Seafood paella

 A simple paella with seafood.


Ingredients:
  • 300g uncooked medium shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 8 small squid, bodies sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch rings and tentacles halved 
  • 500g mussels, scrubbed and debearded 
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 1/2 cups uncooked arborio or other short-grain rice
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large red pepper, julienned
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 2 large pinches of saffron threads 
  • 1 t paprika
  • 1/2 t ground turmeric
  • 1 t dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 t Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T lemon juice & 1t lemon zest
  • 2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley 
  • 3 green onions, sliced 
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and fry lightly. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink. 
Add rice. Stir to coat rice with juices from the pan, about 3 minutes. Then add the bell pepper and onion; cook 5 minutes. Slowly add the rest of the veggies. Stir well and add the vegetable broth.
Stir in saffron threads, all the spices and the lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Top with the chopped green onions and parsley.