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| CLASSIC PAELLA: meat and fish This dish also transforms easily into a vegetarian/vegan option |
original 8/4/15
Spanish Paella, a terrific tasty one-dish meal, solves all the problems associated with serving a household with conflicting food demands. And it's lower-fat, too.
Looking for a knock-out dish that will satisfy vegans, carniovores AND pescatarians? Without lumbering chef with multiple dishes?
The recipe was specifically developed by 67goingon50 to feed either meat and fish lovers or vegetarians/vegans. Or all at the same time!
The dish is not complicated. The vegetarian base is easily prepared. Divide as needed; and add tofu, nuts and/or pulses OR chicken, pork or lamb OR shellfish and white fish.
Depending on how many are being fed, one recipe can be enough for both carnivores and vegetarians. If there is a problem, it is that meat-lovers often want to eat both versions! If you're serving a large crowd, doubling the recipe is recommended.
If the dish is for a normal family, there'll be plenty of leftovers for freezing or for packing up in lunchboxes.
The recipe is lower in fat than normal. Use brown rice instead of white and it's a high-protein, rich-in-fibre winner in the health stakes!
The dish can be budget friendly; in Spain some paellas have tiny amounts of meat and even smaller amounts of fish. See Tips, below.
The key ingredient, saffron, IS expensive (in fact one of the most expensive foods in the world) but nothing else has its delicate smokiness. A little goes a long way and keeps well -- a £4 container will be enough for this recipe and more. A less expensive option is turmeric, but only in small quantities to colour the rice without overpowering it.
To accompany -- Authentic Spanish Sangria.
Serves: 6-8
Cost: around £7-8, less if shopping frugally.
Ingred:
Base:1 1/2 cups rice - pref brown, not quick cook - well rinsed (see tips)
2 peppers of different colours
1 onion diced
1 clove grated garlic
3 cups/600 ml litre good stock (granules ok) incl 1 glass white wine or white grape juice
1 tablespoon saffron
a small mug fresh/frozen peas
1 large tomato, de-seeded and in medium dice
lemon wedges for garnish
Classic Paella
(for base recipe; adjust quantities as necessary)
1 chicken in 16 pieces (neck and back removed for stock) or 8-12 small chicken thighs or 12-14 wings divided in two
12 cm chorizo or spicy lamb sausage (opt)
prawns or mussels or white fish (a generous mugful is about right) (opt)
Seafood Paella (quantities for base recipe; adjust as necessary)
double the amount and variety of seafood
Vegetarian Paella (quantities for base recipe; adjust as necessary)
1 tin drained, rinsed chickpeas or 1 large mug reconstituted dry chickpeas
100 gm M&S artichoke, olive and sun blush antipasti OR 3 oz/85gm artichoke hearts OR
113-175gm/4-6oz smoked or spiced tofu, organic if budget allows, in bite-size pieces
1/3 avocado (opt)
Method:
