Simple Spanish Paella

I love the opportunity to cook with my husband. But with our busy schedules and two small kids, we have rarely take the time to make a meal together. But last weekend we took the time to make one of our all time favorites. On the menu: Spanish Paella.

We've made paella before, but usually it's the "cheat version" with pre-seasoned saffron rice. This time we were making the real deal and I was excited to use some imported Spanish saffron my brother-in-law had given me for Christmas. I really think the saffron made this dish great. Although it's kind of pricey, a little goes a long way. If you don't have it on hand you can purchase it at Trader Joe's for around $7.

Served with a bottle of Spanish Red Wine, this dish was a complete meal on its own. It made so much, we called my parents over to join us at the last minute. And as added bonus, our two year old devoured this dish, including the mussels and calamari!

Spanish Paella
serves 4

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 cups enriched white rice
* 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
* 1 quart chicken broth or stock
* 2 cups, cooked diced chicken tenders
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3/4 pound chorizo, casing removed and sliced on an angle
* 1 pound mixed seafood (I used a combo of scallops, shrimp, and calamari)
* 18 green lipped mussels, cleaned
* 1 cup frozen peas
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

Directions:

In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheat over medium high heat. Add olive oil, crushed garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and rice and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add saffron threads and broth, and bring liquid to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.
In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat, brown the chorizo until cooked through, approximately 4-6 minutes.

In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high brown the chorizo until cooked through, about4-6 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

After about 13 minutes, add shellfish to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture. Arrange cooked chicken and , onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley.

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A Lowcountry Feast – Frogmore Stew, and Blue Cheese Coleslaw

I love an impromptu party! So, last weekend when my husband I were both missing his hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina we decided to call up a few friends we hadn’t seen in a while, and celebrate the South with a lowcountry feast.

First item on the menu, Frogmore Stew! Now don’t let the name scare you (I apologize for the lesson to the Beaufortonians following this blog), Frogmore Stew has nothing to do with frogs. The name refers to the small town of Frogmore on St. Helena Island in Beaufort County. Others may call it Lowcountry Boil or even Beaufort Boil, but purists know it should always be called Frogmore Stew!

The recipe is so simple, and perfect for a party, but can easily be scaled down to a simple pot in the kitchen for you and your family. I love to serve this with my super simple Blue Cheese Coleslaw and some warm crusty bread. Also be sure to have plenty of cocktail sauce, fresh lemon and napkins on hand. However you decide to enjoy it, just make sure you call it the correct name!

Frogmore Stew
Serves 8 or more

* ½ container of Old Bay seasoning (or more, I tend to add close to a full container)
* 5-7 large red potatoes, cut into quarters
* 2 lbs. smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced into ½ inch pieces
* 4-5 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned, and cut into 3 inch cobs
* 3 pounds large shrimp (rinse to clean, but do not peel or de-vein)

Fill a large stock pot (or outside cooking pot) a little more than 1/2 full with water. Bring to a boil. Add Old Bay.

Add potatoes to the boil.

Add sliced kielbasa to the boil.

Cook potatoes and sausage for 8-10 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly tender.

Add corn, continue to boil for 2-3 minutes, before adding shrimp.

Add shrimp, cook until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, approximately 2-3 minutes.

As soon as shrimp are cooked through, immediately drain all liquid.

Empty all ingredients onto a large serving platter, garnish with lemon and serve with cocktail sauce.

PS: For the first timers – this is peel and eat shrimp. You may also want to have a few empty bowls on hand, for the shrimp peels.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw
Serves 8 or more

* half a head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
* half a head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
* 2 medium size carrots, shredded
* 1 cup blue cheese salad dressing (I prefer Bob’s Blue Cheese)
* ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese

In a large serving bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover and chill before serving.

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Cheesy Comfort Food - Baked Pesto Tortellini with Sweet Pesto Chicken Sausage

Some friends of ours recently had their first baby. I LOVED having home cooked meals delivered to our door after the birth of our children, so I always try to "pay it forward" when someone I know has a baby. I figured the weary-eyed parents could use some comfort food, so I was excited to put my own twist on a baked tortellini dish I'd seen from Giada De Laurentiis. What could be more comforting than lots of melted cheese and a creamy tomato sauce. Yum!

I added sweet pesto chicken sausage (from Trader Joe's), used pesto tortellini instead of cheese, and changed a few of the spices to what I had on hand. I think the sausage was a nice addition, and any Italian sausage would probably work. Next time I may try adding chicken and some sort of vegetable.

What makes this recipe so delicious is the smoked mozzarella cheese. It just adds something a little unexpected. It was slightly tough to find, but worth the extra trip to our local Italian market, which luckily for me is across the street from our house. (If you have trouble finding it, try a specialty market like Gelsons,Whole Foods or Fresh Market)

This dish can also be prepared ahead of time (I made mine during the kids nap time) and baked right before serving. I think it would also freeze well. To top it all off, my two year old gobbled up every last bite! I think that is the sign of a truly successful recipe.


Baked Pesto Tortellini with Sweet Pesto Chicken Sausage
Inspired by Giada De Laurentiis
serves 4-6

* Olive oil
* 2 sweet pesto chicken sausage links (or other any other variation of Italian sausage)
* 2 cups marinara sauce
* 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
* 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 1 pound purchased pesto and cheese tortellini
* 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

In a small sauté pan brown the sausage over medium-high heat, until cooked through. Remove sausage from pan, drain any excess oil on a paper towel, and let cool.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, and dried spices in a large bowl to blend.

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.

While pasta is cooking slice the sausage (about a ¼ inch thick).

Add the tortellini and sausage to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.
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