Traditional Spanish Paella

Nourishing, vibrant, and without pretension, paella has held a place of honor and practicality in Spanish homes for centuries. To round out this meal, choose a good Spanish red wine from the Rioja region, a crusty baguette, and a light salad.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups paella, 1 shrimp, and 1 mussel)

Ingredients

• Herb Blend:
• 1  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 2  large garlic cloves, minced
• 
  Paella:
• 1  cup  water
• 1  teaspoon  saffron threads
• 3  (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 8  unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half
• 2  links Spanish chorizo sausage (about 6 1/2 ounces) or turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1  (4-ounce) slice prosciutto or 33%-less-sodium ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2  cups  finely chopped onion
• 1  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1  cup  canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1  teaspoon  sweet paprika
• 3  large garlic cloves, minced
• 3  cups  uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
• 1  cup  frozen green peas
• 8  mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

To prepare the herb blend, combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.

To prepare paella, combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add sausage and prosciutto; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp, and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper; saute 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas. Bring to a low boil; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mussels to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

521 (23% from fat)

Fat:

13.3g (sat 3.7g,mono 6.8g,poly 2g)

Protein:

25.5g

Carbohydrate:

72.1g

Fiber:

3.6g

Cholesterol:

80mg

Iron:

6mg

Sodium:

871mg

Calcium:

60mg