Brown Rice Vegetable Paella

Brown Rice Vegetable Paella

Brown Rice Vegetable Paella

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups short-grain brown rice
4 cups homemade or
good-quality vegetable broth
1 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
¼ cup Spanish olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 vine ripened tomatoes,
core removed and chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
1 large fennel bulb,
cut into 8 wedges
1 red bell pepper,
seeded and chopped

8 baby artichokes, halved and trimmed
½ pound royal trumpet mushrooms,
halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
4 cups Tuscan kale, stems removed and
roughly chopped
½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed
and cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup piquillo or roasted red peppers,
cut into thin strips
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 ½ cups
of the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the
heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. While the
rice is cooking, add the remaining broth in a medium
saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn
off the heat, add the saffron, cover and keep warm.
In a large paella pan, heat the olive oil over medium- high
heat. To make the sofrito, add the chopped onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes and white
wine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently,
or until the sofrito is thick and reduced by half. The final sofrito will be dark and rich in flavor as well as color. Add in the fennel bulb, bell pepper and baby artichokes. Cook
stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables begin to caramelize and wilt.
Next add in the mushrooms. Continue to sauté over medium heat for 7-9 minutes
or until the vegetables are tender. Next add in the paprika and kale and pre-cooked
brown rice, stir to combine. Pour in the hot broth, increase heat to medium high and
bring to a boil. Check for seasoning and add some salt now if needed. Lower the heat to
medium and nestle the asparagus into the pan randomly. Allow the dish to continue to
cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is al dente and a crust or soccorat has formed
on the bottom. Turn off the heat, lightly cover the paella with foil and allow to rest for
10 minutes. To serve, arrange piquillo peppers on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve
with lemon wedges. Enjoy!