Pint-Size Paella
2 (1/4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (halved)--[I just use a couple chicken breasts cut in cubes]
1 small onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
3/4 tsp smoked paprika [I don't have smoked and just use paprika]
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c chicken broth
2 fresh baby artichokes trimmed and quartered [I use 1 large can artichoke hearts in water--only because it is what I have]
1/4 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1 1/3 c brown rice, cooked
1/3 c roasted red bell pepper, cut into thin strips [I make my own--see note below]
1. Spray skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken; sprinkle onions around chicken. Cook, stirring onions, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika and salt. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in artichokes; cover and simmer 10 minutes. [skip adding artichokes if using canned at this point] Stir in green beans; cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in rice and roasted peppers.
*Note: Roasted Red Peppers are pricey to buy jarred so I like to make my own. They are typically pickled in the jars so you can add some vinegar to your dish if you want more zing. You can roast any type of pepper.
Rinse your pepper and poke a small hole in it. Place it on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes. Turn over and broil for another 5. You might need to keep rotating to get all sides of the pepper. The skins should be black and slightly charred. The pepper will be soft and flimsy. Take it out of the oven and quickly wrap in saran wrap. This will steam off the skins and when they cool you can peel the skins off easily. You can also do this on the stovetop and just turn it over and over in a hot skillet.
