And I did it all in one pan… without even heating up the kitchen. SCORE!!
Although, now that I say that out loud I am silently thinking to myself that at least for me, up here in the mountains, it’s really not that hot out, like at all. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind heating up my kitchen right about now. I mean, I am highly embarrassed to admit this, but I totally have my heater blowing on my legs right now. What?! Don’t judge, it’s cold and stormy here and I am about to head out to bring the goats in from the field, and well, it kind of gives me chills just thinking about it. I really should have brought the goats in like an hour ago, but I am procrastinating going outside by telling myself that I need to finish writing this post first. Is it just me or has it been on the colder side this summer? Even when I was in Cleveland visiting family it was only in the low 70’s. Now come on, I need at least 80 degrees to be extra happy and in my shorts and t-shirts. 70 is more like leggings and a sweater, and the current 45 degrees I am experiencing in Colorado, well that’s more like socks, leggings and a BIG cozy sweatshirt… maybe even some serious snuggles with a blanket. Sidenote: I was recently asked how I survive living where I live when 85 degrees is my ideal temperature. The honest answer, it’s a struggle! If it weren’t for my family and the fall (I adore an awesome, cozy fall and the months of September, October, November and December are awesome up here), I might not be able to get through the rest of the year.
Completely random sidenote # 2: Since I seem to be in the procrastination mode… and I am oh so easily distracted… I decided to be weird and watch the running of the bulls on snapchat. OMG, that’s CRAZY!
Oh but hey!! The running of the bulls kind of fits in with my Spanish themed recipe, right? I mean, not really, but the running of the bulls is done in Spain and paella was created in Spain, so hey, it kind of justifies my distraction and ties it in with this post, you know, like background research. Not gonna lie, I’d chose this skillet grilled seafood and chorizo paella over running with the bulls in Spain any stinkin’ day. Just sayin.
Ok so the paella. Can you believe I made this whole thing on the grill, and dirtied just one dish, one cutting board and one knife?!?! I was SO happy about the minimal mess since lately cleanup around here has been a 2+ hour project and the thought of cleaning even one more dish, or vacuuming up another crumb or wiping more stickiness up off the floor is pretty much daunting. Clearly not only the flavors of this dish were welcomed with open arms, but also the simplicity of this dish! Bring on more easy clean up meals… please!!! Making paella on the grill is really just the same as making it on the stove. You simply need to try to keep the heat of your grill a consistent temp and you’re good to go. Bonus, you also get a little smoky flavor from the grill as well!! And if you don’t have a grill? Well don’t worry, you can totally just make this on the stove-top. Works great both ways.
For my paella, I used a mix of chicken, chorizo and seafood. You can do all three like me, pick your favorites or leave them out completely and make a vegetarian version. It’s totally adaptable to your personal taste buds. For the seafood, I used a mix of a lobster tail, jumbo tiger shrimp, clams and mussels. It was the perfect combo if you ask me and made for a really pretty dish too!! I also finished my dish off with a drizzle of truffle oil, which I kind of think was awesome, but I do realize that truffle oil is a bit pricey, so only use it you have some. OH and I didn’t just use plain green olives. NOPE. I used blue cheese stuffed olives (my favorites are the DeLallo brand) cause I mean, a little cheese never hurt. <–Truth. Double OH, if you’re out to impress someone, make this dish, it’s definitely a show stopper!
And ok, kind of DELICIOUS too! 🙂
