Paella with Chorizo and Seafood
April 27, 2010 | Filed Under Chorizo Sausages, Paella, Rice, Seafood, Shrimps, Squid | 18 Comments
Oh! When I saw Lululu’s paella the other day, I immediately had a hankering for some. I hadn’t eaten paella in a very long time. Her’s looked so appetizing and the best part of the recipe for me was that the ingredients were simple. I’d made paella a long time ago (a recipe by Tyler Florence), the ingredients were many (chicken, chorizo, saffron, clams, shrimp, lobster tails…) and I’d spent a fortune buying the ingredients. Although, the paella tasted really terrific and the recipe was tasty and definitely worth it, I was happy to see a simple, yet delicious-looking paella recipe.
Over the weekend, I went grocery shopping and bought my ingredients, mainly the shrimp and squid. The recipe called for arborio rice. However, despite going to three stores, I couldn’t find that rice. There was one more store to try but by then, I was too tired. It’s no fun lugging several grocery bags around the city. I had long grain rice at home and planned to use it, even though I wasn’t sure how that would turn out. Thankfully, Rosa’s Yummy Yums encouraged me to use what I had, although there’d be a difference in the recipe.
Feeling a bit tired lazy tired on the day I prepared this dish, I found that it wasn’t as labor intensive as expected. The only part of the recipe that was a pain in the neck was shelling and de-veining the shrimps. Yikes! Next time, I’ll consider paying a little extra for shrimps already de-veined. De-veining more than five shrimps is NOT fun. It took me FOR-EVAH to de-vein the darned things.
At the last minute, I realized that I didn’t have any white wine. So, I used vermouth. *shrugs*
To my delight, my paella with chorizo and seafood turned out really well. I loved it. My dog loved it, too. We were the only two at home, which was okay. More for us. 
Paz
Paella with Chorizo and Seafood
Lululu at Home
(serves 6 persons)
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 to 3 pieces Spanish Chorizo hot sausage, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 28-oz can tomato
3 cup warm chicken stock
1 Tbsp dried herbs of your choice
1lb shrimp, deveined
1 squid tube, cleaned and sliced
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup frozen peas
Directions:
In a large pan, brown sausages with olive oil over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.
Keep fat in pan. Sautee onion and garlic for 5 minutes until onion turns pale gold, but not brown.
Add rice and wine, and stir for 2 minutes. Add tomato, and keep stirring occasionally until 1/3 liquid is evaporated. Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and herbs, cook uncovered until 1/2 liquid is absorbed by the rice. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock, stirring. Cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Add sausage (push them into the rice).
Preheat oven to 400F.
Tuck the shrimps and squid rings into the rice. Sprinkle salt and pepper on seafood with the peas. After placing seafood ingredients in pan, sprinkle them with peas, salt and pepper. Place pan in oven to cook for 5 minutes until shrimps become pink and squid is slightly brown at the edge.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of each portion before serving.
New York Monday
April 25, 2010 | Filed Under New York Monday | 10 Comments
The city certainly looks beautiful with Spring flowers. This a part of the Broadway Malls, a landscaped median strip that stretches from 60th to 168th Street on Broadway. You’ll find flowers, trees, plants and benches to sit and enjoy nature and your surroundings. It’s like a little oasis in the middle of the Broadway.
Happy Monday.
Paz
Strawberry and Cream Cheese Muffins
April 20, 2010 | Filed Under Baking, Muffins, Strawberry and Cream Cheese Muffins | 13 Comments
Just recently, I was talking to a friend about starting a cleanse-detox program. It was supposed to be a way to clean out my system and start a healthier eating lifestyle. This meant no refined sugar, carbohydrates (rice, plantains, or pasta for me), dairy products, and caffeine (Coke for me). The detox program certainly didn’t include cream cheese.
Well, I saw a sale on big, fat, juicy-looking strawberries. The price was really reasonable and I remembered that I had this Strawberry and Cream Cheese Muffins recipe, which I’d been dying to try for a long time. I bought the strawberries , went home and made my Strawberry and Cream Cheese Muffins. They were G-O-O-D!
Cleanse-detox program? Forget about it. Well, forget about it for now. Maybe next time.
Oh! And yes, I know that my muffins are a bit pale-looking. I should have let them stay in the oven to brown a bit more but they were baked and ready to eat when I pulled them out. Next time, I’ll leave them in the oven a little longer. But despite their looks here, they still tasted G-O-O-D. Yes, they did!
Paz
Strawberry and Cream Cheese Muffins
(makes 12 regular-size muffins)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into very small pieces
For Cream Cheese Mixture
4oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat over to 350F. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners.
In a small bowl, mix together with a spoon the cream cheese mixture ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
In a big bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and egg until incorporated.
Use a spatula, mix the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Fold together until combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, filling them no more than 1/2 full.
Scatter a few pieces of strawberry on top of each one.
Top it with a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture, a tablespoon of muffin batter, and finally a few more pieces of strawberry.
Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes, until they’re light golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
New York Monday: Springtime Sights
April 18, 2010 | Filed Under New York Monday | 5 Comments
Spring has sprung in the city. Yay!
Happy Monday, everyone.
Paz
Walnut Crumb Cupcakes
April 15, 2010 | Filed Under Baking, Cakes, Cupcakes, Walnut Crumb Cupcakes | 11 Comments
Okay. So, let’s start this over again.
I posted this earlier but for some weird reason I don’t see it. So, I’m reposting it.
Basically, I like this walnut crumb cupcake recipe because the ingredients are readily available and the recipe is very simple. I like it. A lot.
Paz
Walnut Crumb Cupcakes
Lululu at Home
(makes 12 – 14 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat over to 350F. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners.
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. While the mixer is running, slowly add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting for each to be incorporated before adding the next, and mix until light and fluffy.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Working in batches, add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with dollops of sour cream.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, filling them no more than 3/4 full.
To prepare the topping, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the butter pieces and, using your fingertips, pinch the ingredients together into a sandy, crumbly mixture. Add the walnuts and mix.
Sprinkle the mixture over the cupcakes.
Bake until risen and browned, about 20 to 25 mins. Let cool 10 mins in the pan.
