Paella!

My husband and I love to spend time together cooking and experimenting with new recipes. We first tried out this paella recipe over my birthday in April, and have made it several time since… fine tuning it to our liking each time. Today I am sharing the recipe with you!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 TBSP paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste (approx. a pinch of each)

2 pounds of chicken thighs - wash, trim and cut into 2 inch pieces

4 TBSP of grapeseed or avocado oil (divided up)

3 cloves of garlic, dice and crush

1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes (less depending on how much spice you like)

1 pinch of saffron threads

1 bay leaf

1/2 bunch (1/2 bag) of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 quart (32oz) low sodium chicken broth OR bone broth

2 cups of uncooked white rice (brown rice is a healthier substitute)

1 sweet onion, diced

2 lemons, zested

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 pound chorizo sausage (casings removed and crumbled

• we use vegan chorizo from Trader Joe’s and it’s incredible, highly recommend this substitute 

1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined

• we have used the seafood blend from Trader Joe’s as a substitute for this previously and it’s another great alternative

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in your chicken pieces and coat with seasoning. Cover and place in refrigerator.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Continue cooking and stirring to coat all the rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken broth, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and chorizo; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink. *always make sure your chicken is cooked to an internal temp of 165°

4. Spread rice onto your serving tray or bowl. Add meat and seafood blend to the top.

recipe modified from allrecipes.com paella recipe