Saturday, September 15, 2012

Daring Cooks' Challenge September 2012: Paella

Inma from laGalletika challenged us with making Paella for this month's Daring Cooks' Challenge!  It was so fun to experiment with this little taste from Spain and put our own twists on the flavorful dish!

I had a blast whipping up this delightful dinner with a few of my girlfriends from the school of ed.  We got together, made some Paella, enjoyed some wine, and watched tv.  It was a really lovely evening and it made me so grateful for my fellow teacher friends.

Student teaching has been so much fun and so much work! I officially started lead teaching my class this past week and it is exhausting! I am always amazed by how how tired I feel when the adrenaline rush starts to wear off when the lesson is over.  I am slowly becoming more and more comfortable in my new teaching shoes and I have learned so much already.  My class is a tough one.  There are quite a few tough cookies in that room that make life interesting.  I am trying to incorporate all of my training and readings into my practice and so far it seems to be going well.  I knew that classroom management was going to be a struggle because you really can't learn how to do it from any class.  You just gotta give it a try.  I am working on focusing on my language as I speak to the students.  I try to be consistent and persistent with my expectations and disposition.  I want to show them that I respect them, but that in return, they must respect me.  I want to develop positive relationships with all my students and I want to empower them by having high expectations of everyone.

This all sounds lovely in writing, but in life it gets tricky.  Not only do I have to focus on ALL of this, but I have to teach math too! The only tricky thing about this is that I am following the CMP curriculum, which I did not have when I was in school.  It is a very different method of learning than what I was used to and so it is new for me as well as the students! I just have to stay on my toes and learn everything a little big faster than the kids.  I am actually starting to do their homework as well so that I am on the same page as they are and have an even better understanding of the curriculum and the material.

After all this teaching and learning, one would think that one would be too exhausted to have any fun.  However, that is simply not true! Last night I have a great night with my friends watching the Bears v. Packers Game and this weekend is a Badger home game and I have a ticket! I can't wait to relax and have some fun with my friends.  It is my senior year after all!

Healthy Paella (adapted from Fervent Foodie)





Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
1 box mini turkey sausage links, cooked according to directions
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz can whole tomatoes, drained
2 cups arborio rice
2.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 oz cooked shrimp
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Rub:
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Mix the chicken rub spices together and coat both sides of the chicken breasts.
2. Heat a large skillet with cooking spray or olive oil and cook the chicken until just seared on all sides.  Place on a plate off to the side.
3. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the tomatoes and crush with your spatula.  Add the rice, stir to combine, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.  Add the chicken broth and wine, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken, stir to combine, and continue to cook, covered for 5 minutes.  Add the cooked sausage and continue to cook for 3 minutes before adding the cooked shrimp.  Let simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, stir in the peas, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Enjoy :)

2 comments:

  1. That looks like some good Paella! Thanks so much for posting the recipe I think I'll try it out some day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It looks like it turned out fab!! Yummy you just made me super hungry!
    xox
    Ash\
    http://abpetite.blogpsot.com/

    ReplyDelete