When Life Gives you Pluots...

 

my rainbow/chakra/pride feather and fan banket 

I finished a big project this week and I had to share it with you all.  My rainbow/chakra/pride/feather and fan rainbow made of bright and happy colors blanket is finally done.  It took 5 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Stripes in the Favorite Stripe colorway.

I adore this blanket so much.  It is so bright and cheery; I can wrap myself in it to help me absorb colors while meditating.  

So that means a new project can be started now that one of my old ones has been completed.

I was going to show you something else but if I want to get this out today it will have to wait until next week.  You see I ordered 3 pluots from our CSA and I got 3 dozen.  We barely had room in the fridge for so many little apricot/plum hybrids.  

tartlet of pluots

I didn't know what to do so I made little tarts.

You basically take your pastry dough and add a little vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup for sweetness and then add the filling and pile any leftover dough on top.

I could have rolled out the dough and encased them but I wanted to leave room for a lot of pluots so I just piled the little pan till it was full.

I used a glaze/drizzle of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and cinnamon and it was really good.

So when life gives you pluots, make some little tangy tarts.  🤗

Have you made anything new this week?

Happy crafting!

Ruinwen

😀

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Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

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Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

🙏

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Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.

🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏

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Vixenpath is a safe space.

If you are:

LGBTQ+

Black

Brown

Asian

Any race

Coming out

Anything.

I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Adulting

tree branch downed in a storm from our maple

I spent the last few weeks doing things that needed to be done or as I call it, adulting.  We had a big storm and lost a huge branch off of our tree.  Our gutters got cleaned, which is fantastic since a tree had started growing in them. 

I needed to call AAA to get a new car battery.  The car is running great now and it is so nice to have her back.  We had some mice that needed to be relocated.  Kitsune was a big help with that.

Then we had our stay-cay and we alternated cleaning up areas of the house with fun activities and yummy food.  I am happy to say that we actually achieved quite a bit of organizing and the feng shui of the house feels calmer.

finished shawl in cotton

I abandoned my other kitting to help a friend make a prayer shawl for her friend.  This pattern, Falling Leaves by Carol Rasmussen Noble is from Lavish Lace and I just love the ease of it.

Now that it is done I need to regroup and figure out where I was and where I want to be with my knitting.

I have quite a lot of things that are on the needles that I probably should focus on first.

Oh, I made a thing that was really yummy and I wished I had taken a picture but here is my Spanish Rice and Chicken recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup of rice

2 cups of chicken stock

1 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsps chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1 pound chicken (can be cut up or with bones) (chicken with bones takes about 35 minutes to cook)

Recipe

Rinse rice, start the water boiling for rice, follow directions on the packaging for water and cooking times, 

When boiling, add rice, cover, and cook

If chicken is boneless cut it up into 1-inch cubes

Drizzle a little olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken until it is browned on all sides and cooked through

When rice is done, set aside off of the burner without opening the lid

Heat two cups of chicken broth and add to skillet

Add tomato sauce and all spices and mix well coating all the chicken

Let simmer for 20-30 minutes turning the chicken every 5 minutes or so

The liquid will render down and get a bit thicker

Add in the rice and coat with the sauce, serve immediately

Enjoy!

This smells amazing when it is cooking.  I just love using spices in my food.

Happy crafting!

Ruinwen

😀

**************************

Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

**************************

Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

🙏

**************************

Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.

🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏

**************************

Vixenpath is a safe space.

If you are:

LGBTQ+

Black

Brown

Asian

Any race

Coming out

Anything.

I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Caitlin

There is a moment in Skyrim where this plays and you know that there is a dragon approaching and your adrenaline starts pumping as you ready your weapons and look to the skies.  The score is so powerful you can feel the energy emanating around you and filling you up with purpose and conviction.  I still get the chills when I hear it.

That is how I felt when I saw the photoshoot of Caitlin.  OMG!  These photos are fantastic.  The photographer and model have left me breathless.  The model is the beautiful Caitlin herself that the pattern was named after.  I love the playful way she got into the shoot.  Her Mom is a talented photographer and I love all the shots she took.  It is hard to choose which ones to use on the pattern.

I am so blessed to have these two talented individuals in my life.

This is the second professional type shoot that we've ever done.  The first was the Nana Cowl shoot and I love those pictures so much!  I've been going back and forth and trying to figure out how to do things.  I am part of a group of designers who talk about photos and what makes a pattern come alive for people and there are a bunch of really good ideas on there.

