Easy Veggie Paella

Wow, it's been almost a week since my last post! I knew that the re-start of grad school would put a dent in my posting schedule, but it's still crazy how the days just fly by. On the upside, I just taught my first college English class and got the jitters out of my system! I have 22 students this quarter, so fingers crossed that we continue to mesh well together for the next 10 weeks.

In the food world, I am still fixated on this transition from summer to fall. It's truly an amazing time of year -- pumpkins are popping up at the supermarket, but the sun is still (mostly) shining! If you have the urge to cram veggies into your diet before the cold weather blows in, you should try this amazing vegetable paella. It's quite easy apart from buying and chopping a million veggies...and of course I added chorizo sausage for some extra kick.

Ingredients:

 

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

1 cup sliced yellow squash

1 cup baby squash or sliced zucchini

1 cup sliced carrots

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup frozen green peas 

14-ounce can diced tomatoes

6 to 8 saffron threads

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 bay leaves 

2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley  

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large paella pan or skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add sausage and garlic and cook until done. 

3. Add artichokes, squash, zucchini, carrots, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, saffron, paprika, and bay leaves, bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. 

4. Add rice and broth and cook for 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. 

5. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves and stir in parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.