Paella

This recipe is based on the San Chez Bistro Paella.  I love Paella because you can do it just about any way you want (as evident by the Paella Party of 2008).

This is based on a 11" Paella pan.  If you have a bigger pan you may need to adjust the ingredients.

    1 T  Olive Oil

1/3 C  Roma Tomato (Grated using the large holes of a box grater)

1/3 C  Yellow Onion - Diced

1/3 C  Pimento (one small jar)

1/3 C  Green Onion -Diced

1/3 C  Peas

    1  t Garlic

    2 t  Parsley - Chopped

1/2 t  Kosher Salt

1/2 t  Spicy Smoked Paprika

1/8 t  White Pepper

    1 t  Saffron Threads (I usually use one whole packet from World Market)

3/4 C Bomba Rice (Aborio is a good substitute)

    1  C Meat (Spanish Chorizo, Shrimp, Mussels, Chicken etc.)

    2  C Stock

    1 Lemon - Quartered

1. Heat oil in pan over med high heat.
2. Add the Tomato, Onion, Peas and Pimentos until they are tender.
3. Add the Garlic, Parsley, Saffron, White Pepper, Kosher Salt and Paprika to the vegetables.
4. Add the Meat and cook lightly.
5. Add the Rice and cook until light brown.
6. Slowly add Stock to just submerge rice.
7. Cook until the rice is no longer soupy (20 min). 
8. DO NOT STIR the rice.  This forms the crusty bottom layer.
9. Squeeze lemon over the top, let stand off heat for 5 minutes and serve.

Grandma Doublestein's Chicken Paprikash

A staple in the Doublestein family, this Hungarian dish has been made with Slovak modifications for decades and enjoyed by generations. Jemma even loves it, and she hates almost everything not involving bread, cheese, or sugar! The recipe is not exact in any way. I wrote down my grandma's approximations quite a few years ago, and it always turns out fine. A perfect meal for a crisp fall afternoon in front of a Michigan game or a snowy winter's night.

Saute 1 Large Onion in butter in large dutch oven
Add Chicken (about 4 legs, 4 thighs, and 2 breasts, on the bone, skin attached)
Add 4 T. Paprika
Crush a few garlic cloves into the pot, add some salt
Cover with water, cook until tender (about an hour or so). Your house will start to smell awesome!
Remove the chicken out of the "juice" and set aside

While the chicken cooks, you can mix your batter for the dumplings (which we call Halushki in Slovak)
-2 cups flour
-2 eggs
-1 t. salt
-enough water to make a thick dough (about 1 cup)

Boil the chicken "juice" after the chicken has been removed and drop the Halushki batter in by the teaspoonful. Let them cook in the boiling "juice" for about 7 minutes.
After the dumplings are cooked, you can slightly thicken the "juice" to make it "gravy" with a little flour and milk mixure. Not sure about that ratio, but use something similar in consistency as you would for a basic beef or chicken gravy. (I wouldn't use corn starch, though).
To finish the gravy, add about half a pint of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. You can either add the chicken back in and serve as a stew (either on the bone, or remove all the meat from the bone if you don't want to get messy), or serve the chicken as it was when removed from the liquid with the gravy and dumplings on the side. Since I like to eat it off the bone, I usually go with the latter unless I made a lot to serve at a gathering or something, in which case boneless is easier to serve and eat.
The part of this meal that still stumps me is what to serve along with it. If anybody discovers any winning combinations, let me know. Enjoy!