Spanish Skillet Chicken

Have you visited my friend Thatgirl's blog? You really should. She is smart, witty, and an excellent cook. She also puts my blog to shame with the sheer quantity of blogging she does- I mean, I was lucky to get what I did in this month, and she's posting like every day! Show off... I kid, I KID!

One of the best things about a number of her recipes is that they are simple. She uses good ingredients and lets them shine, and the meals are quick to prepare. And when this one popped up in my blog reader, I knew it was a keeper. In fact, I made it only about a week or two later to rave reviews. (Did I mention she's a lot better at posting than I am?)

This was perfect- my only tweaks were eliminating the parsley (that I didn't have on hand) and the addition of avocado. Which I can't believe she didn't add- she LOVES that green creamy fruit! It is so totally making a comeback to our kitchen, maybe in the dead of winter when we need a little of that Spanish sun feel!


Spanish Skillet Chicken
From Paved with Good Intentions

• 1 Chicken Breast
  
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, divided
  
• 1 Shallot, chopped
  
• 1 Clove Garlic, chopped
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
  
• 3/4 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 2-3 Tbsp Green Olives, chopped
  
• 1 Avocado, cubed

1. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken, flipping once, until it is browned on each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm with foil on top.
   
2. Add shallot, garlic, and vinegar to skillet and bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
   
3. Add broth and return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.
   
4. Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter.
   
5. Serve chicken over couscous. Drizzle sauce on top and generously sprinkle olives and avocado for a delicious complete meal!

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.