Enjoy this delicious Quinoa Seafood Paella dish from Ingrid Hoffmann‘s new book, Latin Comfort Foods Made Healthy, where she takes traditional dishes and adds a modern twist to them to make d-friendly and satisfying at the same time.
Be sure to also check out her Cinnamon Flan and Fennel Radish and Orange Salad too.
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My apologies to Spain, but I love this version of paella more than the original; the quinoa seems to soak up the flavor more than the rice or arroz bomba that is used in the classic Spanish dish.
I find paella to be such an easy and beautiful dish to present when serving multiple people.
One key ingredient is saffron. I use Persian (Iranian) saffron, which I buy online because I prefer it to the commercial versions you find at the supermarket.
It has so much flavor, so a little goes a long way. I store it powdered in my fridge and use it in stews, soups, rice, veggies, etc.
serves 8 | serving size 1 cup | prep time 20 minutes | cook time 33 minutes | total time 53 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Spanish saffron threads
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 2 cups unsalted chicken broth 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes 1⁄4 tsp coarse salt
1 lb wild, never frozen, large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 30 shrimp)
1 lb calamari rings
3 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste and saffron to the skillet, stirring until well mixed. Add the quinoa, broth, tomatoes, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender about 20 minutes.
3. Tuck the shrimp and calamari into the quinoa mixture. Cover and cook until the shrimp and calamari are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.
CHOICES/EXCHANGES
1 Starch, 1 Nonstarchy Vegetable, 2 Lean Protein