I am just awed by the difference I feel from the previous photo in the snow and these photos with Caitlin are.  Adding a human element allows you to see how the pattern flows and drapes.  You can see it on and maybe envision it on yourself...you can see how it would fit into your wardrobe as a cold-weather staple.

There is life in these photos, movement and whimsy.  I feel the energy emanating from these photos and I am empowered to create more things so that this photographer can breathe life into them.

*****

I made these.  I love kale chips.  I love the way they crunch and how healthy they are.  So I decided to try my hand at making my own.

I washed and dried the kale and then ran some olive oil over it.  Not more than a tbsp which I blended into the kale with my fingers.  I then placed the kale on a metal tray that has tiny holes in it.  I set the oven to convection at 300 degrees and used some of our special spice blend (garlic powder, onion powder, Hungarian paprika, chili powder, cumin and a little celery salt) to season the leaves.

Then, in they went for 15 minutes turning once.  Anything over 15 minutes tastes burnt.  I sprinkled them with some nutritional yeast which tastes like a kind of cheese if you haven't had any for a while. To me, it is like a smokey Parmesan mixed with something I can't quite place...but the crux here is it is really yummy.  If you haven't tried it before then just try a little on one of the leaves but put it on while they are hot and there is a bit of oil to hold it on.

The result is just pure yummyness!  So this will be another healthy staple that I'm adding to my weekly diet.  Kale is full of beta carotene, vitamins K and C, calcium, lutein and zeaxanthin (both are good for the eyes).  Kale boosts DNA repair and is an antioxidant that appears to block the growth of cancer cells.  It has also been shown to decrease LDL, the bad cholesterol levels in the blood and decreases the absorption of dietary fat (like green tea does).

*****

I hope you are enjoying the slow returning of spring to the land after our hard winter.

Happy crafting,
Ruinwen
:)

P.S.  I hope to have Caitlin proofed and published in a few weeks.  I'll let you know when it is available.  Thanks for reading.

At the Root of it All

I was talking to a friend who was excited that it was warm outside and I went outside and it was not warm....in fact, it was 36 degrees.  (At 32 you can see your breath.)  That is not warm to me.  But then again, if you compare 36 degrees to the 17 and below that we had for two or three weeks in the heart of winter, it is warm...really warm.

It is all perception.  If you base your perception on the benchmark of 0 degrees being cold and anything above, say 30 being warm...then today is warm.

Most of what we believe is based upon perception, which may or not be factual or true.  Take for instance these turnips.  I have been getting fresh veggies along with our meat and dairy from our local farm and I never know what they will give me.  These are Hakurei turnips.

I have never seen turnips this small.  My previous perception of turnips was a root veggie that you need to slow cook because it is dense.  I've added them to soups and stews and slow-roasted them before and I really enjoy their taste.  But these Hakurei are not at all like their bigger, denser cousins.

My son and I were fascinated by this new veggie and read up on it.  These little guys are harvested in cold weather when they are young.  They are almost like a radish without the hot bite...maybe more like an apple because they have a gentle sweetness to them.  My son really liked them and we sat eating them raw.  They have a great crunch to them.

If you want to keep that crunch then think water chestnuts, and add them to the last part of the stir fry process or in a saute.  They will meld into any flavor and make a great addition to most meals.

They are sown in late Fall until early spring.  They need cooler temps to germinate so I guess it was good that it really wasn't that warm here or I might have missed out on this amazing veggie.

I can't wait to see what new food they send to me next!  I should have taken a picture of the bounty of food we got.  Along with the Hakurei turnips, there were green beans, Roma tomatoes, a garlic bulb, broccoli, butter lettuce, carrots, red potatoes and red pepper.  All these fresh vegetables are forcing us to make even more healthy choices.  Last night we had the most wonderful salad, everything was just bursting with flavor!

Tonight I am making potato soup to have with my salad.  I love potato soup.  I used to put butter and cream in it but now I can't so I am using a bit of olive oil and coconut milk to give it that creamy taste that I love.  The biggest thing that I put in my soup is love...really.

• I peel and dice the garlic or if there is the time I will roast it and add it in.  Today I will just cook it a bit in the oil to get out the yummyness before I add the broth.

