Nourishing, vibrant Paella

8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups paella, 1 shrimp, and 1 mussel)

Nourishing, vibrant, and served without pretension, paella has held a place of honor and practicality in Spanish homes for centuries.

If mussels are not your favorite, you can easily substitute littleneck clams in their place-: just be sure to thoroughly scrub the clams shells in cold water before using. To round out the meal, choose a good Spanish red wine from the Rioja region, grab a crusty baguette, and serve with a light salad.

Ingredients

Herb Blend:

- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 2 large garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

- 1 cup water

- 1 teaspoon saffron threads

- 3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

- 8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half

How to Make It

Step 1

To prepare the herb blend, combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.

Step 2

To prepare paella, combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add sausage and prosciutto; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Add shrimp, and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add onion and bell pepper; saute 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes.

Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas. Bring to a low boil; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add mussels to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information

- Calories 521

- Calories from fat 23%

- Fat 13.3g

- Saturated fat 3.7g

- Monofat 6.8g

- Polyfat 2g

- Protein 25.5g

- Carbohydrate 72.1g

- Fiber 3.6g

- Cholesterol 80mg

- Iron 6mg

- Sodium 871mg

- Calcium 60mg