

Listening to The Piano Guys currently, and getting ready to watch Perception's first episode of season 2. Happy Sunday night to me. :) 

Southwestern Shrimp Bisque

This recipe is Taste of Home magazine, the 2012 April/May issue. After trying it once, it has become a fast favorite at my house, and even makes great leftovers...if there are any, that is. :) I highly recommend doubling the recipe from the get-go. It says that one recipe makes 3 servings, but unless you're referring to the world's smallest bowl of soup, I say double it, and you'll get 3-4 bowls worth.

Southwestern Shrimp Bisque

      Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup water

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp chicken bullion granules

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 ground coriander

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined  (you can use cooked or uncooked) 

1/2 cup sour cream

Chopped fresh cilantro and sliced avocado, option

       Directions

1. In a small saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended. Stir in water, cream, bullion and seasonings, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. 

2. Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces if desired. Add shrimp to soup. Simmer 5-10 minutes until shrimp is pink. (if you are using cooked shrimp, cook just until the shrimp is warm.) Place sour cream in a small bowl; gradually stir in 1/2 cup of hot soup. Return mixture to the pan, stirring constantly. Heat through (do not boil). If desired, top with cilantro and/or avocado. 

Follow as directed! I haven't used uncooked shrimp, just the frozen pre-cooked ones, so I usually just add the shrimp at the same time as the sour cream mixture. I haven't had any issues with them getting rubbery. Excellent served with crisp green salad and crusty french bread for dipping! 

Shrimp Summer Rolls with Asian Peanut Sauce

So this one was an attempt at a shrimp spring roll type deal. And while I think the base is there, it needs some playing around to make it what I was hoping for.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup shredded napa cabbage
• 2 tablespoons shredded carrot
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 (8 inch) round sheets rice paper
•  
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan for medium-high heat.
2. Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with olive oil and salt and black pepper.
3. Grill the shrimp on the preheated grill until opaque, 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and set aside.
4. Combine the cabbage, carrot, garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, teriyaki sauce, and lime juice in a bowl, stir well.
5. Working with one at a time, wet rice paper with water and lay out on a clean surface. Place a quarter of the cabbage mixture in the center of the paper, top with a quarter of the shrimp. Shape the filling into a log shape and roll the rice paper around the filling, tucking the ends in as you go. Repeat with the remaining rice papers.
6. Whisk together the peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, salt and pepper. Slice the rolls in half on an angle, and serve with the peanut sauce on the side.

I did double the recipe, because I had about a pound of shrimp and didn't have a specific use for it other than this recipe. The shrimp was the already cooked frozen shrimp, which I have to say is my usual go-to when it comes to buying shrimp! I also doubled the sauce, but that was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much! We barely ate more than a couple of tablespoons for all the rolls. Brean chopped veggies for me, while I sauteed the garlic, salt and pepper, then added the shrimp just to cook until it was heated up. Then combined everything for the filling in a bowl (including the shrimp mixture, which we drained first) and let it sit for a few minutes. So reading over this recipe I just realized that I tripled the amount of sesame seed oil in the sauce...whoops! I think my main complaint was that the sesame taste was over-powering, and while I think it would be better without my whoops moment, I still think decreasing it even more would be beneficial.
We soaked the rice paper individually in warm water for a couple of seconds, which worked pretty well. I had never done anything with rice paper before, so I was a bit nervous, but after the first couple I think we got the hang of it. The flavor of the rollups themselves was good, but just not as fresh tasting as I was hoping for. I think I'll play around a bit more with this one, because the hubby liked them. I will let you know how it goes! ;) I should also point out that ours did NOT look as pretty as the picture...think more a loosely wrapped spring roll with teryaki sauce in it.


     In other news, it was my birthday this week, and fun was had by all. (well, at least me) I wandered around Jackson (wandering in a specific route I should say) to be fed all the free food I could eat. I think the best way to do it would be to find a birthday twin and traverse together - then you BOTH get free stuff! Otherwise you're just dragging another person along who has to pay for everything, or just watch while you get free food. Weird!
     I also got a massage yesterday. It was great, but I felt really weird/out of it for the rest of the day, and even today! I heard that sometimes post-massage feels like being stoned, and while I have not partaken in the stoning myself, I feel like that's what I feel like. ;) I feel like I'm just in a cloud-filled state and my brain is not really engaged. Very weird! Hoping it changes soon!
    Going to see Hope Springs tomorrow with some very dear friends - here's to hoping it's good! I'm tired of watching bad and mediocre movies! There are enough movies being made that you think that at SOME point it would be easy to find the good ones! Like maybe because of the sheer number of movies it would have to spontaneously HAPPEN at some point. We shall see. But here's to hoping! ;)

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

I got this recipe card from Olive Garden a couple of years ago, and haven't tried it until now. First of all, the term "risotto" frightened me, plus there is some slightly odd ingredients. But trust me, it's worth the effort!

Ingredients

18 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

8 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion, minced

2 cups Carnaroli  or Arborio rice

Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Directions
1) Simmer chicken broth on low heat until needed.


2) Heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes, or until translucent.  Stir in rice and cook for 1 minute, then add white wine.  Add 1/2 cup of broth and stir until completely absorbed. Repeat until 4 cups of broth have been added.  Stir the risotto frequently to prevent sticking. 


3) Add asparagus and shrimp to the remaining broth and cook for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink.  Remove asparagus and shrimp from the broth and add them to the risotto mixture.  Add 1/2 cup of both at a time until desired creaminess is reached.  (There may be broth left over)


4) Once the broth is completely absorbed, add butter, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and parsley. 


    I started out using already cooked shrimp, so all I had to do was thaw and de-tail them. Because of this, I just added them to the risotto at the same time as the asparagus, but didn't boil them. (I did still boil the asparagus). And 18 didn't really look like very much, so I added a pound, which was about 35ish medium sized shrimp. (More shrimp or bacon is ALWAYS the best option. :P)  I didn't have any white white on hand, so I substituted that for 1/2 cup of chicken broth. I kept adding the chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments and used a total of 5.5 cups. I wasn't sure if the risotto was going to be mushy, but it seemed to have stopped taking the liquid as well, so I stopped adding broth at that point. And I should warn you - putting 1/2 cup of butter in at the end looks like a LOT of butter! I almost decreased it, but figured I should follow the recipe to the T the first time, and it actually turned out well. It wasn't greasy, which I was concerned about. Very creamy and yummy! I didn't add tomatoes or the parsley.  I had all my ingredients ready to go, and once I started the actual cooking process, I think it took about 35 minutes. Definitely stir the risotto frequently the whole time it's cooking, and make sure you leave it on medium heat. All in all, definitely a keeper, and less work then I expected!


We served this to some friends of ours who came over for dinner, and it was the best day! I think the art of having people over for dinner is disappearing in our culture, and that saddens me. There is just something about having someone over for dinner, not for any other ulterior motive then to enjoy their company over a meal. I remember growing up, my Mom was ALWAYS having people over for dinner. It didn't seem like a holiday unless there were other people there, and Sundays after church there was usually some stray soul at the table. In a culture where texting and Facebook are means of acceptable communication, I think it's becoming intimidating to have people come over and invade your personal space. Sometimes we get so busy between work and commitments that we forget to let people in, just for the purpose of sharing life together, creating a community. So here is my challenge for you this week - find a way to make someone a part of your life, however that looks for you. It may be a phone call for a catch up chat, or inviting someone for lunch of dinner, or setting up a Skype date. It may just make your day.