Last Saturday, I was invited to my friend Mandee’s AmandaCollinson.com graduation party at a sweet little ocean front house in Vilano Beach. It was a great bunch of people celebrating Mandee’s accomplishment and everyone came with a good appetite. There was a mix of food choices and many of them were GF and vegan. I had found this delicious recipe in “Vegetarian Times” magazine and couldn’t wait to try it. I thought it would be the perfect dish to bring. I love to make an entrée full of nutrition, that’s all in one pan. This rice dish serves a lot of people and really is satisfying.
I used organic Texmati rice instead of Valencia rice (all of the Valencia rice that I saw was enriched and void of nutrition)and I didn’t splurge on Saffron which can be very expensive. I used Saffron flowers which is a cheap imitation but worked just fine. I chose yellow and orange bell peppers for more color. I also added S & P to taste….I recommend doing this with most any recipe, sometimes a little salt really brings out the flavor in a dish.
I got so many compliments on it and the bowl was empty before I left…..LOVE that!
2 1/2 tsp Olive Oil
3 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped (1 cup) I used yellow and orange
6 Green Onions, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 Cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
3 Cloves Garlic, minced (1Tbs.)
1 tsp Crumbled Saffron Threads (or Saffron Flowers)
1 Cup Short- Grain White Rice (Valencia) I used Texmati rice
1 Cup Peas
1 Cup halved Grape tomatoes
12 Pitted Green Olives
12 Pitted Black Olives
1 Lemon (Cut in to wedges)
Parsley Sprig For Garnish
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli, bell pepper, and green onions; cook 5 minutes. Stir in broth, garlic and saffron; bring to a boil. Sprinkle rice over ingredients, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle peas, tomatoes, and olives over rice. Cover, and cook paella 8 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. To serve, spoon paella into 6 bowls, and garnish each with lemon wedges and parsley.
Great when shared with good friends:)
The Vegan Exchange 