Quick Paella

Photo: flickr user einalem

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup frozen onions and bell peppers (6 oz)

1 pound kielbasa (not low-fat), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices (1 cup)

2 cups instant long-grain white rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (10 fl oz)

1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

20 mediums frozen cleaned raw shrimp

1 1/4 pounds cockles or other very small (1-inch-wide) hard-shelled clams, scrubbed

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup small pimiento-stuffed green olives

Preparation

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking, then sauté garlic and frozen onions and peppers, stirring, until garlic and onions are golden, about 2 minutes. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring, until kielbasa is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add rice, wine, broth, saffron, and shrimp and cook, covered and undisturbed, over high heat until most of liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Stir in cockles, peas, and olives and cook, covered, until cockles open wide, 2 to 4 minutes. (Discard any cockles that remain unopened after 4 minutes.) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.