Poor man's paella

This is an easy meal that can be prepared any night of the week. It cost me roughly $6 to make this meal and it could easily feed four people.

Here is what you'll need:

Box of instant rice

1 lb of cuttlefish * ($4) (or seafood of choice)

1/4 cup of white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon parsley

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup chopped green onion

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 cloves garlic

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Olive oil

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

* I purchased the cuttlefish, which tastes a bit like scallops, at the local Asian grocery store. You can easily substitute shrimp, scallops, squid, or any type of white fish cut into strips.

For the rice:

Cook the desired amount of rice for your family according to the rice directions. (I made four servings of rice and we had cuttlefish and sauce left over.)

For the sauce: In a blender or food processor combine lemon juice, fish sauce, parsley, cilantro, basil, onion, garlic, paprika and chili powder. Drizzle in olive oil a little at a time until the mixture becomes smooth, roughly 2-3 tablespoons.

Prepare the sauce and set aside. Heat oil (3 tablespoons) in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add cuttlefish and sprinkle with paprika. Cook until opaque. Add the wine and heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the sauce and peas. Simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the cuttlefish is tender.

Serve over rice.