Vegetable Paella

That's right - this is a vegetable paella. No seafood, no chorizo, no meat of any kind. It might not be the most traditional Spanish dish in this form, but it still keeps some essentials - rice, saffron, olive oil - and fills the rest of the dish with flavorful Mediterranean vegetables. However, if you truly do not want to go the vegetarian route, you can always follow the recipe below but toss in your favorite protein to go with it.

I made some macadamia crusted tilapia on the side, which is reflected in the cost below, but really this meal would go with anything or stand on its own. Paella can easily be the entree, and most usually is, actually, but it can also pair well with a co-entree like a nice fillet of fish.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 min
Cost: $16.35



Vegetable Paella
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 c onion, diced
1 c zucchini, sliced
3/4 c cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c uncooked brown rice
2 c vegetable broth (no sodium added or low sodium)
1 tsp Thyme, dried
1 tsp turmeric (use saffron, though, if you have it)
1 jar artichoke hearts, quartered
1 c peas, frozen
2 c tomato, chopped
1 tsp black pepper

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often enough to keep from burning. Then, pour in the rice, vegetable broth, Thyme, turmeric, and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the artichoke hearts, peas, tomato, and black pepper. Stir to ensure everything is well mixed and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Servings: 6
Serving size: about 1.5 cups of paella
Nutrition: calories 305; carbs 52g; fat 7g; protein 8g; sodium 418mg; iron 9mg