Shelf Cooking: Family Friendly Shrimp and Sausage Paella (not spicy)

Things are a little different here these days. May of us are staying home, almost all of us find ourselves cooking at home more often. If you’re like me, after 30 days you’ve made all the “family favorites,” and are looking for new ideas. I’m sharing a new recipe I tried, and look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks!

We made this dish and it was such a huge hit! Paella is usually made with the wonderful (but expensive) spice called saffron. Have you ever tried it? Since we’re practicing shelf cooking (meaning cooking at home with what we have, instead of running to the store with a list of ingredients) I had to improvise a little. Here’s my version of this delectable dish!

 

Ingredients

1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced into ¼inch pieces

2 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (or green bell pepper) 

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with herbs, un-drained

3 cups chicken broth (or hot water and 3 tsp better than bullion seasoning)

2 cups uncooked long-grain rice (or Mexican rice)

1 lb peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed

1 cup frozen sweet peas

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

 

Directions

1. Fill electric kettle (or 2-quart saucepan) with water (or chicken broth in saucepan) and bring to a boil.
2. In a large paella pan or 3-inch-deep 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned. Remove sausage and add chopped onions lightly salted until softened, add bell peppers stirring occasionally until crisp-tender. Reduce heat to low add garlic and tomatoes and combine.
3. Sprinkle in rice and pour over heated broth or hot water and add 3 tsp better than bullion chicken concentrate; heat to a boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Add shrimp and peas. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until rice is tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

 

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Let me know if you make this recipe! And if you modify it, I’m always looking for new meal ideas at dinner time. Stay safe, stay healthy friends!

xo,

Christine

Spring Patio Refresh

Welcome rain storms, and lots of beautiful outdoor time. Target is having a great patio sale. And if you have a red card, this should all ship free to your house! We have this table and chair and bench from last year and we love them! They’ve held up so well.

This is also a great time of year to plant flowers for the early summer! I’ve linked some of my favorite I’ve added to our garden over the last few years. Here in North Carolina we have the perfect conditions for growing beautiful peonies.

 

 

Dinning patio table | Dinning chairs | Bench

Umbrella | Wicker Patio Love Seat | Side Table | Basket

Navy Chair Cushions | Stripped Accent Pillow | Woven Rug

Hydrangea | Peony | Peony | Shirley Temple Peony

Hanging Planter

 

Please comment below your plans for your garden this spring. Are you a container gardener? Do you have flower beds? Or maybe you have a balcony with some succulents? Tell us your favorite way to spend more time outdoors!

 

xo,

Christine