This Memorial Day weekend, we went over to my parent’s house to celebrate Psycho Holiday Baker’s birthday (my Mom). There was no baking going on with her this weekend… thank goodness since it is her birthday! But, my Dad was hard at work on the grill.
Such a colorful dish! I forget that you can pretty much grill everything if you have the right cooking technique.
Here is the recipe he made from Food Network Magazine:
He followed this recipe almost perfectly, except he used more liquid for the rice. It just depends on what kind of rice you use to make this. Follow the instructions on the rice that you purchase.
My healthier recommendations for the recipe:
- Use quick cooking brown rice and add more smoked paprika to add flavor.
- Use a reduced sodium vegetable broth instead of regular chicken broth. You could also use half water to reduce the sodium further.
- Instead of chorizo, try a smoked and spicy chicken sausage.
After doing these modifications, I realize you will not have an authentic paella at all, but it is a way to have similar flavors and create a healthier dish. Just depends on what you are going for.
Try this side dish of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light basil dressing: 
I added some feta on top of mine. I loved this recipe (posted below, but cucumbers were added). It was so light a refreshing. The whole meal was a crowd pleaser 
The key is that you must use fresh basil. It really adds flavor and fragrance to the dish.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend and day off!
