I’ve had Mark Bittman’s Paella with Tomatoes recipe stashed away in my mental recipe file for more than two years. Last week, I finally pulled it out for a mid-week dinner. The verdict: We loved the inclusion of smoked paprika, and bites with tomato and a pea shoot salad topping were tasty. Otherwise, it was a plate full of rice. William and I both would have enjoyed hunks of Spanish chorizo and maybe the fresh garbanzos that I bought at the Coral Gables farmers’ market (we ate them steamed, like edamame, instead … they were veggie crack). For the time it took to prepare this meal (minimal), it’s worth tweaking. I’ll keep the amended recipe on file.
I also borrowed this Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage recipe from Real Simple. The combination is far from novel, but since it was my first time cooking broccoli rabe, I chose to stick with a classic. My only changes: using lots of local green garlic and onion and subbing vegetable broth for chicken. I would make this again with more greens and red pepper flakes and less broth. I had to reduce the sauce for close to eight minutes to prevent a soupy final product.