Spanish Paella

Sunday night's Spanish cena revolved around this classic Valencian dish: paella. I'd cooked a much less authentic paella before but now I wanted to get it right. This time I did my research. I read dozens of paella recipes, recommendations, and how to's. I never came across one recipe that I was completely satisfied with, so I developed my own. I took tidbits from almost every source I had consulted and this was the result.

From my research I concluded that a good paella uses several essential ingredients: short grain rice, saffron, smoked paprika, and chorizo. Luckily, I had the first and last both in my freezer. I scoured the local grocers for Spanish saffron and smoked paprika, which are rather rare and expensive. (Saffron being the most expensive spice in the world. You'll see why when you come across a bottle.) The tiny can of smoked paprika I purchased was straight from Spain (written in Spanish and all)- a good omen!

Paella can be made with a host of different protein components: seafood, poultry, pork, and game such as rabbit, or they can be omitted for the vegetarian. Often the specimens are thrown in the pot whole (dead, but still in tact). This is especially the case with seafood paella. Often it will be a huge vat of lobsters, mussels, clams, shrimp, crabs, etc. exoskeletons and all. As for chicken, it is often left one the bone, skin included, which allows the chicken juices to further improve the dish. But I even took the tails off our shrimp to please my husband, who hates having to de-shell his dinner.

On the topic of enhancing flavor, I'm proud to say that I used my own homemade chicken stock in this dish! I had boiled the remains of my roasted sticky chicken last week and made a high-quality, yet FREE chicken stock. Good stock is pricey, so don't waste those chicken bones! If you must, use store-bought stock or even broth (which is more diluted). I keep a case of free-range organic chicken broth in my pantry, because realistically I can't always make my own. In this case, I really reccomend buying organic which will at least limit the amount of additives and mystery chemicals you're consuming.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (or any cut of chicken you want)

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups short grain brown rice

4 cups chicken stock

2 links (6 oz.) Spanish chorizo, sliced

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 tsp. saffron threads, crumbled

1 (14 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes

1 lb. shrimp

1 cup frozen peas

fresh parsley, to garnish

lemon wedges, for serving

salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Rub chicken thighs with oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet/paella pan over medium heat. Sear all sides of chicken thighs in oil, then remove.

2. In the same skillet, adding more olive oil if necessary, saute onion and peppers (and celery if using) until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add rice and sliced chorizo and saute for a few minutes.

3. Into the saute pan, add the smoked paprika, bay leaf, lemon zest and saffron threads. Pour in chicken stock and can of tomatoes. Add back in the seared chicken thighs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low. Cook covered (without stirring) until rice has absorbed most of the water and the chicken is cooked through. (This took 1 hour for the short grain brown rice I used.)

4. Add in the shrimp and peas for the last 10 minutes. Remove from the heat once the shrimp are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 6-8.

Apple, Brie, Pecan, and Spinach Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

I used to be a romaine girl. That was until I discovered baby spinach. Romaine still has it's moments (think Caesar, taco, and a few other salads). But now I actually prefer spinach in my salad. The main reason being that it has such a mild flavor and blends well with almost any dressing. It is especially complementary to sweeter salad toppings. Now that you can buy bite-size baby spinach there's no reason to not get your full serving of greens every day! We've eaten a lot of spinach lately as I've been experimenting with a plethora of salad recipes. In the meantime, I've also discovered some incredible dressings! This Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette has that rich and classic balsamic flair, but with the sweet note of pure maple syrup. It's the perfect balance of fruity (olive oil), tangy (balsamic), and sweet (maple). If you love brie, then you will adore this salad. After I ran out of spinach, I started spreading brie on a baguette, layering it with granny smith apple slices, and dipping it in my vinaigrette drippings. Sometimes those on-the-spot recipe inventions are the most surprising and delicious!

INGREDIENTS
baby spinach
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
brie, cubed
pecans, chopped (toasted is optional)

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. To assemble salad: layer spinach, apple, and brie in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with pecans. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve.

2. To make the vinaigrette: Pour vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard into a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine and then with the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Roasted Sticky Chicken

I'm a huge fan of store bought rotisserie chickens- they are juicy, intensely flavorful and can be eaten as is or used in so many different ways! Now (for barely any extra effort) I can make my own rotisserie-style chicken at home! This recipe was shockingly easy to prepare and is low-maintenance from start to feast. Marinating the chicken in the spice rub overnight is ideal. Then just pop it in a low temperature oven and let it go until your meat thermometer reads 170 F. Take it out, let it sit for a while so that the juices settle (you don't want to cut into the meat right away or you will ruin that perfect moistness), and dine on your savory and succulent bird.