• Then in goes the broth.  I'm using chicken so that it doesn't overpower the gentle flavor of the potatoes but you can always use veggie broth to keep it vegan or even beef broth if you want a deeper flavor.

• I peel and wash the potatoes and cut them up a bit so they cook faster in the broth

• I gather herbs - but they are still a bit lethargic right now so dried will have to do:  depending on my mood I use different ones, today I'm using rosemary and thyme for that comforting woodland feeling I get from them.

• Add any broth you need to cover the potatoes so they cook evenly and you just leave them alone for a while - about a 1/2 hour.  I still check them after 15 minutes just to make sure there is still enough broth.

• When the cooking is done I mash the potatoes in the broth and at this point, the broth turns into a thick puree.  I add in the coconut milk until it is a creamy blend and check the seasonings like salt and pepper and voila - cream of potato soup

Now in our family, we usually would then proceed to add in cheese, bacon and/or green onions to make loaded baked potato soup.  I don't have any green onions today and I can't have the cheese (I will add the cheese and bacon for hubby) but a little sprinkle of bacon really adds a little flavor and a bit of texture IMHO.  If you want to keep it vegan then some fried onions would add a bit of crunch and a lot of flavor.  Really, you can top it however your heart desires, this soup is a very giving at its base because it starts with love.

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On the knitting front, I finished more squares and put some of them together.  What a burst of color! These little squares are adding the dash of hues that I need to tide me over until spring really makes it appearance here.  I need to make a bunch more but I am truly enjoying how individual each one really is.

I've played around with using crochet or an I cord to edge them with and I think I will go with an I cord because it is lovely and you can use the Kitchener Stitch to attach the ends seamlessly together. I will show that to you later in the process.

Happy crafting!
Ruinwen
:)

I can't think of a title...so I'm going to make hummus...

I started off the week with a FO (finished object).  This is a shawl that has a lot of meaning to me. I made it for the first time for my Mom as a prayer shawl and I blogged about that here.  It was ruined here.  And I made a new one here.  I still have the brown one down in my knitting room.

I believe in prayer shawls.  I believe that when we craft, we not only put a bit of ourselves into everything but we can put our energy as well.  I made this for a woman who took time to talk to me about my Mom and Dad and her Mom and the things we have to face when we are letting them go. I cried and she cried and we both admitted one thing: in the end, it is all about love.

I know the last thing I said to both my parents was, "I love you."  I never leave a conversation with someone I care about without saying that.  If I am with them, I always give them a hug.  I hug everyone that I care about, I think it is important to leave someone with a little love and light.

A prayer shawl is like a hug that you wear.  When our knitting group makes blankets for the assisted living, the residents love that these blankets were made for them.  They use them all the time and talk about them.

Little things really can make a difference.  Kindness does matter.

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I normally don't share things like this.  But this touched me deeply.  It is hard to watch without feeling some sort of overwhelming emotion.

My Mom had dementia her Mom had Alzheimer's.  My Mom was very confused on and off in the last few years of her life.  She would forget things like how to turn on a light or even her beloved TV. Thank the Goddess she always remembered us.  I send blessings of love and light to all those people who are faced with people they love forgetting who they are.  You are angels filled with love and compassion.

The experiment really opened up a window on the things that we cannot see.  My prayers go out to all the families struggling with this horrible disease.

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I cast on something new this week, but it is a secret for now.  Unfortunately, that doesn't give me much to talk about on the knitting front.  lol

I sent Caitlin off for her photoshoot and I'm so excited to see the pics!

Oh, and this:

I am going to be making some things to sell and see how it goes.  You'll be seeing FO's in the weeks to come after I finish the secret thing.  That is Knitpicks Brava Bulky yarn and it is really soft and has bright and pretty colors.

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On a totally different note...I've been looking for hummus without lemon for a while now and I couldn't find any so I made my own.

I have a recipe that I've tweaked over the years with little adds to make it yummy for me so it may be way too strong for you if you don't like garlic.  This hummus is perfect to help ward off anything if you have been around too many sick people or vampires for that matter.  lol

Ingredients
15 oz chick peas/garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini

(tahini can cause a reaction if you have a peanut allergy; so please omit it if you are allergic)

2 tbs of olive oil
a head of garlic cloves with the skins removed (use less if you don't like a lot of garlic)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper (roasting really brings out the flavor)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

(you can make a delightful little chili powder with the heat and chilies you like by taking dried chilies and heating them to get the moisture out, and then pulverizing them when they are crisp - but don't do what I did and lean over to take in how good the cooking chilies smelled and basically pepper-sprayed myself in the face.  I was totally blind trying to find milk.  I ran outside screaming for help and then couldn't find the door again...so be careful with the chili powder concocting...it can be really dangerous.)

