My husband loves paella, especially the kind with lots of red sauce- he is crazy about anything with red sauce.

I made this paella with arborio rice since it is creamier than the regular one. I cooked it like a risotto but didn’t stand in front of the stove, stirring constantly. Instead I added most of the broth at once and let it cook. It resulted in a very delicious and perfectly cooked paella.

To start the process, I crumbled up the leftover chorizo and cooked it with the onions and garlic. I added rose wine because that is what I was drinking. Tomato sauce and chicken broth later, I had a yummy dish. By adding the frozen peas, I had a one pot meal.

A neighbor and my daughter’s friend stopped by and joined up for dinner. They both ate up the paella and complemented on the taste.

Next time you have leftovers- make a paella!

• 4 to 5 leftover jumbo shrimp, cut in small pieces
• 2 chorizo links, cut in small pieces
• 1 large white onions, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup white or rose wine
• 1½ cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth, heated
• Salt
• Juice on one lemon
• 1 cup frozen petite peas

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the sausage pieces and sauté on medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the wine, scrape any bits stuck at the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Add the Arborio rice and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir well. Place the lid and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally making sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Take the lid off and add the tomato sauce and stir. Place the lid back on and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Take the lid off and check for doneness and seasonings. Add salt and lemon juice. Sprinkle the frozen peas and chopped shrimp and cover on low heat for 5 minutes. Take the lid off and mix well and serve.

My favorite kind of sausage is the chorizo which has tons of flavor and a bit of a kick. It is a pork sausage with paprika and garlic and it is absolutely delicious. If health was not a consideration, I would eat chorizo everyday!

I bought some fresh chorizo and a pound of shrimp. I decided to make a simple cilantro garlic sauce to marinate and baste the shrimp and the chorizo with. That is all there is to this meal.

I made some garlic bread and a salad and I was done! We enjoyed everything on the deck and were not able to finish everything- perfect leftovers for another meal tomorrow!!!

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, placed on skewers
• 1 pound fresh chorizo (about three large links with skewers through them)

Garlic Cilantro Sauce

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of two limes
• 2 teaspoons salt

Mix the garlic, cilantro, oil, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Mix well.

Place the shrimp skewers and sausages on the grill. Brush with the cilantro garlic mixture. Grill till the shrimp turn pink and the sausages are cooked inside.
Serve with grilled corn.

Since I was cooking the tofu pad thai, I decided to make a curry to go with it. I used similar ingredients to the pad thai including tamari, tamarind concentrate and palm sugar.

I marinated the shrimp simply in garlic and tamari. Tamari is a great ingredient that provides a delicious saltiness to any dish. It is a more concentrated version of soy sauce so a little goes a long way.

I used a yellow onion and lemon grass for extra flavor and coconut milk provided a delicious creaminess even though I used light coconut milk. I always have it on hand and I end up using it for a lot of dishes including rice.

The curry was really good and complemented the pad thai really well. It would go really well with just plain rice since it has a lot of flavor on it’s own.

Try this easy coconut shrimp curry next time you are in the mood for Thai food…

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined and sliced in half
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Place the shrimp, tamari and garlic in a zip lock bag. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

• 2  tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and the insides minced- yields about ½ cup
• 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt
• ½ lime, juiced

Heat a wok like pan and add the olive oil. Add the marinated shrimp and sauté on high heat for a minute. Take out and keep aside.
Add the onions and lemongrass. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamarind concentrate, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and sriracha sauce. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fresh basil, cilantro and shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the shrimp are cooked. Taste for seasonings, add salt and lime juice.

This recipe is based on an Indian dish made with eggplant called baghare baingan. It is very popular in Indian restaurants and I have made it a few times in the past. Actually I was looking to cook shrimp and somehow thought of this flavorful dish. Although it is typically made with eggplants and is obviously vegetarian, I could envision myself making it with shrimp- so that is what I did.

I used jumbo shrimp and sauteed them briefly. I used the same pan and oil and cooked the onion, ginger and garlic mixture. I then came up with a spice mixture consisting of coriander, cumin and sesame seeds. The flavorful seeds bring a creamy taste and texture to the mix. Curry leaves, tamarind and fish broth finish this truly delicious curry- I loved all the flavors together, especially with the shrimp.

In fact I loved it so much- I am not sure I will make it with eggplants ever again!

Next time you don’t know what to do with shrimp- make this shrimp curry- you will love it!

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and tails off
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

Heat a wok like sauce pan with the olive oil. Saute the shrimp on a high heat for a minute each on both sides, sprinkle salt. Take the shrimp out and keep aside.

• 2 large yellow onions, cut into quarters
• 1 teaspoon extra light olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place cut onions on a lined cookie sheet and drizzle the olive oil. Roast in oven for 30 minutes or till soft and almost mushy.

• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 teaspoons fresh ginger

Blend the onions, ginger and garlic into a fine paste in a blender.

Spice Mixture

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ cup raw peanuts

Roast the coriander, sesame and cumin seeds as well as the peanuts in a skillet until the seeds begin to turn golden brown- about 4 to 5 minutes.
Grind the roasted spices in a coffee grinder. Mix with the onion mixture and keep aside.

• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
• 1 cup fish or chicken broth
• Salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Reheat the same shrimp pan and add another 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the curry leaves and sauté for 10 seconds. Add the onion and spice mixture and sauté on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix the tamarind concentrate in the broth and add to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Add cayenne pepper and the shrimp. Bring to a boil and cook the shrimp for 4 to 5 minutes, till the shrimp is cooked. Check for seasonings and add the salt and sugar if needed. Sprinkle cilantro and serve with fresh rotis.

Those tacos were out of this world. I have never had better ones since- especially here in the Northeast.

Since I have no plans on going to California any time soon, I decide to make the tacos at home.

I went to our local fish monger and got my daughter’s favorite fish- cod. She loves any white fish- especially if it is not too fishy tasting.

I marinated the fish in lemon juice, salt and some olive oil. I then drenched the pieces in some flour and lightly sauteed the fish. The ones you get in the restaurants are fried. I wanted mine lighter and healthier so I merely sauteed them.

I made a fresh, delicious tomato salsa and cut up some avocado chunks. Since my daughter doesn’t like anything very tart, I served her the fish in the tortillas without the condiments.

We enjoyed the tacos with all the condiments and a delicious bean salad on the side- recipe to follow tomorrow.

• 1 pound cod, cut into 2 inch pieces
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons extra light olive oil

Mix the lemon juice, salt, and oil and add to a zip lock bag. Add the fish and marinate for 2-3 hours in the fridge.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons extra light olive oil

Take the fish pieces out of the marinade and coat with the flour. Heat a non-stick frying pan with the oil. Saute the fish on both sides till golden brown- 3 to 4 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness). Keep aside.

Tomato Salsa

• 3 medium tomatoes, cut in half and seeds taken out and cut into a dice
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of one large or two small lemons
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (you can add a chipotle as well- depending on spice level wanted)
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add the tomatoes to a medium bowl. Add the green onions, garlic, lemon juice, adobo sauce, cilantro and salt. Mix well and let sit for an hour.

Avocado Chunks

• 1 to 2 avocados cut into one-inch pieces
• Juice of two limes
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add the avocadoes, lime-juice and salt in a small bowl. Mix well and keep aside.
5 to 6 small corn tortillas

Heat the tortillas and place 2-3 fish pieces on top. Serve with tomato salsa and avocado chunks.