With just two of us, we had a lot of leftover meat, which I'll be using to make wraps for dinner tonight. Also, remember to save the carcass to make chicken stock. It's simple: boil the bones/leftovers with a few aromatic veggies (carrots, onion, celery), bay, and black peppercorns for a few hours (or all day if you are truly ambitious). Strain. Cool. Skim the fat off the top. Freeze in smaller containers until ready to use. You can also freeze the chicken leftovers until you have enough to make a large batch of stock if you wish. And I'm sure it's obvious how much better for you homemade stock is than buying a carton at the store (not that I don't buy it often).

Coming soon, I'll be trying another method of roasting chicken: fast and firey (at a very high temp). We'll have to see which results in the more tender and tastey fowl. Until then, I wish you roasting success!

INGREDIENTS

1 4-5 lb. whole chicken, giblets removed

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 onion, quartered

4 large cloves garlic, smashed

olive oil or butter

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture (and under the skin). Place onion and garlic into the cavity of the chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place chickens in a roasting pan. Brush/rizzle with a small amount of butter or olive oil. Bake uncovered for 4-5 hours, or to a minimum internal temperature of 170 degrees F (180 is unnecessary- your bird will be dried out). Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Tomato, Pesto, and Mozzarella Panini

This is another sandwich recipe that I photocopied from one of Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)'s cookbooks. Grilled mozzarella and tomato is an Italian classic, so you could find this basic recipe almost anywhere. If you want to buy a truckload (I'm exaggerating) of fresh basil, you could make your own pesto. That's not something I've decided to conquer yet though, so I bought a jar of it to stash in the freezer, nice and handy for occasional use. (Plus you'll probably spend as much or more on the basil and pine nuts to make a smaller amount than you'll get pre-made.) These simple ingredients also make for a fantastic pizza! Try my Pizza Dough recipe brushed with a layer of pesto and topped with sliced beefsteaks and mozzarella. But as for this sandwich...there is something about paninis that makes them irresistible! Crusty, warm, golden-grilled bread oozing with cheese. I'm always drawn to paninis on a menu, knowing that they'll hit the spot. Paired with a green salad, this panini makes a gourmet lunch or quick satisfying dinner.

INGREDIENTS

1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced 1/4-inch thick

fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick

4 thick slices of hearty whole wheat french or sourdough bread

1/4 cup prepared pesto or whole fresh basil leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

butter or olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat griddle or panini press.

2. Spread each slice of bread with pesto (1 Tbsp. each) or layer fresh basil on one slice of bread. Place a single layer of tomatoes on top of the pesto. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place a single layer of mozzarella on top of the tomatoes. Top with the second slice of bread, pesto side down.

3. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with olive oil or spread with softened butter. Grill for several minutes, until the mozzarella is melted and the sandwich has browned. Serve warm.

Makes 2 paninis.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These oatmeal raisin cookies are amazing: thick, chewy, soft, and full of whole grain goodness! I've tried my fair share of oatmeal raisin recipes, and this is the best to date! I divided my dough and filled half with raisins and half with dried sweetened cranberries (for the picky husband). Both were excellent. Be sure not to over bake them- if they are browned they are probably too well done and will harden. You want them to stay soft and delicate once cooled.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (I used organic cane sugar instead)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

3. Optional: chill the dough before baking for thicker, chewier cookies.

4. Bake cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 dozen large cookies.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Whole Wheat Sour Cream Pancakes

Breakfast for dinner is novel no matter how old you are. My mom often cooked elaborate Sunday dinners (roasted turkey, pot roast and mashed potatoes...mmm!) but the occasions when we'd whip together a batch of pancakes, fry up some bacon and scramble some eggs (always with cheese on top) are to this day the most memorable nights. In keeping with tradition, and partially out of sheer laziness, I made pancakes for dinner tonight. I had never tried pancakes with sour cream in them. I know it lends a unique tang and moistness when used in muffins and cakes, so I figured it would be a successful addition. And it was! These are the quintessential light and fluffy pancakes! And in my opinion, they had much more flavor than the boring out-of-the-box kind.

