If you’ve ever been to Spain or a good Spanish restaurant, you surely recognize the flavor of a well-made seafood paella. Incredibly easy to make and a true pleasure to the senses, this traditional Spanish dish will quickly become your new favorite weeknight meal. Here’s how to make it for less than half an hour and with a few simple ingredients!

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups paella or risotto rice
• 3 ¾ cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp dry sherry or white wine (optional)
• 1 tsp each hot smoked paprika and dried thyme
• 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes with garlic
• 1 ½ cups frozen seafood mix, defrosted
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lemon, ½ juiced, ½ cut into wedges

Feel free to experiment with the ingredients based on what you already have in your pantry or fridge. You can add peppers, chickpea, and even chorizo to spice things up and make it more your own.

Easy Paella: Directions

Step 1

Grab a large wok or frying pan and heat the olive oil over medium. Add the chopped onion and let it soften for about 5 minutes. Then, add the thyme, smoked paprika, and paella rice. Stir for about a minute, then pour in the sherry (if you’ve decided to use it). Once it evaporates, add in the chicken stock and chopped tomatoes and stir well.

Step 2

Season to taste and let it cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost tender but hasn’t absorbed the stock.

Step 3

Lastly, stir in the thawed seafood mix and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the seafood is nicely cooked through and the rice is tender. Squeeze the lemon juice over the paella and scatter the chopped parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges, and enjoy while it’s still hot.

Pro-Tip

Add an extra layer of flavors to your paella by adding chorizo to the mix. Cut it into slices and fry for about five minutes until it gets crispy and golden. Set it aside and leave its red oil in the pan. Then, follow the recipe as described above, only this time, use the chorizo oil to fry everything instead. It will add a spicy kick to the dish. Once the paella rice is almost tender, stir in a can of drained chickpeas together with the fried chorizo. Let it simmer for about five minutes, and it’s ready to serve.

To make the most of your delicious paella, it’s best enjoyed with a side of freshly baked garlic bread. Yum!

Called a classic for a reason, this dish was at the height of its popularity in the US between the 1960s and the 1980s. However, the fun, exciting, and flavourful shrimp cocktail isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There is nothing intimidating about this easy and straightforward recipe, but the flavors gained at the end are always a sublime experience!

What’s Needed for the Shrimp Cocktail

For six to eight servings of the shrimp cocktail you will need:

• 2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 pounds of ice
• 6 cups of water
• 2 lemons
• Half of a small onion, peeled and halved
• A small bunch of parsley
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of salt

Boiling the Shrimp

Pour ice to fill a large bowl halfway and set aside. Chop one lemon into wedges. In a large pot, mix six cups of water, salt, sugar, onion, and five sprigs of parsley. Halve the second lemon and squeeze the juice into the pot (watch out for pits). When the water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and add the shrimp to the pot.

The shrimp should become pink and cook through in about three minutes. At that point, remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and place them into the prepared bowl of ice.

The Secret Is in the Sauce

For the delicious sauce to be served with your shrimp cocktail, you should prepare:

• Half a cup of mild chili sauce
• 2 dashes of hot sauce
• Half a cup of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• A tablespoon of horseradish
• Celery salt – a quarter of a teaspoon

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until they’re properly combined. Place the shrimp on the serving dish of your choice, garnish them with lemon wedges and parsley, and serve with a bowl of sauce!