Vegetarian Paella

I have a week until I move in with Fish, and it’s my day off. I could be packing, but honestly I feel more like being terribly lazy. So I’m posting for y’all my latest creation that I ate a couple nights ago. It turned out pretty well, though I’ve tweaked my recipe a bit to make it more efficient and delicious.

VEGETARIAN PAELLA

This is a really easy recipe that you can complete with very limited cooking experience: you really just cut the veggies included, throw the ingredients together, let it cook, and enjoy. As long as you keep an eye on the pot while it’s bubbling so that it doesn’t overflow, and stir often, little can go wrong! Add a couple cups of shrimp or chopped chicken if you want to make it a main dish with some meaty flavor, or eat it as a side dish on its’ own. If it’s as a side dish, definitely use less rice than is called for in this recipe or you’ll have lots of leftovers. It has plenty of protein and veggies so you need not worry about it lacking nutritionally, and it also has tons of flavor!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 sliced cucumber
• 1/3 lb green beans
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• 1 cup chopped artichoke (or canned, marinated artichoke)
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon canned minced garlic)
• 1 can white or garbanzo beans
• 1.5 cups dry rice (it should make about 3 to 4 cups cooked rice)
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Saffron, or turmeric (a little less than a teaspoon, as it has a stronger flavor)
• Vegetable stock (double the volume of rice) or chicken stock
• 5 teaspoons Olive oil
• Salt (to taste)

Preparation

1. First, pour the olive oil into a large pan (I myself use a dutch oven, the big two-handled pot, just in case because I don’t have a large skillet), making sure the pan is level.
2. Add the green beans, cucumber, and garlic, and let cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Make a space in the middle of the pan and add the tomatoes. Cook for about five minutes, then add the paprika.
4. Fill with broth and water and let boil for about ten minutes, then taste for salt.
5. Add rice, white beans, half the artichoke, and saffron, (and meat if wished) spreading evenly around the pan. Let cook for about another 15-20 minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Keep covered if you want the rice to be softer OR keep uncovered and cook for shorter time if you’d like it al dente. Stir often to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6. Let it rest for a few minutes, but keep stirring to prevent sticking. Add the remainder of the artichoke on top before serving to add both an individual flavor and a touch of flair to the appearance.

Enjoy!