Deliciously Ella's veggie paella
Taken from the new book Deliciously Ella Every Day
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 red peppers, sliced200g chestnut mushrooms, chopped300g frozen peas200g green beans2 teaspoons cayenne pepper4 teaspoons paprikaJuice of 3 lemons, plus more lemons to serve4 garlic cloves, crushedSaltabout 24 cherry tomatoes1 teaspoon saffron threads500g short-grain brown rice400ml can of coconut milk700ml water15g bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Method
Add the red peppers and mushrooms to a large saucepan with the peas, green beans, cayenne, paprika, the juice of 1 lemon, a generous amount of olive oil, the garlic and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies are starting to soften.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into quarters.
Add the tomatoes and saffron to the mix, then, a couple of minutes later, stir in the rice and coconut milk, adding 700ml water.
Place the lid on the pan and bring the paella to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for 1 hour. Try not to stir it too much during this time, just every 20 minutes or so to ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.
After 1 hour the rice should feel cooked but still a little al dente. Stir in the juice of the remaining 2 lemons.
Place the paella in bowls, with lemon wedges on the side, sprinkling the chopped coriander on top.
If you want to make this heartier, stir in some boiled potatoes half way through. Or, if you’re a fish eater, add some fish fillets or prawns to it 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking.