BABY PAELLA (dubbed "Cío-Rice" by little Theo down the street, after his mom offered him "Rocío Rice")
Ingredients: (yields about 10-12 portions)
- 1 cup Arborio rice (the kind of rice used for making Italian risotto)
- 1 tilapia filet
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 8 green beans and 4 medium baby carrots, steamed until really soft and cut up into very tiny pieces (rice-grain-size)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp powdered saffron
- 1/8 tsp powdered paprika
Sautee tilapia filet whole over medium heat in half of the olive oil until golden outside, done and still moist inside (usually about 8
min. total), set aside on a plate for 10 min, covered, then shred with knife and fork. Heat chicken broth w/ saffron and paprika in a
saucepan without letting it boil. In a separate saucepan, sautee green beans, carrots and shredded tilapia in rest of olive oil for about 2 min. over medium heat, then add Arborio rice and stir until all the rice is covered by oil. Add two soup ladles of hot chicken broth, stir and cover, simmer over low heat until broth is absorbed, then add 2 more ladles, wait until it's absorbed, etc. until all the broth is used.
Variations: Instead of Tilapia you can use Cod, Sole, Red Snapper, Chicken or Tofu, following the same recipe. You can also use Vegetable or Fish broth instead of Chicken broth, though the kids seem to be more attracted to the chicken flavor. Be creative!
Freezing tip: I use little ziploc bags to freeze individual portions, shaping the rice inside the bag into a flat rectangle. That way it stacks nicely in the freezer and defrosts at room temperature in about 30 min.
Reheating tip: Place in bowl, add about 1/2 tbsp of chicken broth, cover and heat in microwave in a covered bowl for about 20 seconds, stir well & serve (if you're taking it right out of the freezer, heat it for 20 seconds to defrost before adding the chicken broth and then follow the reheating instructions above). Arborio rice will suck up any liquid you give it, so adding some before reheating will make it nice and moist. Use more or less broth depending on how dry/soupy your child likes it.