As you might notice, the pancakes I photographed have no toppings on them. That's because I couldn't commit to just one type! After shooting photos, I deconstructed my stack and one by one (even slicing some of them in half) commenced topping testing. I tried pure maple syrup (classic), blackberry syrup from a local farm (incredible), plain Greek yogurt AND blackberry syrup (even more incredible-sweet syrup balancing out tangy yogurt), and best of all...Nutella! Nutella straight from Paris that is. A lovely friend of our recently returned from a rendezvous in France and brought us a coveted jar of French Nutella. I'll rave about it's wonders in a future post, but for now, know that it is divine!!! And I can't forget to mention pancakes topped with Nutella and banana slices! (Peanut butter and banana pancakes are also out of this world, but I was too full to make it that far.)

INGREDIENTS

2 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and sour cream.

2. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix just until no lumps remain.

3. Preheat a skillet/griddle over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Drop batter by the 1/4 cup-full onto the hot skillet/griddle. Flip when beginning to bubble, cooking until golden on both sides. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Baking Bites)

Whole Wheat Garlic Naan

I love the look of this pan-fried buttery garlic naan! It puffs and bubbles and sizzles when you add it to the skillet and a few minutes later (flipping once partway through) you have fresh homemade Indian bread. You can roll it out super thin, or leave it semi-thick for a more doughy chewy result (my preference). Infusing the butter with garlic before cooking the naan provides that essential burst of garlic flavor while eliminating the chance of scorching the garlic, which would be almost unavoidable if it were left in chunks. We topped our naan with brown rice and tikka masala sauce. This recipe makes a good amount, depending on how large and thick you roll them. It will safely serve 4, possibly 6. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or oven.

While the above method worked great, in the future I plan to try baking naan on a pizza stone. You can place your rolled-out dough on a preheated (450-500F) pizza stone until puffed and browned. Only after safely removing it from the stone and oven, and while it is still hot, you will want to brush it with the garlic butter. If anyone has tried this alternative, I'd be interested to hear how it turned out!

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. white sugar (or honey)
3 Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2-4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread flour
2 tsp. minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, yogurt, egg, salt, baking soda, and enough flour to make dough soft. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 6-8 minutes or until dough is smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls (about golf ball size) and roll into balls. Place on a tray, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. To infuse butter with garlic, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden. Strain the garlic and save the butter to brush over the naan.

4. Preheat grill, griddle, or saute pan to medium high heat. Roll each ball of dough into a thin circle (or thicker for chewier naan). Lightly butter the grill pan. Place dough on pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. Brush the uncooked side with the garlic infused butter and flip over. Cook until puffy and browned. Remove from the grill and continue until all the naan has been cooked. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Spinach, Pear, and Walnut Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I've been eyeing the bottles of POM juice at the grocery for some time now, trying to figure out what use I could put that much pomegranate juice to (besides just drinking it of course). Pure pomegranate juice is expensive and I didn't want to have any excuse to waste it. On our trip to the Outer Banks last week we had lunch at a little gourmet deli where I ordered a spinach salad and pomegranate blueberry vinaigrette. After one bite I knew I had to create my own! While I found the vinaigrette recipe on a web search (at Oprah.com of all places), I put together my own ingredients for the salad base. Baby spinach, semi-firm pears, tart dried cranberries, crumbled feta cheese, and crunchy walnuts combine beautifully together. The bright ruby pomegranate vinaigrette is aromatic, sweet, and my favorite dressing yet! I've had this salad every day now since I first made it. I can't stop eating it. I can't stop thinking about eating it. Thank goodness there is some left from dinner last night...lunch can't come soon enough! Because I've still barely made a dent in the bottle of POM sitting cheerily on the top shelf of my fridge, there will be more pomegranate recipes to come. I'll probably experiment with a few more dressings as well. Until then, happy POM dreams!

INGREDIENTS

6 oz. baby spinach

2 ripe (but still firm) Bartlett pears, thinly sliced

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. pomegranate juice

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. honey

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Divide spinach among 4 serving bowls. Top with pears, walnuts, feta, and cranberries.

2. To make the vinaigrette combine pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey in a small bowl. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTE: DO NOT use a food processor to make this dressing. It will completely change the color and texture of the dressing- it just doesn't work!

3. Serve salad drizzled with vinaigrette, or on the side.

Serves 4.