I made my own version of the paella for a weekday meal. Paella is a Spanish rice dish made of rice mixed with onion, bell peppers, chorizo sausage, seafood and blend of saffron, cayenne pepper and tomato sauce. In the traditional cooking, all the ingredients are cooked in a huge outdoor 'pan.' Of course, I don't have an outdoor 'pan' or saffron spice, which is the most expensive spice in the world! I just experimented with ingredients I had in my fridge and felt like having a quick meal in one singular bowl so I could veg. on my sofa and watch the Asian Food Channel. Here's how I made my paella:
Paula's Paella - serves 4
1 whole yellow onion
2 cups of baby shrimps
3 chorizo sausauges
1 1/2 cup of mixed rice - long grain (the traditional paella uses short grain)
1 whole cauliflower
a can of tomato paste - I only like 3 tbsps. of it in this dish.
sea salt + black pepper for seasoning
Directions:
1) Dice the onions and place into a pan in high heat. Cook until there's caramelization, which is when the onion turns brown-color and the sugar starts to surface into a nice, gooey texture.
2) Wash and cut hte cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Steam or boil the cauliflower for 12 minutes so that it'll be easier to cook in the pan.
3) Cut-up the chorizo sausages and place them in the pan with the caramelized onions.
4) Toss the shrimp in the pan when the chorizo ssusage appear to be 'wilting' a bit.
5) In a rice cooker, cook the mixed rice which takes about 45 minutes.
6) Toss the cauliflower into the pan with the other ingredients. Blend them together so they can be happy!
7) Add 3 tbsps of tomato paste + 1 tsp. of sea salt and a dash of black pepper.
8) Give the pan one big toss.
Serving: In a 'noodle' bowl, place the rice in a mound. Then, ladle the mixture on top.
Bon Appetit. There you have it, my version of the paella for a quick, weekday after-work home-cooked meal! Try it. Hope you'll like it as much as I do! ;-)
