Paella, a Spanish dish like gumbo

I had a call from a friend asking how to make Paella. She had been to one of the islands and had it for the first time. It is as common in the islands as gumbo is in Louisiana and lower Mississippi. It is also somewhat similar to gumbo and can be made many ways.

The following is from one of my grandsons. He loves to cook and has made this several times when I visited. I love dishes with the combination of rice and tomatoes. Hope some of you try and enjoy this Spanish dish. Have a good week and I’ll be seeing you around … Agnes.

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Paella

8 chicken thighs, skin and bone removed

8 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound fresh fish, cut into 1-inch chunks

4 teaspoons Creole seasoning

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, cut in half (top to bottom) and sliced

1 cup chicken stock

4 cups diced tomatoes

4 ounces chorizo, diced

8 fresh mussels

½ cup green peas or less but not more

4 cups cooked yellow rice

Fresh cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges, for garnish

Season the chicken and seafood with Creole seasoning in separate small bowls and toss to evenly coat. Place the olive oil in a sauté pan and heat the oil until hot. Add the chicken and onion and cook for 30 seconds. Add the fish and shrimp and sauté the seafood and chicken until partially cooked. Remove the shrimp and add the chorizo and cook, stirring until the chorizo begins to melt its fat. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, and mussels and cook until the chicken is cooked through, approximately four to five minutes. Add the green peas and cooked hot yellow rice and stir the ingredients to evenly mix. Arrange shrimp on top, pushing down in the rice and continue to cook and stir the paella until most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice. You can place it on a serving platter but I serve from the pan with fresh cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish. Serve with a crusty bread and salad.

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Tomolives

(This is good to use some of those small tomatoes.)

4 pounds tiny green tomatoes (I use the plum tomatoes)

1 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered

2 sprigs fresh dill

20 ounces water

10 ounces white vinegar

1 ounce salt

Wash tomatoes and pack into clean quart jars. In each jar place 2 quarters of garlic clove and one spray of dill. Boil vinegar, salt and water together for one minute and pour over tomatoes. Leave 1/4” headroom and adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

NOTE: For looks – carefully take the core out of the tomato and push in a piece of almond or pimento before placing tomatoes in jar.

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Recipe for Thought:

Layman’s 10 Commandments

Someone has written these beautiful words. They are like the Ten Commandments to follow in life all of the time!

1] Prayer is not a “spare wheel” that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a “steering wheel” that directs the right path throughout the journey.

2] So why is a car’s WINDSHIELD so large and the rear view mirror so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes a few minutes to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it. They will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry. They can’t last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don’t forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn’t solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: “Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?” He replied: “Yes, losing your vision!”

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them. Sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES; it takes away today’s PEACE.

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