Poor Man's Paella with Chicken, Chorizo and Shrimp

Technically this dish is more "middle class" thanks to the saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world by weight. The cheapest jar we found was just under $15 and though it was hard to see the value in these tiny red strands, a little goes far and the taste is totally unique.

Paella is a Spanish mash-up of rice, veggies and surf and turf ingredients. While most recipes we found were a seafood extravaganza of clams, mussels, squid, and lobster tails, we opted for jumbo shrimp. Hence, the "poor" in our title.

Though this was our first paella attempt, we both found that it was fairly easy and super tasty. The variety of meats make the meal heartier than you think and we had more than enough for dinner and several lunches.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
2 links Spanish chorizo
6-8 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
Handful of parsley
14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
Splash of white wine
1 cup Spanish rice
1 cup of water
Pinch of saffron
1 cup sweet peas
1 lemon
Olive oil
Spice mix

Rub the chicken breast with a spice mix and toss onto a really hot grill with the chorizo. Sear on both sides for a couple of minutes - just long enough to infuse some grill flavor into the meat - then pull it all off the grill and set aside. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a hot pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic, red pepper and parsley and heat for a few more minutes. Add the whole tomatoes, reserving the liquid for later. After another minute, add the splash of wine and deglaze the pan. When all of the liquid has evaporated, add the rice and stir to coat evenly. Add the water and the reserved tomato juices, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the chorizo and chicken. Add in the chorizo and saffron to the pan and cook for a minute. Tuck the raw shrimp into the rice and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the chicken and heat through. Turn off the heat and toss in the peas and a squeeze of lemon juice. For serving, garnish with a lemon wedge and some parsley.