...but I digress...

Emeril says to take the garlic and the salt and combine them to cure the garlic a bit; so I put those in first and blend them into a bit of a paste before I add in the roasted red pepper.  This way the garlic permeates into every bit of the hummus.

Then, I add in the cumin and chili powder and blend that into my paste.  Next add the tahini, pulse for a bit and then add the garbanzo beans / chick peas and slowly drizzle in the oil as you pulse.  When the whole thing is blended you can let it sit over-night to deepen the flavors or just enjoy it on anything right now.  I like to eat it on yellow or orange pepper sticks or high grain crackers. Sometimes I will put it on my salad as a dressing.

If it is too thick you can add a little water a tsp at a time - more oil just makes it more oily IMHO

Yum!  Can you smell the garlicky goodness?  Hummus is super good for you, especially with the red peppers and garlic!

And hummus is not just healthy snack food.  You can:

• take veggie curls and stuff them with hummus
• use it as a spread on sandwiches or wraps
• coat meat in it before putting it on the grill; it will come out moist and tender
• make a cold pasta salad with it as the dressing
• make a warm pasta salad with it as the sauce
• use it as a dressing on a salad

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Happy crafting,
Hugs!
Ruinwen
:)

NOTE:  The prayer shawl is made in Dark Horse, Fantasy Multi #FA-36.  I love this yarn for softness and it really shows the stitches nicely.

Also, we've been updating the side bar.  Wow!  Things were really out of date over there.  We still have a blog feed app to add...we are looking at different ones right now.  Hope you like the changes. Hugs!

In the Pink

In my life-changing goal of eating better, I decided to pick up some beets.  I have always loved beets.  I especially love the way the dye everything pink that you put with them.  :) 

I have never eaten beets with anything more than a little salt so I decided to try something new.  I read how they coupled well with Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar, so I whipped up a little emulsion to try it out and they were delicious!

Here is my little recipe. (180 calories)

2 – Cups of beets

1 – Tbsp olive oil

1 –  Tsp balsamic vinegar (1 tsp is equal to 1/3 tbsp)

2 – Tbsp Dijon mustard

½ – a cup of diced onions (red will make it sweeter)

4 – cloves of garlic diced (less if you don’t like garlic)

Dash of pepper

They say a perfect vinaigrette will have a 3 to 1 ratio:  oil and vinegar respectively.  I was counting calories here so I didn't want to make a lot, and a little goes a long way, but you can double or triple the recipe as long as you keep the 3 to 1 ratio as your base.

I put the oil and vinegar together with the pepper and the cloves of garlic diced and whisked it together in a glass bowl.  The Oil and vinegar will separate as soon as you leave it alone for a bit but I like to meld my garlic into my vinaigrette as I finish the other prep work.

Dice up your onion.  Cry if you have to.

Then I whisked in the Dijon just enough to blend it in and then added in the onions as well.

My beets came out of a can just as red and beautiful as they could be.  If you use fresh you need to peel them and you can boil them a bit or eat them raw. 

I placed the beets into the Dijon emulsion and tossed them so they were all covered and let them sit a bit.

At this point, you can eat them as is or put them on a salad.  I put mine over some lentil rice I had and let everything turn pink and heat up a bit.  It was delicious!  And beats are really good for you too!

This is where I have been walking on my elliptical this week.  They really got me with the whole Hawaii angle.  Next year we plan to go and scatter Mom’s ashes as she requested.  I love Hawaii, which everyone says…but I really do.  You can feel the spirit of the island and it is just magical in a way that can’t be explained.  So when my elliptical came with two tracks in Maui, I was really excited.

I have never done more than a mile on an elliptical but for the chance to walk in Maui I managed 2.5!  Every time I was going to give up I thought about how much I love Hawaii and then there would be falls or a shot of the ocean and I was back in stride. 

It is hard to take 30 – 35 minutes just to walk; but I am doing it.  It doesn't matter if I’m tired or whatever…I’m just doing it. 

