Mediterranean Vegetable Paella

SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

150g (5.3oz) short grain rice (ideally paella rice but any will do)
1 small red pepper, roughly chopped
1 courgette, sliced
1 aubergine, roughly chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
100g (3.5oz) frozen peas
600ml (21fl oz) vegetable, fish or chicken stock
1tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil

Recipe Summary

If you have a glut of courgettes, peppers and tomatoes from the garden then this is the recipe for you. It’s a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have to hand in lovely paella for a lazy, late summer evening.

I’ve used turmeric instead of saffron to give the rice the traditional golden colour – it’s a much cheaper spice and turmeric has the added benefit of being rich in a powerful anti-inflammatory compound known as curcumin. Trials are underway looking at whether this compound could be harnessed in treatments to help reduce arthritis inflammation, but, in the meantime, there is no harm adding a little of this wonderful aromatic spice to your diet.

You could add seafood to the recipe for a more traditional paella recipe. Prawns, mussels and clams are all a good source of lean protein, iron and zinc. If you find chopping the vegetables difficult, use frozen mixed vegetables or baby vegetables instead.

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the slice onion and garlic. Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. Add the turmeric, paprika, peppers, aubergine and courgette and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and stir everything until the rice is thoroughly coated with the spices, then add the stock. Bring the pan to a low simmer and allow the paella to cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add the frozen peas, stir one more time and then let the paella rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.