SPICY PAELLA WITH CHILE, LIME AND CILANTRO Although traditional paellas aren't spicy, you can have fun incorporating bolder seasonings. A bit of chile, lime, and cilantro in place of traditional saffron creates robust flavors. BROTH 1 dried New Mexican or Anaheim chile 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 garlic cloves peeled 2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth HERB BLEND 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves minced

PAELLA
24 unpeeled large shrimp (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (3.5-ounce) andouille sausages or chicken sausages with habanero chiles and tequila cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
8 lime wedges

To prepare the broth, remove stem and seeds from chile. Combine the chile, cumin, cinnamon, and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor, process until minced. Combine chile mixture and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

To prepare herb blend, combine cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and 2 garlic cloves; set aside.

To prepare paella, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact, set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large paella pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp, sauté 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add bell pepper and onion, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini, sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, paprika, salt, and 3 garlic cloves, cook 5 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add rice, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, herb blend, sausages, and corn; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges. 

Serves 8.

1 Serving - 1 1/2 cups paella and 3 shrimp: Calories: 383 (Cal. from fat: 20%), Fat: 8.4g (Saturated: 2.4g), Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 574mg, Carbohydrate: 54.5g, Protein: 22.1g.

[Cooking Light, May 2000]