Mock Paella

The days go by so fast, don't they? Yet, at the same time, winter just seems to be DRAGGING ON!! Enough already!! I'm tired of cooking indoors. I want to grill. I want to Bar B Que. (And yes...I know there is a difference between the two.) I want to marinate meats. I want to smoke the meats. I want to eat fresh veggies and herbs. I want to drink Coronas with limes while mopping my apple BBQ sauce on a brisket and feeding the fire wood chips for 8 hours.

But...Winter is fighting to stick around. Spring is trying her best to arrive. The grass is greener, the snow is melted, the occasional bud is trying to peek out...but the skies are grey and the air is still chillled. And the occasional flake still falls from the sky. So, the grilling and BBQing will wait. The Coronas with limes and the wonderful scent of fresh Cilantro will have to wait.

In the meantime, here's another cozy meal for a night that still needs some cozying up. I call it "Mock Paella". I've been making this for a few years now. My husband loves it. I get compliments on it all the time. And if someone asks what's for dinner and I say "Mock Paella" they know what I'm talking about. At least in my house they do.

Mock Paella has something for everything. A big pot 0' rice with different things to pick through. It's like Paella...sorta, but I don't have a Paella pan...and at the time I first came up with this, I needed a simple way to do it because I wanted to serve this at a party. This can actually be done in steps if needed...phases...and it comes out great!!

So here it is: Mock Paella!!

I start off with chicken wings and I season them heavily with paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, parsley, and oregano.



I put the wings in a baking pan, lined with foil. Then I cut up chorizo sausage and sprinkle the bite sized pieces all over the top of the wings.


Pop them into a 350 degree oven and bake until the wings are cooked through. Turn the wings half way through cooking and let the sausage get all mixed up in there. When you pull them out, it smells awesome. We could eat it right then and there, without anything else.


Especially me with the chorizo. It is really that good!!! Just the right amount of spice...has a little snap to it when you bite it...Mmmmmm....now I want some.

Now, you can let it cool and wrap it up for another time to continue the meal...or if you are cooking straight through and serving dinner soon, then continue on with the rice.

The rice is simple. Easy peasy. It comes in a box. Yellow rice. Cook it according to the directions on the box or bag. Make one box. Make three boxes. However much rice you need for the amount of people you are serving...or the amount of protein you are putting in it....or if you just really love yellow rice. Like my kids. I can't make enought Yellow Rice for them.


While the yellow rice is cooking, we move onto the mussels. I love, love, love to cook with these guys...but I don't eat them. My husband loves them though.

Make sure the mussels are clean, de-bearded, and alive. Alive means they shut if you give them a squeeze or two and NO CRACKS OR CHIPS in the shells. Toss any that do not follow these rules!!


Drop the mussels carefully into a pot of boiling water. When they open, they are done. This happens really quick, so keep an eye on them. DISCARD ANY THAT DO NOT OPEN within a couple of minutes of the first ones that opened. They were dead when they went in and can make you and your dinner guests sick.

Now...onto another pot...in a pan, with a little bit of Olive Oil, throw in some diced onions, a bit of minced garlic, a small can of diced, stew tomatoes, and cleaned shrimp. (We leave the tails on). Let it simmer and toss the shrimp occasionally until they are pink.


You can see Sugar Snap Peas in the pictures. Normally, I don't use Sugar Snap Peas. I like to throw a handful or two of regular, frozen peas into the Yellow Rice. But on this day, I couldn't find the peas in my freezer (they were hiding behind the ice pops), but I did find the Sugar Snap Peas, so I used those instead. Both are good. Whatever you like, use it. Or if you don't like peas of any kind...leave them out. It's still all good.

So, now we got our chicken and chorizo, our yellow rice, our mussels, our shrimp mixture...just mix it all together in a large pot or bowl or serving pan. Make sure you get all the juices from everything in there too!! Lots of good stuff going on there!!!


It seems like a lot of work, but it can be broken down and done in phases, like I said. The chicken and chorizo can be made ahead of time and refridgerated or even frozen. You can make the onion/tomato mixture ahead of time. Even the rice. Seafood, I would make fresh. Especially the mussels. So, all you have to do is heat everything up, and just cook up the seafood...mix and you are good to go!!

And like I said, there is something for everyone. My kids love the wings and the rice. I love the chorizo and the peas and the rice...my husband? He loves it all. His plate is nothing but shells, tails, and bones by the time he's done.


(please disregard any spelling errors...or if my paragraphs should show up all smushed together. for some reason, my computer and Blogger are not getting along today.)