If you didn’t catch yesterday’s post let me catch you up. We kicked off our Monday by hosting a vibrant Spanish themed dinner (and a MAJOR giveaway) with two of my favorites, Le Creuset and Williams-Sonoma. And today, as promised, I’m sharing the recipes for my Easy Seafood Paella and Espinacas con Garbanzos.
So first, a little backstory: I love seafood paella. And I’ve wanted to take a stab at making my own for awhile now, but truthfully I’ve been a bit intimidated to try and tackle it at home. Though some recipes slightly vary, I’ve always enjoyed it as a traditional rice dish with fresh mussels, little neck clams and shrimp, simmering in a fiery bath of spices and seasonings (think cayenne, saffron, smoked paprika and more). It’s really no surprise that people from all over consider this traditional Spanish dish an elevated comfort food, and it’s dramatic one-pot presentation makes it a true show stopper.
To my delight, making my own seafood paella was so much easier than I had imagined. What I thought would be a painstakingly long process, turned into an under-30-minute (or just about) meal! I mean I was shocked. You will spend that active time simmering, blending and boiling, but you’ll find that the level and depth of flavors you’ll achieve is well worth the time spent over the paella pan.
Next up (which can serve as a first course to the seafood paella or by itself as a tapa) is the traditional Spanish side dish: Espinacas con Garbanzos, which translates to “spinach with chickpeas.” Sounds simple enough, but this spinach and chickpea Moorish-style stew is a comforting, filling dish that’s typically served hot and has a smoky, hearty flavor. This, like the seafood paella, is an under-30-minute dish, so it’s a great option when you’re hoping to kick up your weeknight routine or impress (without all the fuss) at your next dinner party. Truly, MKR
P.S. Don’t forget to enter our week-long giveaway with your chance to score a 16-piece Le Creuset set in the color of your choice! All the details are listed below in the widget, and I’d love to hear: what color would you choose?!
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups Spanish paella rice
- 1 cup peas
- 1 tsp. saffron threads
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb. shrimp, shelled & deveined
- 1 lb. little neck clams, scrubbed
- 1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- salt & pepper to taste
- Cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)
- Limes, for garnish (optional)
- In a large paella pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the rice, saffron, cayenne & smoked paprika and cook, stirring, until the grains are well coated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth slowly and stir in 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid, about 10 minutes.
- When the rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid, press the clams, shrimp and mussels, into the rice and top with the peas. Cover and cook until the shrimp are opaque and the clams have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams and mussels and serve immediately with cilantro and lime garnish (optional).
- When preparing your seafood discard any mussels or clams that will not stay shut to the touch before cooking.
- 2 cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 1 large bag fresh spinach, washed
- 1/4 cup blanched unsalted Marcona almonds, rough chopped
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar if sherry vinegar is hard to come by)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Coat a large saucepan over medium-high heat warm olive oil and add garlic, onion, cumin, cayenne and black pepper sautéing until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add almonds and lightly toast.
- Transfer the ingredients to a blender/food processor and add the sherry vinegar. Blend the ingredients together until you have a thick paste. Return the paste to the saucepan and add your garbanzo beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Stir gently until the chickpeas are fully coated by the sauce.
- Add the spinach and stir until spinach is wilted and everything is evenly incorporated.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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