I’m lucky enough to live in the west coast and have an abundance of fresh seafood around and as soon as I seen the mussels in the store I knew I had to make a paella (plus they were dirt cheap! $6.50 for about 30). I had some shrimp and salmon in my freezer that I thawed out to add to this yummy and healthy dish. I also used quinoa instead of the standard rice that this dish usually has. Recipe below ⬇
Seafood Paella
Ingredients:
•2 bell peppers (red, yellow), grilled and chopped
•1 small onion, sliced in 1/2-inch-thick rounds, grilled and chopped
• 3/4 pound raw shrimp (appx. 15-20), peeled and deveined
•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 large mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
•1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
•2 cups quinoa (or rice)
•1/2 cup peas
•18-25 mussels or clams
•4oz Salmon
•cilantro or parsley for garnish
•Pepper and other seasonings as desired
Method:
1. Slice bell peppers in half, remove seeds and grill on preheated
grill until char marks visible and slightly cooked (peel skin if desired). Set aside and grill onion slices until slightly translucent. Chop bell peppers and onion.
2. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Lightly brush with olive oil.
3. Heat oil in a large paella pan or large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook stirring until fragrant 2-4 minutes. Stir in broth and salt; bring to a boil. Add quinoa and stir just to combine. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stir sides in and cook for about 5-10 minutes more until liquid absorbed, stirring every few minutes. Add peas
once liquid is absorbed, stirring in gently.
4. While quinoa is cooking place the skewered shrimp, mussels and
salmon on the grill. Grill the salmon for about 3-5 minutes per side, chop into chunks and place in large bowl. Grill the shrimp until firm and pink, 1 to 2 minutes per side, remove from the skewers and place in bowl with salmon. Grill the mussels until their shells pop open, 4-8 minutes total. (Discard any mussels that don’t open.) Set aside.
5. When the quinoa is done, remove from the heat, and add the seafood plus any accumulated juices over the rice, add mussels on top and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
Serves appx. 8
Enjoy ✌