Definitely Not Paella

The best laid plans...  I had my mind set that I was going to make paella for dinner this week.  I was excited about the chunks of meat, mussels, shrimp...yum!  And then, slowly, everything fell apart. 

First problem, my paella pan was in the basement and I saw a spider, freaked out, and never looked back!  Second problem, I couldn't find any saffron at my local food store.  And I realized I didn't have an paprika.  Sooo...plan B.  The was definitely not paella anymore.

First, I cooked up some chorizo and then set it to the side...PS, I love chorizo! Then, I tossed in some chicken thighs that I seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne (in place of the paprika).  I start by cooking skin side down until it browns and gets slightly crispy. 

In a deep pan, I heated some olive oil and then tossed in garlic (lots of garlic), onion, and red pepper flakes.  This is when the kitchen starts smelling amazing!  In that same pan, I tossed in 2 cups of long grain rice and coated in the oil until it started to turn golden in color.  Then, the appropriate amount of chicken broth, a can of fire roasted tomatoes (for fun), bay leaves, and fresh parsley.  This needs to come to a boil, cover, then turn down the heat and let sit for about 20 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit for another 10 or so...you know the routine.

At this point I realized I forgot to add chopped red pepper to the pan.  Instead, I threw it in the chicken pan once the chicken was done.  I figured this was better anyway because I didn't want the red pepper to overpower the taste of the rice.   I let these get all cooked up and tasty in the juices that cooked out of the chorizo and chicken. 

Then, I set aside the pepper, added in shrimp, and de-glazed the pan with some white wine...I think this was when I declared that this was definitely not paella. 

So once the rice was cooked, I stirred it up, added the sliced chorizo and white wine shrimp, stirred it up some more, and added the chicken to the top...ready to serve!
This was delicious!  And it made so much food that it made enough for two nights and a lunch!