Cooking with Leftovers in Mind

Mom's Paella

If I’m not madly rushing to get dinner on the table with one of my quick entrees, I try to think ahead.  A large chicken, leg of lamb, pork roast or beef pot roast will provide at least 3 or maybe 4 extra meals, especially if there are just 2 or 3 of us eating.  A tray of lasagna should last for a week.

When I’m baking potatoes, I always make a few extra.  They can be cut up and quickly fried, added to soup or stuffed tortillas or simply reheated in the microwave as is.  Extra rice never goes to waste in my house.  Just the other night I fried an egg and served it over leftover rice with an avocado on the side—a quick meal on the go.

The problem about planning for leftovers is that sometimes too much is left over.  There’s only so much you can eat before 1) it spoils or 2) you’re sick of it.  Of course, you most likely can freeze what you can’t eat.  Then the trick becomes remembering it’s in the freezer.

Tonight I am trying Paella, a Spanish rice-based dish.  There are several versions: seafood, vegetarian and meat.  Mine will include chicken, shrimp and sausage.

Possibly Paella was invented by someone who had a lot of leftovers to use up.  It certainly fits the bill. 

Mom’s Paella – serves 8 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1 large or 2 small boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 1/3 cups risotto-type rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 pound large cooked shrimp
1 spicy sausage, fully cooked
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped parsley 

Add the olive oil to a large frying pan (or a paella pan if you have one) and begin heating over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, onion, red pepper and carrot pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. 

Add the paprika, salt, black pepper, saffron, raw chicken pieces and rice and stir.  Then add the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 15 minutes, adding more water if the mixture seems dry. 

While the chicken/rice mixture is cooking, slice the cooked sausage into 1/4-inch rounds.  At the end of 15 minutes, add the sausage, shrimp and peas and cook for another 5 minutes.  Check the chicken by cutting one piece in half to make sure it’s not pink inside.  If it is, cook another 5 minutes. 

Transfer the Paella to a large platter and sprinkle on the parsley.  Serve family style.