Paella

So here is my version of Paella (pronounced PIE-A-UH). This dish was very easy to make, the only thing I needed to purchased was Saffron and boy is it worth it! I know this isn't the "normal" when it comes to Paella but it's well worth making it. My boys LOVED it. Because I'm still on my diet, I didn't try this dish but was told it was really good. Can I just say one thing, DIETS SUCK! Seriously, I hate the fact that I put on so much weight while pregnant but when I look at my sweet little Gillian, it obviously was WORTH EVERY BITE!

I will be listing ingredients per cooking instructions.

Marinade for the chicken:

2 T of Olive Oil

1 T of paprika

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

salt and pepper

2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 2 inch pieces

Mix together and put in refrigerator for about an hour.

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Ingredients for the rice:

2 T of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups of uncooked short grain white rice

1 pinch of saffron threads

1 bay leaf

1/2 bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 quart of chicken stock (do not use chicken broth!)

2 lemons, zested

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and rice. Cook, stirring to coat rice with oil for about 3 minutes. Stir in Saffron threads, bay leaf and parsley.

Now add chicken stock and lemon zest to the rice and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Take chicken and your diced onions and add to a pan and cook on medium high heat. Stir in your chorizo sausage (because my husband doesn't like chorizo, I did not add it).

This is what your chicken will look like a few minutes after you start cooking it.

Now add your diced red bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add your shrimp on top and cover. Cook until all your shrimp is pink.

Meanwhile, your rice should be cooked. Look at how the Saffron turned the rice this beautiful yellow! It smelled SO good.

Now that the shrimp is pink and the chicken is done, it's time to plate up. Serve meat mix and a spoonful or two of broth in the middle of your rice. Enjoy!

P.S. I added hot sauce to the mix as my husband was wanting MORE spice to it.