Your-Best-Friend-Is-Leaving Seafood Paella

I'm not too sure how it happened, but my best friend, who is driving to Kansas in a van filled with two cats and other, less furry belongings as I write this, bribed me into posting this as my first recipe. I think the way she did it was she said she'd help me make it, take pictures, and eat it. A clever ruse.

So, because she's on the road to new and exciting things right this minute, I thought it would be appropriate to post the recipe. Originally, I found it on the internet, but I made enough adjustments (9 1/2 cups of liquid for 3 cups of rice??) to not feel like taking credit for it would be copyright infringement. I added peas, increased the paprika,and added scallops and found out that you can make "fish stock" by combining one quantity of clam juice with one quantity of vegetable stock. This is great to know, because while I felt brave a few weeks ago and froze some fish heads for stock making, the idea of boiling fish remnants is soooo unappealing to me. This clam juice and veggie broth solution greatly reduces the ick factor. And so-- here you are, surprisingly easy, pescatarian friendly, and all-around tasty Seafood Paella:

Ingredients:
1 large pan
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (or not peeled because there is flavor in the shells)
1/2 lb clams, well scrubbed
1/2 lb baby scallops
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups rice
8 oz bottle of clam juice
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp saffron
2 tsp Spanish paprika
1 cups red bell pepper, in smallish dice
3/4 cup frozen peas, frozen
salt & pepper, to taste
lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper, cook until onion begins to soften. Add garlic, cook 5 more minutes.
2. Add rice to the pan, cook stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the seafood, peas, seasonings and clam juice and broth. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
4. Taste, adjust seasonings as necessary, and let stand, covered, for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges.
Makes 6 servings. They will go quickly.

Note: If you see that some of your clams have not opened, throw those out.

And good news! I just took my "after" pictures of a thing I made, so I'm good for at least one more entry!