The weather just can’t decide what it wants to do up here in the great Pacific Northwest… There’s a burst of Fall now and then, but Summer keeps dragging on. I guess it’s like Baseball... Remember when the World Series started at the beginning of October?!?

But it is September 30th. Halloween Candy has been in the stores since August and Lowe’s has their Christmas Trees up. It’ll be New Year’s before Thanksgiving arrives.

I’ve officially entered Soup, Stew, and Casserole Season – regardless of the temperature. The other day I made a vat of Clean-Out-The-‘Fridge Chicken Soup. It was the perfect dinner and now is the perfect lunch. Last night was a throw-together Paella.

I had a recipe for a Vegetable Paella with Chorizo I got from the NY Times before we finally cancelled our subscription last March, so I decided to use it as a base for a throw-together dinner. You know me and recipes…

 

 

I had a head of purple cauliflower and a 12oz package of an al pastor-spiced pork, tomatoes and peppers from the garden, and plenty of Bomba Rice. Time to get creative.

Paella al Pastor

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup Bomba rice
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • healthy pinch saffron
  • 3 1/2 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 12 oz al pastor spiced pork
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 4 oz cooked shrimp
  • S&P to taste
  • Chopped scallions and lemon wedges, for serving

Heat oven to 450°F. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add pork and break up. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and paprika, turmeric, and saffron that was soaked in a bit of broth; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until well combined and rice begins to toast, about 1 minute.

Stir in cauliflower, tomatoes, peas, and broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered and without stirring, until rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Add shrimp to top during last 5 minutes to heat through.

Remove from oven and let sit a couple of minutes. Top with scallions and serve with lemon wedges.

It wasn’t exactly traditional, because I was in Beaverton, not Barcelona. I didn’t set it on the stove to crisp the bottom – last time I tried that I burnt the damned thing. Besides, I’m making it in a cast iron pan, not an authentic paella pan. I can settle for close enough for a Sunday in Oregon.

And we’re having the leftovers for tonight’s dinner…