Paella

By Miyoko Schinner, author Artisan Vegan Life

Take your taste buds on a visit to Spain with this colorful, creamy, zesty paella. If you don’t have a paella pan, use cast iron. You can bake this in the oven as well.

¼ C extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, sliced

2 C medium or short grain rice

2-3 very large pinches of saffron

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 2/3 C vegetable stock

2 C fresh diced, orcrushed tomatoes canned

1 ½ C red wine

2 t dried basil

About 4 cups sliced vegetables of choice. Such as red bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, snap peas, shitake mushrooms, eggplant, lobster mushrooms, yellow summer squash, and asparagus.

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. (Cast iron works best and boosts the iron content). Cook the onions in the oil until tender, stirring often. Add the rice and saffron, and cook until slightly nutty. Add the remaining ingredients except the vegetables, stir well, and bring to a simmer. After 5 minutes, add the vegetables and taste the broth, adding more salt if necessary. Cover loosely and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is tender but suspended in a delicious glaze. Serve immediately with a big salad.