VEGAN PAELLA FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION

Perfect for Valentine's Day: glorious vegan paella  

Exquisitely flavoured & gorgeous to behold: Paella with Tofu, Avo & Almonds
'Would have this anytime but would add a little heat.' Taster  

This Special Occasion vegan paella is designed to please whether you're an ethical eater, a flexitarian or a carnivore.   

Smoked tofu and crunchy nuts replace chicken and fish; the brown rice introduces a nuttiness to the spiced Spanish classic.    

What makes paella special is the key ingredient, saffron.  Nothing else has its delicate smokiness but it IS expensive (made from the threads of special Spanish crocus, it's one of the most expensive foods in the world).  

Saffron makes a dish ultra-special but a little goes a long way.  Small amounts are available at £4; that's enough for 2-3 recipes and it keeps for ages.  (If the budget doesn't run to Saffron, turmeric in small quantities will colour the rice without overpowering it; add half a teaspoon of smoked paprika for a rounded Spanish flavour.)    

67's version is simple, though there's chopping and a number of ingredients together and several steps to follow.  But you can partially cook the paella the night before -- helpful when Valentine's Day falls in the middle of the week.  

The recipe doesn't go overboard on olive oil, and brown rice makes it a high-protein, fibre-rich winner in the health stakes!  

Serves: 3-4 
Cost: around £4'ish, depending on what's in your vegetable drawer.

Ingred:

3/4 cups brown rice, well rinsed 

1/2 green + 1/2 yellow pepper in med dice, mixed and then divided into 2 containers
1/2 med onion in small dice 
1 small clove grated  garlic 

1 1/2 250ml cups/425 ml litre good stock (granules ok) including 1 glass white wine or grape juice  
1/3-1/2 tablespoon saffron

1/3-1/2 small mug fresh or frozen peas 
1 large tomato, de-seeded and in medium dice (75gm/generous 2 1/2oz)
113-175gm/4-6oz smoked or spiced tofu, organic if budget allows, in bite-size pieces

Vegan Paella with Almonds 

1/3 avocado (opt)

Garnish: 
   45gm/1 1/2 oz flaked or toasted whole almonds 
   lemon wedges
   sprigs fresh parsley  

Method:

1. Soak non-organic veg in a solution of 9 parts water/1 part vinegar 20 mins; rinse; drain
2. Place rice in a sieve over a bowl; let cold tap water run over it until it runs clear (3-5 mins).  Pour a full kettle of boiling water over the rice; drain.  
3. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pan over med-high heat; add onions, sauté 3-4 mins then add one of the bowls of peppers; cook 5-6 mins or until onions are tender.  Stir in garlic.
4. If necessary add a tablespoon oil to pan then the drained rice; stir until rice is coated in oil 
5. Heat stock/wine in saucepan until it reaches boiling point.  Take it off the heat and add saffron; stir until liquid is deep yellow.  Pour over rice & veg.  
6. Bring rice to the boil over high heat; reduce heat to med high until rice is bubbling gently;  cook uncovered 20-25 mins.  The surface of the rice should be pitted with small holes and the liquid almost completely absorbed; if not, cook a little longer.
7. Stir in half the peas, tomato dice and smoked tofu pieces; season with pepper and salt
8. Turn heat to low, cover pan and leave 15 mins 
9. If making this in advance, cool rice one hour then refrigerate.
10. When ready to cook, steam or microwave the rice until hot through (up to 10-15 mins) push the rest of the peppers just below the surface 
11. Scatter the left-over  peas, tomato dice & smoked tofu pieces on top 
12. If using avocado, cut into large dice; squeeze 1/3-1/2 lemon over the pieces, coating them well in juice; season with salt & pepper; gently stir gently into the rice
13. Garnish paella with flaked/toasted almonds, lemons and parsley 
14. Serve with no-butter garlic bread, lightly cooked veg such as green beans, broccoli and asparagus (it is Valentine's Day!) and a yoghurt-lemon dressing
15. To accompany -- Authentic Spanish Sangria -- or 67's recently discovered rose wine*, for diners who believed they didn't like wine.  

Tips:

• If using organic brown rice, cook in plenty of boiling water 20mins; drain, rise with a kettle of boiling water; drain & set aside) 
• Brown rice cooking times.  Organic brown rice takes much longer to cook than ordinary brown rice-- 45 mins instead of 25.  Take this into account when calculating cooking time. 
• Add heat with a finely diced small chilli or a pinch or two of chilli flakes
• How to deal with brown rice 
• Two brands of brown rice 67 enjoys is Amira (Morrisons) & Tilda (Waitrose); they're not organic but as long as they are rinsed in boiling water before or after the cooking process should be fine
• White rice can replace brown; follow packet instructions

*Rose: Coteau Varois en Provence M&S. 

The blogger is not a great wine fan but this was delightful - light, clean, not too sweet or acidic. 
 £3  for 25cl; bottle £8 but not easy to come by.

Historical Note:The word Paella has a romantic connotation: the Spanish say the dish was first prepared by a lover for his fiancee.  The word 'paella' is a corruption of 'para ella', meaning 'for her'.  In the UK no gender would dare claim dominion over the cooking of paella but in Spain, it's usually left to the men!!

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.   B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any action taken on the basis of the information provided