Shrimp and Chorizo Stew

My friend Grant from CrossFit Freedom is a professional chef who specializes in making his own sausage. After many mouthwatering conversations, Grant brought me a nice, big package of home-made chorizo.  I hope to make my own sausage somewhere in the future, but until then, Grant's home-made sausage is so fresh and guaranteed clean of all non-paleo additives. It was delicious in this stew. Hopefully, Grant will let me sample more sometime soon (hint, hint). If you do not have access to home-made or paleo-friendly bulk chorizo sausage, you may substitute Italian sausage for this recipe...Enjoy!

Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive or coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound bulk fresh chorizo sausage (not the pre-cooked links)
2 tsp smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
sea salt
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Organic.)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 bunch kale (1/2-3/4 pounds), stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Preparation

1. Warm olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 10-15 minutes or until softened.
2. Add chorizo and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until just cooked through.
3. Add tomatoes and their juices, breaking the tomatoes up with a large metal mixing spoon.
4. Add paprika, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and salt. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add 2 cups water and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes just begin to soften. 
6. Add kale and cook until potatoes and kale are softened, about 10 more minutes.
7. Add shrimp and cook until it turns pink, abut 3 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
8. Serve in large, shallow bowls.