Paella Grande!!

Paella is a Spanish dish of saffron rice and shellfish….to me, it’s like the Chinese version of  House Fried Rice.  You have your shrimp, chicken, pork, scallops and even some lobster.  Then you can add some chorizo or hot italian sausage for spice.  Next you add vegies like red or orange peppers, green peas, carrots….whatever brings color to the dish.  The possibilities are endless.  And then there is the rice…either a short grain Spanish rice or an Aborio rice that you would use in a risotto.  Once all this is gathered, then there is the paella pan that it is all cooked in….and the results are awesome!!!  It may seem like a LOT of work, but if you are organized…and have everything all chopped & measured and ready to go…it’s a breeze!!!

Ingredients

• Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
• 1 (3-pound) frying chicken, (or I used 4 thighs and cut the bone out) and then cut into 10 pieces and covered in Spice Mix then refrigerated of 1 hr
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, or4  Hot Italian Sausage, something to add “spice”, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Spanish onion, (or Red Bermuda onion) diced
• 1 red or orange or yellow pepper, thinly sliced (you choose the color!!)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 1.5 cups short grain Spanish rice or Arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken broth, warm
• Generous pinch saffron threads (and put into chicken broth and let simmer there)
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Now go and get EVERYTHING ….measure, chop &  put in dishes so that EVERYTHING is ready to go once you heat up that Paella pan with oil!!

Special equipment:

• Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet

Directions

1. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and jumbo shrimp and marinate  for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the Chorizo or Hot Italian Sausage until browned, remove and put aside.
3. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and put aside.
4. Add the shrimp and cook 1 min on each side and remove from pan and put aside

In the same pan, add some veg oil (2 tbs) and the garlic…then start sauteing the onions, red pepper, carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley( I even added some asparagus that I chopped up) . Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in chicken broth with saffron and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, shrimp.  Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 40-45 minutes.  When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it’s perfect.

Cook’s note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with the thawed peas, parsley and lemon wedges.

Spice Mix for chicken:

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken & shrimp & marinate for 1 hour, covered

This recipe can feed 8-9  people and takes about 1 hour to cook.

****Thank you Tyler Florence for your recipe*****

 

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Shrimp Scampi this EASY????

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp, shelled & deveined
• Kosher salt & pepper and season shrimp
• 3 TBS butter
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 TBS finely chopped parsley
• 1 TBS grated lemon zest

Gather all your ingredients, and measure, clean & chop.

Over a medium heat, add butter to pan.

Once foaming butter subsides, turn up the heat and add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute without moving them.

Add shrimp & cook 1 minute

Add minced garlic and cook about 30 more seconds then turn over and cook another minute

Once cooked on both sides, remove from pan and put aside in bowl.

Now add to the pan with the butter, the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil..about 30-40 seconds, scrapping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Stir in the lemon zest and parsley.

Take the shrimp from the bowl and then spoon the butter mixture on top of the shrimp and then serve with side dishes of choice.

This will feed 4 people and take about 30-35 mins to prepare and cook!!!

Thank you food network for another delicious recipe!!!

Stuffed Eggplant with Shrimp & Chorizo

Only in Ixtapa

Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp & Chorizo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Med Eggplant Cut in half lengthwise, then make criss-cross markings to allow removal
• ½ med onion, chopped
• 2 TBS chorizo chopped (optional, but gives it a nice kick)
• 1 med sized Portobello mushroom, chopped
• 10-12 medium shrimp – peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt, pepper, garlic seasoning, some red pepper flakes..whatever you want!
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 cup white wine (good stuff, that you would drink yourself!!)
• 1-2 TBS bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, chop, and reserve. Coat shells with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; and put in oven on top shelf to soften shells
2. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Sauté minced garlic and then add onion and cook for 1-2 mins.  Then add chopped Chorizo and cook another 2-3 mins. Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant and chopped mushroom. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine, and cook 5 minutes.  TAKE EGGPLANT SHELLS OUT OF OVEN.
3. Next add chopped shrimp and cook 1-2 mins.  Add breadcrumbs if too moist, a little at a time.
4.  Stuff mixture into eggplant shells, and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and then Monterey Cheese and put back in oven
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.
6. Then ENJOY!!!

*****Thank you, once again, All-Recipes for the guidance of this recipe!!!*****

Shrimp Tacos with Lime-Cilantro-Chipolte Sauce

Shrimp Tacos with Lime-Cilantro-Chipolte Sauce

4 servings (2 tacos each)

INGREDIENTS for SAUCE:

• ¼ c thinly sliced green onions
• ¼ c chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 TBS mayonnaise
• 3 TBS sour cream
• 1 TBS grated lime zest (Hell, I used the whole lime!!)
• 2 TBS lime juice
• Salt  to taste
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1-2 whole chipotle in adobo minced (start with one and taste then add. This gives a GREAT kick!)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside

INGREDIENTS for SHRIMP:

1. 8 Jumbo shrimp peeled, deveined grossly chopped (I used frozen Jumbos, thawed)
2. 1 TBS butter
3. 1 TBS olive oil
4. 1TBS minced garlic
5. 1/8 c minced red onion
6. 1 tsp Mexican seasoning  or make your own with cumin, coriander, smoked paprika etc)
7. 1 Avacado chopped
8. 7-8 grape tomatoes chopped
9. 2 c shredded cabbage in a bag
10. 4-5 (6-inch) corn tortillas or flour tortillas heated in microwave or oven

Sauté  butter, oil & garlic in large pan.  Then add minced red onion followed by chopped shrimp and cook for 5-6 minutes until shrimp is pink.  Add Mexican seasoning, continue stirring.  Take heated tortillas, put shrimp, followed by cabbage, then avocado, tomatoes and top with chipotle sauce and have plenty of napkins and some nice cold Negra Modelo Beers!!!!!!! You can even add green onions, more cilantro…whatever you have…the choice is all yours!!!!! ENJOY!!!

“Put the Lime in the Coconut…”

Lime Coconut Shrimp

INGREDIENTS:  ¾ c panko (japanese breadcrumbs)

• 
• ½ c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 TBS finely grated lime peel
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 18 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined with the tails left intact
• peanut oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Mix panko, coconut and lime peel, salt & pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk eggs in another medium bowl to blend
4. Add shrimp to bowl with eggs and toss to coat. One shrimp at a time, take from egg bowl and roll shimp in bowl with panko mixture and then when coated, place on parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Put enough p’nut oil in pan to have depth of ¼ in and heat over medium heat.
6. Working in batches, add shrimp to skillet and cook until golden brown (about 2 mins per side) or until opaque. Transfer to paper towel to drain.
7. Arrange shrimp on platter and serve warm!!

THIS RECIPE IS GREAT WITH THE CHEDDAR/BACON & CHIVE BISCUITS!!!!



Parmesan Scallops with Spinach Alfredo

This sounds difficult, but it is sooooooo easy!!! And the people you serve will thing you slaved over the stove ALL DAY LONG!!!!  NOT!!!!

• 1 pkg alfredo sauce mix (such as Knorr or McCormick)
• 2 cups fat free milk (or if calories are not a problem use 1/2 & 1/2)
• 1 TBS oil
• 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms….any kind you want!!!
• 1 (10) package of fresh spinach OR  a 12 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed!! Again….I give you choices!!
• 3/4 c grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 lbs (or 3 sea scallops each) of sea scallops (those are the big ones and they can be fresh or frozen and thawed!
• cooking spray

Okay, prepare the sauce according to package directions and set aside.

Put oil in pan and put over medium/high heat until it is hot (it glistens)

Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes.  Then add the spinach and saute until cooked or wilted (depending on whether or not you used fresh or frozen)

Once both are cooked, and stir in Alfredo sauce and put on low.

In another saucepan, heat 1 TBS of oil until hot….

Now, combine parmesan cheese AND italian seasoning in a bowl.  Take the scallops and spray the tops with the cooking spray and then dredge in the cheese/seasoning and then put them in a hot pan and sear for about 1 minute, then turn over and sear the other side and cook.  No more than 2 minutes or until the color is opaque.

When scallops are done, take the alfredo spinach and coat the bottom of a bowl and then top with 3 scallops…sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on top and serve.  You can even put this over cooked pasta!! Serve with a nice crusty bread and of course, a GREAT glass of wine or beer!! The choice is yours!!!

As always….BONER APPETITE!!!!