Seafood Paella

To continue our Spanish feast for New Years Eve, we tried our hand at seafood paella. Wow, what a feast- we were SO stuffed! We spared no expense either- we had lots of meats and I bought the ever expensive saffron. It was a perfect team effort- lots of chopping and stirring and timing decisions to be made. Tons of fun!



Seafood Paella

• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 1 Spanish Churizo Sausage, cut into slices
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Green Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 2 C. Arborio (Risotto) Rice
  
• 4 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• 1/2 tsp. Saffron Threads
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 1/2 C. Frozen Peas
  
• Shrimp, Clams, Scallops (large and/ or small), Tilapia (or other white fish- about 1/2 Lbs.)

1. In a large stock pot, saute the onions, peppers and garlic in a generous amount (3Tbsp or so) of olive oil until nice and aromatic.
   
2. Add in chicken and chorizo. Saute until almost cooked through.
   
3. Pour in the rice and stir to coat with oil. Pour in broth and white wine, bringing to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, add in the saffron, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
   
4. Stir the rice occasionally to make it creamy.
   
5. As it the rice starts to get soft, add in the seafood. First add in the tilapia, then the shrimp and clams, and finally the scallops. You don't want to cook any of the seafood too long or it will get tough.
   
6. When the rice is tender, remove the bay leaf and any unopened clams. Stir in the peas. As soon as the peas are warmed through, serve hot.

Happy New Years- Spain Style!

Happy New Years blog readers!

Ok, so yeah, New Years has long come and gone. It's a time for resolutions- should one of mine be to post my recipes in a timely manner? Probably- too bad I don't do resolutions!

We had a fantastic New Years Eve here in Maine. My co-blogger Dianna Lee and her new husband came up from Boston for a night of delicious food, fun games, and good company. The best is that they stayed over, so there was no curfew or restrictions. We opted for a Spanish feast theme. Sangria, ceviche, Spanish almonds, and paella... delicioso!

We started the evening with the almonds, ceviche and sangria.


Sangria
From all sorts of places- and I don't really remember the exact quantities now- but here goes nothing!

• 4 C. Red Wine- a big jug o' the cheap stuff!
  
• 1/2 C. Triple Sec
  
• 1/4 C. Plain Rum
  
• 1/2 C. Orange Juice
  
• 1/4 C. Maraschino Cherries, with liquid
  
• 1 Orange, Sliced
  
• 1 Lime, Sliced and Squeezed
  
• Lemon flavored Seltzer

1. Mix together the wine, liquors, OJ, and fruits in a large pitcher. Chill for at least 8 hours.
   
2. Add ice before serving. Pour into goblets, leaving room to top off with seltzer to the top.

Ceviche

• 8 Large Scallops
  
• 10 Raw Shrimp
  
• 3+ Large Limes
  
• 1 Avocado, chopped
  
• 1 Tomato, chopped
  
• 1/4 Cilantro, chopped

1. Place the seafood in a small bowl. Juice the limes over the seafood. You'll need enough juice to cover he shellfish. Cover with saran wrap and leave in the fridge overnight. The acid in the lime juice will cook the scallops and shrimp.
   
2. The next day, remove the seafood and rinse in a colander.
   
3. Mix together the fish, avocado, tomato and cilantro. Serve in clear bowls with a nice red wine.