Y’all I’m not gonna lie, there are some weeks when I’m really not feeling the meal prep and this was one of them. Sometimes adult life just feels like a never-ending list of chores and to-dos, but then I remind myself why I meal prep: to give future me an easier time and take one more thing off my to-do list during the week.
To make things a lil bit more fun this week, I decided to make a low-effort paella aka “lazy girl paella”. If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I LOVE squid. If we’re at a sushi place, I’m getting ika sashimi and if we’re at an Italian restaurant, I’m always getting calamari. If you’re not squid-crazy like me, you can really substitute any seafood or protein in this recipe!
This “paella” involves 3 easy steps, cooking your protein, cutting up your veggies, and mixing everything together in a big pan. I *highly* recommend using shelled shrimp if you like them thicc and juicy, but peeled shrimp also works!
Ingredients
750g Spanish Style Ready Rice (I used 3 bags of Ben’s Original brand)
1 lb shrimp (peeled)
0.5 lb squid (or protein of choice)
1 cup cooked green peas
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 lemon (+ wedges for garnish)
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp chicken broth (add more as needed)
Handful of minced parsley for garnish
Directions:
Thinly dice your red bell pepper and cook your peas according to package directions. Set aside
Put your shrimp in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Mix together until thoroughly combined
Prepare your squid by cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces. You can optionally cut crosswise slits into the squid to create a flower shape. (see tutorial here).
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add your shrimp. Cook for about 2-3 min on one side, and flip over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked and browned. Remove and set aside
Cook your squid by blanching it in a large, salted pot of boiling water for about 1-2 minutes.* Remove and set aside. If you are using another type of protein, cook and set aside.
Lower the heat to low/medium and add 1/4 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan. Squeeze your packets of Ready Rice to loosen the grains, and add to the pan. Add chicken broth as needed to moisten the rice.
Add the diced bell pepper, squid, peas, and the juice of 1 lemon to the pan and mix everything. Let everything warm and marinate in the pan, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and evenly distribute your paella into your meal prep containers. Add the cooked shrimp on top, and garnish with some parsley and a lemon wedge. Enjoy immediately or wait to cool and store in the fridge!
And that’s it!
Let me know what you think if you try it out! I’ll be trying to post my meal preps weekly on Sundays (we’ll see how it goes…) so I’ll see y’all next week!
xoxo tomato girl