Vegetable and brown rice paella

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/8 teaspoon saffron

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium tomatoes or 4 large plum tomatoes, diced (or one 14-ounce can low-sodium diced tomatoes)

1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice

1 small bunch thin asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths

6 canned artichoke hearts, halved

1 cup frozen peas

* Preheat oven to 400[degrees]F. In a saucepan, bring broth to a simmer and stir in saffron, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Remove from heat; set aside.

* Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

* Add tomatoes and rice; stir to combine. Pour in reserved broth and bring to a boil. Cover, place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.

* Remove skillet from oven, uncover, and place asparagus and artichokes on top, pushing vegetables into the rice. Scatter peas over the top. Cover and return to oven for 10 minutes.

* Uncover and cook for 5 minutes more, or until all broth is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional score per serving (1 3/4 cups): 285 calories, 4 g fat (13% of calories), gt; 1 g saturated fat, 54 g carbs, 9 g protein, 7 g fiber, 77 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 511 mg sodium.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning