pa·el·la: a Spanish dish made up of rice, chicken, & seafood and is served in a pan.

I’ve never been a big fan of paella’s. The texture of rice and seafood doesn’t sit to well with me. And it’s not from a lack of trying. I’ve tried my best to push through the texture and enjoy the flavors. I haven’t tried a paella in nearly 4/5 years. When I saw this recipe I decided to revisit the dish.

I’m fully aware that choosing to be vegan is going to push me to try different foods, vegetables, fruits, and spices. I’m mentally prepared for that. And I’m also prepared to eat something even if I don’t really like it. I want to make sure that I don’t close myself off to experiences. Isn’t what a journey is all about? And here comes the paella.

When I decided I wanted to go vegan in the new year I wanted to make the transition was smooth. So, I started with being a vegetarian. I wanted to try different recipes and learn how to cook food differently. So, not to long ago I had purchased a book called The Vegetarian Bible. The book has a some really great recipes and a large selection of spices and vegetables I’ve never used or heard of. One night after coming home from work I decided to try something different. I landed on page 154. PAELLA! The picture looked amazing. I had almost all the ingredients. I was hungry. And so I picked up the ingredients and went to work. I will have to say that it was rather simple and quick to make. I’m happy to report that it was FANTASTIC! I’ve never cooked with turmeric before and since making this dish it’s a favorite spice. The flavors in this dish are out of this world. It has a little bit of heat from the ground red pepper and a nice creaminess from the rice and broth mix.For the first time I didn’t feel freaked out by paella. Below you’ll find the recipe.

*Disclaimer: This is not my recipe. You can purchase the book here (amazon). I was not given this book for review.*

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 1 can (14 ounces) quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen baby peas

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 7 minutes or until tender.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in rice.
4. Cook over medium heat 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add broth, salt, Italian seasoning, turmeric, and ground red pepper.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low.Simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
8. Stir in tomatoes, bell pepper and carrots.
9. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes more.
10. Reduce heat to low and stir in artichoke hearts, zucchini and peas.
11. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.

Makes 6 servings