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Monday, 4 June 2012

The Picky Eater: A Healthy Food Blog

The Picky Eater: A Healthy Food Blog

Quinoa Vegetable Paella

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Somehow it is raining in June.

You know, because June is wet season in the Bay Area.

The weather can be so random sometimes.

The last time I made this dish, it was also raining. It was so rainy that when I was driving home, I sat in traffic for two hours (to go 30 miles). When I got home, I think the husband was worried about my mental state, especially since it was late, I was cranky, and I was in no mood to cook.

But, I also couldn’t bear the thought of eating takeout after such a long day.

So, I decided to power through and try a recipe that I already had the ingredients for at home. A recipe that would warm me up from the inside out and make me forget about the fact that it was raining, and that I had just spent 2 hours of my life in the car. A recipe that had the beautiful aromatic flavors of saffron, cumin, paprika – that reminded me of warm tropical days in far off destinations.

This Quinoa Veggie Paella was inspired by a recipe I found on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, but I’ve dressed it up and added many more spices than the original version. My version is below, and you can find the original here.

It was the perfect cure for a rainy day.

The Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, chopped  
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup quinoa  
  • 1/4 tsp saffron, crushed
  • 2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1-2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2.5 cups vegetable broth 
  • 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters (optional, I omitted this because the husband doesn’t like artichokes)
  • A few healthy splashes of lemon juice (about the juice of 1/2-1 lemon)
  • 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
  • Sliced almonds
The Directions
.
Step 1: Put the quinoa into a large bowl. Cover with water and stir well to wash the grain. Pour off the water and then repeat the washing process.
.
Step 2: Sauté onion and garlic in a deep non-stick skillet with a little (2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil until soft. Add the quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
.
Step 3: Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.
.
Step 4: Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done. Remove the cover, stir in the peas, and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
.
Step 5: Season with a few splashes of lemon juice, salt and stir in a few Tbsp of sliced almonds. If you’re using artichoke hearts, arrange them on top and let them heat through for about 5 minutes before serving.
.
Step 6: Serve each plate with a sprinkling of sliced almonds on top, and a wedge or a slice of lemon (if you want a bit more lemon flavor).
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This recipe makes about 6 servings, and each serving has only ~300 calories, with 10g fiber and 13g protein.
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Not bad for a healthy remake of a Spanish comfort food! This meal transported me to our evenings in Granada and Seville, where we would eat paella under the stars at outdoor cafes, during the warm Spanish summer nights.
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I hope this recipe makes you feel like you’ve gotten a little bit of Spain in your own kitchen.
.

Quinoa Vegetable Paella

by Anjali Shah @ The Picky Eater

Makes 6 servings, each serving has ~300 calories, with 10g fiber and 13g protein

The Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 tsp saffron, crushed
  • 2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1-2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2.5 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters (optional, I omitted this because the husband doesn’t like artichokes)
  • A few healthy splashes of lemon juice (about the juice of 1/2-1 lemon)
  • 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
  • Sliced almonds

The Directions

Step 1: Put the quinoa into a large bowl. Cover with water and stir well to wash the grain. Pour off the water and then repeat the washing process.
Step 2: Sauté onion and garlic in a deep non-stick skillet with a little (2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil until soft. Add the quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done. Remove the cover, stir in the peas, and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Step 5: Season with a few splashes of lemon juice, salt and stir in a few Tbsp of sliced almonds. If you’re using artichoke hearts, arrange them on top and let them heat through for about 5 minutes before serving.
Step 6: Serve each plate with a sprinkling of sliced almonds on top, and a wedge or a slice of lemon (if you want a bit more lemon flavor).
at 23:04

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