Cheat’s Paella

I discovered Paella, along with my family, a number of years ago whilst visiting Barcelona, in Spain.

Paella is a dish that you can find in most restaurants in Spain, but the quality is varied, to say the least!

I had the good fortune of meeting a lovely, elderly Spanish lady who invited me and my family to her home where she cooked an authentic Paella from a recipe handed down to her from many generations ago.

This lovely lady spent hours in the kitchen, and the Paella really was to die for! Even my husband (who's not the biggest lover of seafood) was won over.

Over the last few years, I've been trying to create a cheat's version. Let's face it, I just don't have 4 hours spare to spend in the kitchen. And I think I've cracked it!

Is it as good as the one we had in Spain? Possibly not. But it's a very close second!

I always use Mahatma Yellow Rice. The thing with creating a quick version of a recipe is that you're not giving the dish time for the flavors to really develop. Choosing ingredients that have a lot of flavor already packed in is a must. I've found, over the years, Mahatma really does do the trick!

Happy National Spanish Paella Day!

Your Ingredients:

3/4 pounds of chorizo sausage (cooked)

4 tablespoons pf olive oil

1 pound of

Mahatma Yellow Rice

8 ounces of roasted red peppers (in a jar)

9 ounces of artichoke hearts (in a jar)

2 cups of water

2 cups of chicken / fish broth

1 pound of peeled large shrimp

1 pound of clams

1 cup of peas

1 cup of fresh parsley

How to make your Cheat's Paella

Cut the chorizo into chunks, either with a knife and cutting board, or with kitchen shears.

Add some oil to a large skillet (make sure it has a lid), and then add the chorizo. Saute for 5 minutes on a medium to high heat until the sausage chunks are crispy.

In the meantime, drain the roasted peppers and thinly slice. Also, drain the artichoke hearts.

Pour rice into the skillet containing chorizo, and add the sliced peppers, artichoke hearts, water and broth. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover skillet with the lid, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Most of the liquid should have absorbed by then.

Add the shrimp, clams and peas. Cover again and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, and no longer clear / glassy, and the clams have opened.

Roughly chop the parsley and sprinkle over.

Buen provecho!

Mom’s Secret Tip:

I always keep flavored rice in the cupboard as it's a quick and easy way to turn any meal into a flavorful and colorful one!