Presenting: Paella...ish

Today, my fabulously talented friend Minty Jeffrey, co-founder of Colors NW magazine, gamely suggested I attempt to make Paella. As a Mexican, I felt it my duty to bastardize the authentic Spanish recipe as best I could. But a quick google revealed that the Spanish themselves can't agree on what an authentic paella is. It can have seafood, chicken, sausage. The cook decides what vegetables to use based on the direction of the wind and the seasonally available produce.

The only common threads seemed to be: Rice. Onion. Meat. Saffron. Vegetables. They claimed one must use an open fire, blah, blah blah. And I'm sure it's very good that way. But it is Portland, Oregon in January. Inside it is.

Paella-ish.

2 Cups Jasmine Rice $2 (@ $3.99/2 lb bag)
4 small pieces frozen Organic Chicken $8
1 package frozen Asparagus $2.99
1 Diced Onion $.69
2 cloves Chopped Garlic
1 healthy pinch Saffron $1 ($11/gram)
4 cups broth or water and Bouillon
1/2 cup diced Cilantro $.34
1 Lemon $.50
1 cup Diced tomatoes $.94 (@ 1.89/12 ounce can)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Don't have a paella pot? Use a deep, wide saucepan with a lid instead. Brown the chicken quickly in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Set aside. In the same pan, cook the onions, garlic, cilantro and tomatoes until clear and caramelized. Mix in two cups of uncooked rice, then the broth.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add the cooked chicken, saffron and asparagus. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice has fluffed up around the chicken and vegetables. Be careful to keep the heat on a medium/low, otherwise, the long cooking time will scorch your rice.

Here's what mine looked like when I added the chicken and Asparagus:



Here's what it looked like on my plate, garnished with a lemon twist:





Total Price: $16.46