Paella ala Nata...Si Senora!

Philippines was colonized by Spain for more than a 100 years. Spanish culture is very much present in our lives - from architecture, language, and of course food.

When my friend Nata told me that he'd share his Paella Recipe with me and that it's OK to post on my blog that made me doubly excited. :) He did not give exact measurements on each ingredient. So here's to WIDOW MEASUREMENTS. hekhek!

The ingredients: chicken, 1 onion, 5 bulbs of garlic, green pepper, shrimps, one tomato, clams, parsley, salt, lemon and of course, rice

First, fry the chicken. Then saute the onion, garlic and parsley. Then add green pepper and tomato. After which, the shrimps. Pour in the soup of the previously boiled shrimp shells. So instead of using regular water to cook the rice, use shrimp stock!

Add rice. Add coloring (saffron). Put in salt and wait for 15 minutes. To add a little decoration, put red pepper and green pees. For the finishing touch, squeeze a lemon over the paella. And ya Esta! Ready to be served.

Here's Louie digging in:



And of course, the Paella Goddess.....Nata!



This is a light bulb moment (well, for me, that is). I never thought Paella was this easy to make. I love paella but it never crossed my mind to learn how to cook it because I thought that it is tedious and so much labor is put into it. I am wrong. Go Try niyo na. Now Na! :)