Seafood Paella with Roasted Cuban Bread

When I was younger, I paid my bills thru the fast paced world of waitressing.  And my favorite restaurant to work in was Bahamas Breeze.  It had such a fun islandy atmosphere and for a chain restaurant, the food was amazing.  When my now-husband would come to visit me, he would always get the Paella.  So when they posted the recipe online, I knew I had to share it with everyone.  Of course, I altered things to make it my own.  It is an easy to make meal, and serves an army (I made it last night for Father's Day dinner & we had enough leftovers for two more meals, so I froze it to have on a night I am too rushed to cook).  It is great served with Roasted Cuban Bread (recipe below).  They also have lots more recipes posted on their site, so if you love Caribbean inspired food, you should definitely check it out.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into quarters
1/2 lb jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
1/2 lb fresh jumbo sea scallops
1/2 lb fresh fish cut into 1" chunks (I usually use Shark steak or Calamari rings)
4 tsp Creole seasoning (I use Tony Chacheres)
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
5.5 oz package chorizo diced
1 dozen fresh mussels
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 Vidala onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
16 oz pkg cooked yellow rice
1 tbl fresh cilantro chopped
Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

Heat 1 tbl oil over medium high heat in a pan.
Cook onions and peppers until onions are browned and translucent.
Season the chicken, shrimp, scallops, and fish with the creole seasoning in separate bowls, tossing to coat evenly.
Heat the 2 tbl olive oil in a large deep sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat.
Add the fish, scallops, and shrimp and sauté until the chicken is partially cooked.
Add the chicken stock, chorizo, and mussels and cook until the chicken is cooked completely (about 3 minutes).
Lower the heat to medium and add the peas, rice, onions, peppers and chopped cilantro.
Stir the ingredients to evenly mix.
Continue to cook and stir the paella until all the chicken stock is absorbed by the rice.
Place on a serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.
Serve with Roasted Cuban Bread




Roasted Cuban Bread
Ingredients:
2 large - Vine ripened Beefsteak tomatoes
1¼ cups - Tomato marinade (see recipe below)
1 loaf - Fresh Cuban bread, ¾ pound
6 tbsp - Garlic herb butter (see recipe below)
¼ cup - Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup - Fresh basil leaves, sliced crosswise 1/8"
1 sprig - Fresh basil for garnish

Garlic Herb Butter
Ingredients:
4 tbsp Lightly salted butter, softened
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Fresh garlic, minced
½ tsp Fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp Scallion, sliced 1/8"

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mash with a fork until evenly blended. Can be made a day in advance and kept refrigerated.

Tomato Marinade
Ingredients:
½ cup White wine vinegar
¼ cup Fresh orange juice
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp Fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp Brown sugar
¼ tsp Salt & black pepper, fresh ground

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until thoroughly blended. Can be made a day in advance and kept refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 450º F with rack in the middle of the oven.
Wash tomatoes and remove the core, then cut into ¼" slices. Lay the slices in a glass dish and pour the marinade over them. Set aside while preparing the bread.
Slice bread lengthwise with a serrated knife to create a top and bottom. Spread half of garlic herb butter on the cut surface of each half of the bread.
Place bread, cut side up, on a sheet pan. Place in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the bread is lightly toasted. Remove from oven.
Lift tomato slices from the marinade and drain. Lay slices, slightly overlapping, on the toasted bread. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to just melt the cheese. Remove from oven and transfer to cutting board.
Cut each half loaf, crosswise, into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with sliced basil leaves and arrange on a warm serving platter. Garnish with a fresh sprig of basil.