Paella!!

My husband is off doing a show in Ft Dodge Iowa, so I get most of the day to myself. Yay! Isn't that terrible to say yay??!! LOL But I get to watch what I want, do what I want, sleep when I want and eat what I want. Woooohoooo!
Today I plan to make paella. He likes it but it's not a first choice for him, especially if I use smoked paprika in it. His palate is super strong and sensitive and he doesn't care for that or any type of heavily pungent scents...like indian herbs and seasonings etc. So usually I make it (if for dinner for both) without the smoked paprika.

Lori's Paella For One

1 to 2 chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces, salted and peppered
1/4 cup smoked paprika
1 1/2 tbls oregano
1 tbls olive oil
3 to 4 inch piece sausage, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes (any type of sausage-I've used andouille, chorizo, and italian hot-it's all good)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup paella rice like Arroz Calasparra
3 cups chicken broth
2 shrimps-in the shell
10 mussels- in the shell, if I have them
1 tomato, chopped, if I have it

I use an authentic paella pan but any skillet would work. Use non-stick if it's available since the rice will not be stirred through the cooking process.
Combine the paprika with the oregano. Then roll the chicken in it to coat.
 Add 1 tbls oil to pan and add the sausage. Medium heat. Cook sausage until it's almost crispy and all the fat's rendered out. Leave the oil that's in the pan--so use a slotted spoon to get the sausage out. Put the sausage onto a paper toweled plate.
Add the chicken to the pan. Medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned and remove with slotted spoon to the plate with the sausage.
Now add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan. Medium low heat. Cook until the onions are opaque, then add the garlic. Saute another two minues. Make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
Add the rice to the veggies. Medium heat. Cook it until the rice is covered with the oil then keep stirring it for another 2 minutes.
Now add the chicken and sausage, stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the broth.
Now let it sit on low heat. Do not stir! Keep testing the rice in small bites to see if there is enough broth to get the rice soft. I add little spills of broth throughout the process if it needs it. Halfway through this cooktime I add the tomato on top.  It can be added when the broth goes in but I find it disappears because it gets cooked too long. When there's just a little bit of liquid left I then bury the shrimps and mussels into the rice and let it cook until the shrimp are done and the mussels open.
Sometimes I pop some frozen peas on top when I add the shrimp.
Enjoy!