Quinoa Paella

Using nutritious and quick-cooking quinoa as a substitute for rice to make a vegan paella, you can have a colorful one-dish meal in a shade over 30 minutes. Colorful, flavorful, and festive, this goes well with Spinach, Orange, and Red Cabbage Salad.

Serves: 6

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4  cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips
• 2 cups vegetable broth, or 2 cups water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, dissolved in
  a small amount of hot water (see Note)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 cups artichoke hearts (not marinated; either from the supermarket
  olive bar, or one 14-ounce can, drained)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
• 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes
• 2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or steep-sided stir-fry pan. Add the garlic and bell peppers and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the broth, saffron, and quinoa. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.

Stir in the artichoke hearts, peas, tomatoes, scallions, and half of the parsley. Check if the quinoa is completely done; if not, add 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring frequently, just until everything is well heated through, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the quinoa mixture to a large shallow serving container. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top and serve at once.

Note: Can’t find or don’t want to spend the money for saffron? Turmeric is a fine substitute. Use 1 teaspoon.

Variation: Add a cup of sliced brown mushrooms when you add the peppers.

• Explore Vegkitchen’s wide array of quinoa recipes.
• Here are more of VegKitchen’s Vegan Dinner Recipes and
  more Main Dishes Featuring Grains and/or Beans.