Partly out of a desire to be creative but mostly in an attempt to win over R to some new foods, I have been trying to think outside the box with our dinner plans. He had always been my “I’ll-eat-anything” boy, but his pickiness keeps ratcheting up a few notches.
So when I found deep in the recesses of my recipe binder a recipe for quick paella that had been in there for who knows how long, I dusted it off and started thinking. Looking at the recipe, I noted it used shrimp, green olives, ham, rice and paprika. These foods are all on R’s favorite hits list, so I decided to give it a try.
This paella turned out to be “nice enough to serve company” good, but also suited our boys’ tastes too. SPH looked at me mid-meal and said, “this is a definite make-again.”
Quick Paella
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounce cubed smoked turkey (or ham)
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cups chicken or seafood broth, divided use
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound precooked shrimp
½ cup sliced green Spanish olives
In a large skillet or paella pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the smoked turkey or ham and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until it browns slightly. Remove from the pan. Add the onions, pepper, salt and fresh ground pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Return the turkey to the pan and add 3 cups of the broth, the rice, saffron and paprika. Bring to a boil reduce to simmer and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until the rice is the desired consistency.
Add more broth if necessary to fully cook the rice. Add the shrimp and olives, cooking until just heated through. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
SPC
Quick Paella
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounce cubed smoked turkey (or ham)
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cups chicken or seafood broth, divided use
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound precooked shrimp
½ cup sliced green Spanish olives
In a large skillet or paella pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the smoked turkey or ham and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until it browns slightly. Remove from the pan. Add the onions, pepper, salt and fresh ground pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Return the turkey to the pan and add 3 cups of the broth, the rice, saffron and paprika. Bring to a boil reduce to simmer and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until the rice is the desired consistency.
Add more broth if necessary to fully cook the rice. Add the shrimp and olives, cooking until just heated through. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
SPC