This week I lost a pound, took at least 3000 steps a day, ate in my allotted calories, walked 3 times for 30 - 35 minutes, tried new healthy food dishes, got at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night and I feel really great.

We are working on the joining of the squares...it is a long process.  Anything worth doing is worth doing well.  :)

Hugs and happy crafting,
Ruinwen
:)

I Welcome In The Fall

Happy Autumnal Equinox...Happy Mabon...Happy Second Harvest!

Normally at this time of year I feel defeated on one hand by all I didn't get done over the Summer and giddy on the other at all the blessings I have in my life.

I think I will skip the defeated emotions and move on to the giddy.

I am surrounded by wonderful people. I am blessed to know so many beautiful souls...some only through words and pictures on a screen...but all of them enrich my life in so many ways.

My home, though over-crowded at times, is so beautiful now with her coat of paint and accessories to match. I feel this great sense of peace surrounded by all that purple. lol

I took a hiatus from my projects this summer and worked on charity blankets and then stuff for Mom. I did at least a row every day even during the hottest... driest summer ever...and got quite a lot done.

I got to watch my little boy start taking on more responsibility and become eager to be more. We took time to play since our time is limited by academics during the school year...and as a family we had a lot of fun.

DH as always is my rock. He always takes on life's challenges with enthusiasm and gusto. It was wonderful having so much time with him and watch him really enjoy making the miters for our baseboard...ya know men and power-tools. lol

It really was a wonderfully productive and fun summer. :)

But now it is Fall. And Fall to me is all about vivid hues...tantalizing tastes...and magic.

Every year the squirrels leave me a perfect acorn that I keep on the altar until the next year to remind me that even the mighty oak starts as a small acorn. Everything for that oak to be is in that little acorn. Just like in all of us is great potential to be so much more if we choose.

Squirrels also teach us to gather up tools and supplies for the cold days ahead. So it is time for me to decide what things I want to work on this Winter.

When I finish this lapghan for Mom I want to get back to Dianna. And I already have the yarn for that project...so I'm good to go.

I figure there is no sense in making this huge list. I started the Summer vowing to work on WIPs...and I got quite a few done...and then things changed and I worked on other projects. I think it is better to give myself the whole Winter to finish one thing then make a long list.

And right now at the start of Fall; I'm not exactly sure where I want my path to go in the season of ice and dare I even say it...snow. So I'm going to meditate on what I need to squirrel away for the cold's Winter's days.

This weekend I made this awesome simple dish which you could change up anyway you want.

Take a piece of sausage for each person - we used Bratwursts...they were not overpowering yet had a nice flavor. Take an apple for each person - We used red delicious...which I do not recommend...we are going to try it again with a granny smith...I think that will be much better.

1 tbs thyme

1 tsp pepper to taste

2 tbs real maple syrup

1/2 cup rice per person - but it could be any grain like quinoa or bulgar

Cook the sausage...and make rice.

Take the apples and de-core them. DH wants to try them without skin this time but it is up to you if you skin them...and cut them into bite sized pieces.

If you want use the pan you cooked the sausage in after pouring off the oil...or use a tbs of olive oil in a new pan.

Put in the apples, thyme and pepper. Let the apples cook for five minutes then drizzle in the maple syrup.

Let that cook until the apples are tender. Keep stirring because that sugar will burn if left unattended.

When the apples are cooked. Add the sausage and rice and stir to coat. Let the whole thing meld for another five minutes and serve. Enjoy!

I've really been trying to make one thing a weekend from scratch. I love to cook. My parents always made food into a celebration and I enjoy a good meal that has a lot of parts and dances on your tongue.

Here is the recipe I made for our knitting group. I love mushrooms and this came out delish.

Mushrooms stuffed with Sage Pesto

1 - Cup fresh sage leaves
1 - Cup fresh parsley leaves
4 - Cloves garlic
1/3 - Cup, plus 2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 - Teaspoon salt
1/2 - Cup olive oil
1 - Cup walnuts
1 - Cup browned bread crumbs
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Twenty 2 1/2 inch mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Put the sage, parsley, garlic, 1/3 cup of the cheese and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until combined. Gradually add the oil. Finally, add the walnuts and pulse until they are minced.

