My mom makes excellent paella. It is bar none one of her unsung talents.  So last weekend when I was meal planning and missing her a little extra I decided to try my hand at it.  Now she is the master, and I the student so I do not in any capacity feign superiority in my dish.  I have watched her whip it up on several occasions, but what is tricky is that my mom happens to be a wiz in the kitchen so she never follows a recipe directly.  Thus no paella is ever rendered the same again.  It is a dish only to be enjoyed in that moment, because next time it will be equally as wonderful but slightly refined.  So as I crafted my version I tried to think back on what I seen her incorporate, and then substituted in and out a few items to suit our palates (like quinoa instead of rice, extra veggies instead of meat and turkey sausage instead of chorizo).  I am sure I missed plenty of ingredients but the result was nonetheless stellar.  Furthermore, pausing to enjoy my take on paella on this sunny New York Spring evening, whirled up all sorts of nostalgia as it left my feeling as if I was sitting on my mom’s back porch catching up over our days.  I love you mom 🙂 Continue reading “Skillet Shrimp and Chicken Paella”