Spanish Chicken and Rice

This is reminiscent of paella.  Jeremy and I LOVED the paella we had when we went to Spain in college.  Since then it's something that I always have wanted to make.  But I'm cheap... so I don't currently own saffron.  So this is not quite paella... but a lot of the same flavors.  I made this in a saute pan (with a lid) because I don't own a paella pan.  Although I don't have saffron right now, it would be a delicious (and traditional!) addition to this dish.  But the mix of spices and herbs I used gave this a very rich and delicious flavor.

This was really easy to put together.  Once the ingredients were in the pan, it just went into the oven for 20 minutes until it was done cooking.  Overall this took about 45 minutes to make from start to finish.  Not bad when you consider that some of that time is passive.

You can substitute any ingredients in this to make it to your own taste.  I used what I had on hand (although I probably would have chosen roughly these same ingredients anyway).  You could change this around to add seafood or some sausage.  You would just need to adjust cooking times appropriately.  There are a lot of recipes out there that you can use as a guide.

This was just enough food for the two of us to eat.  As usual, Jeremy ate more than I did, but we both had our fill.  It was so tasty too!  I will definitely be making this (or something like it) again.  :)

Recipe:
1 chicken breast (1/2 lb. or so), cut into bite-sized cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced thinly
1 tbs. minced garlic
3/4 c. arborio rice
1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves (I crush these between my fingers before adding them)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 1/2 tsp. paprika, divided
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tbs. olive oil
3/4 c. frozen peas
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat an ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil.  When the oil ripples, add the chicken.  Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flake and 1/2 tsp. of paprika.  Add the onions and saute for approximately 5 minutes until the onions soften.
2. Add the rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley, turmeric, and the rest of the paprika.  Stir to combine.  Add the rice, chicken stock, and roasted red peppers.  Stir to incorporate.
3. Put a lid on the saute pan (or cover tightly with foil if you don't have a lid) and place in the oven.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
4. Remove the pan from the oven (use oven mitts! it's hot!) and add the peas.  Mix to combine.  Place the lid (or foil) back on the pan (to trap the heat) for 2-3 minutes to heat the peas through.  Stir once more and serve.