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  • Recipe For Paella I

    Ingredients

    4 tablespoons olive oil
    1 onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 red bell pepper, chopped
    4 ounces chorize sausage, cut into pieces
    2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
    1 (12 ounce) package uncooked Arborio rice
    5 cups chicken broth
    1/2 cup white wine
    1 sprig fresh thyme
    1 pinch saffron
    salt to taste
    ground black pepper to taste
    2 squid, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
    2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
    1/2 cup frozen green peas
    12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
    1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
    1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
    8 slices lemon, for garnish

    Directions

    Heat olive oil in paella pan over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic and pepper; cook and stir for a few minutes. Add chorizo sausage, diced chicken, and rice; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 3 1/2 cups stock, wine, thyme leaves, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes; stir occasionally.

    Taste the rice, and check to see if it is cooked. If the rice is uncooked, stir in 1/2 cup more stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional stock if necessary, up to 2 cups additional stock, 5 cups total. Cook until rice is done.

    Stir in squid, tomatoes, and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Arrange prawns and mussels on top. Cover with foil, and leave for 3 to 5 minutes.

    Remove the foil, and scatter parsley over the food. Serve in paella pan, garnished with lemon wedges.

  • How To Make No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

    Ingredients

    2 large zucchini
    1 tablespoon salt
    1 pound ground beef
    1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
    1 small green bell pepper, diced
    1 onion, diced
    1 cup tomato paste
    1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
    1/4 cup red wine
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
    hot water as needed
    1 egg
    1 (15 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
    1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
    8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
    8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a deep 9×13 inch baking pan.

    Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander.

    To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground beef and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

    Meanwhile, stir egg, ricotta, and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.

    To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.

    Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

  • How To Make Calamari and Rice

    Ingredients

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    6 cloves garlic, chopped
    6 squid, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch rings
    1/2 cup white wine
    1 1/2 cups converted long-grain white rice
    3 1/3 cups water
    2 1/2 teaspoons canned tomato paste
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Directions

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squid and continue to cook and stir until toasted. Pour in the white wine, stirring to release any bits of food from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat to reduce the liquid.

    Add the rice, water and tomato paste to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until rice is tender and the water has been absorbed, adding water if needed. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper before serving.

  • Mayo-Free Potato Salad

    Ingredients

    9 large red potatoes
    2 dill pickles, chopped
    2 green onions, chopped
    2 stalks celery, chopped
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
    2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
    2 teaspoons dried dill weed
    1 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

    1/2 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    1/4 teaspoon paprika, for garnish (optional)

    Directions

    Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Chill the potatoes in cold water, and chop into cubes when cool enough to handle.

    Transfer the potatoes into a large salad bowl, and toss lightly with dill pickles, green onions, celery, cilantro, dill pickle juice, dried dill, 1 teaspoon paprika, salt, and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard, and pour the dressing over the potato mixture. Toss again to coat all ingredients with dressing. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon paprika.