While you are pulsing the sage pesto brown the crumbs. This will take a long time and you cannot stop stirring them for long. If you want to add a bit of butter to help them brown; add it first and let it melt to liquid then add the crumbs stirring to coat as many as possible. You want them a deep brown. Take them out of the pan as soon as they are done so they can start cooling.

Transfer the pesto mixture to a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs. Season with pepper and check the salt. The filling should be quite pungent as the mushrooms will absorb a lot of flavor. If the mixture is dry and crumbly, add a little water.

Brush the pan with oil and the top of each mushroom around the cap with oil.

Fill the mushrooms caps with the sage pesto and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Arrange the mushroom caps on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: If you have leftover filling you can use it to crust chicken, fish or steak. We tried it with chicken and it was delish.

Now I'm hungry. lol

Have a beautiful weekend blessed by the spirit of harvest and thanksgiving.

Ruinwen

:)

When Life Gives You Saffron Make Paella

I have a very clear memory of watching the Avengers on a little black-and-white TV and eating paella. It was chock full of chicken, sausage, and shrimp. It was my introduction to saffron and it was love at first bite.

For my Ostra bag this year I decided to use saffron. Usually, I frown on using saffron because of the cost. But this year I reasoned that this is one of the most important rituals that I do that sets the tone for the entire year…and if that isn’t worth some quality herbs then I don’t know what is.

I also decided if I was going to buy saffron it wouldn’t be from the grocery store. Something you might not know about me is I love working with herbs. I love how they awaken a sense that we don’t really use every day. The sense of smell is actually one of the most potent of memory triggers. When I smell an herb it reaches down into a part of me and tugs on the tendrils of my past joys and sorrows like nothing else can.

Herbalism was my focus when I got my N.D. I am also certified by the American Botanical Society. I used to have over 200 herbs that I used for everything from teas and tinctures to mojo bags. But since becoming a mother I found it hard to keep up with every one of my passions. And unfortunately, where I live we have drought conditions making it hard to grow anything…although my sage still lives through drought and ice.

I’ve missed making teas and more than once I’ve found myself reaching for a bottle that is long gone and it hurts a bit. You don’t realize what is really important until it is gone. So this year I opted to buy fresh beautiful herbs from all over the world:
Pink rose petals from Chile
Cinnamon from Indonesia
Vanilla beans for Madagascar
Blessed thistle from Hungary
Saffron from Spain

I have to say I was very impressed with HERBALCOM. The herbs are fresh and full of aroma. Which brings me back to saffron. Even now I can smell it on my fingers…mmmm. I know there is paella in my future.

Paella is named for the pan, a paellera, that the Spanish cook in. It is a flat pan with two handles. Everyone has their own version of what to put in the paella. Two years ago I made one with muscles, crab, clam, white fish, scallops, shrimp and lobster and it was *sound of lips smacking* divine.

But DH is allergic to seafood so I will make it with chicken and sausage. My son is excited to try saffron and has also approved the chicken sausage combo. So here is my recipe. But the thing about paella is that you should make it as your mood dictates. I also like a bit of spice in mine so you can change that too. As long as you have some rice, saffron, and olive oil it should be okay. If you want to make it vegetarian just substitute the meat for veggies. Also, follow the instructions on your rice for the liquid amount. All rice is different.

Note: If you have saffron threads they need to “bloom” or soak in some liquid in order to let their beautiful flavors develop.

Ruinwen’s Paella

¾ cup of olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
One clove of garlic per person, minced
One piece of chorizo sausage per person
One piece of chicken per person
½ cup of rice per person
3 cups of broth chicken or vegetable broth for every cup of rice (check package)
¼ tsp of saffron
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup red, orange, or yellow pepper
½ tsp of cayenne if you want more spice

Brown sausage and set it aside. Drain sausage grease to ½ tsp and sear chicken.

Heat the olive oil in a separate pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and red pepper to the oil and cook until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant or about 5 minutes.

Pour in the rice and let it absorb the oil and become translucent, which is about another 5 minutes. Add sausage and chicken, broth, paprika, saffron and cayenne. Cover and cook per rice’s instructions. In this case it is 25 minutes.

Remove from heat. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Stir. Cover again and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy.

:)

I don’t mean to limit the use of saffron to paella. Countries all over the world enjoy its unique flavor. Here are but a few dishes from over the globe:
Bouillabaisse from France
Risotto from Milan
Some tajine recipes from Morocco employ saffron