Quick Paella and Peach Sangria: More February Food Club

February food club was the night that keeps on giving...recipes. We were initially daunted by paella's reputation as a time-consuming and exacting regional dish. But our February hostess found a recipe for a quick and dirty version that was delicious with her creative peach sangria.

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Quick Paella

Find your most enormous skillet. If you really don't have anything large enough, a pasta pot or dutch oven will do. Warm, over medium heat:
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Add, and saute until soft very:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium/large red bell pepper, diced

Stir in, and heat until cooked through:
1 pound chorizo sausage, casing taken off and crumbled
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

Add and stir until well coated in oil:
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups long grain rice

Pour in and bring to a boil over medium-high heat:
3 1/2 cups fish or chicken broth
3/4 cup white wine (use the rest for peach sangria, see below)

Then add:
1 pound shrimp, peeled
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2-3/4 teaspoon saffron
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch black pepper

Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. Toss in:
1 dozen steamed mussels

Turn off heat and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Dole out steaming bowlfuls and wash it down with sangria.

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Peach Sangria
(or: A classy use for Arbor Mist wine, at last)

The night before your party, combine and mix well:
1 magnum of Chardonnay
1 1/2 cups of Arbor Mist Peach Wine
3/4 cup of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Add:
2 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced
1 1/2 cups of seedless red grapes, halved
1 1/2 cups of seedless green grapes, halved

Very important note: The original recipe called for peach vodka and additional sugar, but how can you miss the chance to give your guests Arbor Mist with no guilt or irony?

Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to combine. Enjoy chilled.