PA’ ELLA!

(4 to 6 servings/ 45 min) ..time Flyes in the kitchen so do it!
Paella often looks like a big deal, but in its soul its just rice with good stuff in it, isn’t it!? that stuff can be anything, so lets make a healthier paella!! (The common restaurant paella is just an interpretation.) This version relies on good tomatoes, but you can use eggplant, root vegetables or winter squash, or improvise in other ways: Substitute a few scallops or mussels for the sausage and shrimp; toss slices of eggplant, zuccini, mushroom caps, or carrots in some olive oil; and set them on top of the rice to roast. To use White rice here, reduce oven time by about half.
3 ½ cups any stock or water plus more if needed, pinch saffron threads (optional but do it..!) 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into thick Hedges, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 1 tblspoon tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Spanish pimenton(paprika), 3 ounces chorizo cut into ¼ inch pieces. , 2 cups short grain brown rice, 6 large peeled shrimp; or 2 boneless chicken tights, cut into ½ inch chuncks, 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, copped fresh parsley leaves for garnish.
1. Heat the oven to 450F. Warm the stock, and the saffron if you’re using it, in a small sucepan. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle them with one tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat.
2. Put the remaining oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens 3 to 5 min. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, and chorizo if you are using it and cook it for a miute more.
3. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until its shiny, another minute or two. Carefully add the warm stock and stir until just combined, then stir in the shrimp and peas.
4. Put the tomato wedges on top of the rice and drizzle with the juices that accumulated in the bottom of the bowl. Put the pan in the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Check and see if the rice is nearly dry and just tender. If not, return the pan the oven for 5 min and check again, and repeat if necessary. If the rice looks too dry at a point, but still isn’t quite done, ass a small amount of stock or water. When the rice is ready, turn off the oven and let it sit for at least 5 and up to 15 min.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. If you lik, put the pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving.

Everyone loves paella! serve it with sangria! (recipe coming soon..!)