Spinach Paella

… I think many of us are creatures of habit when it comes to holidays.  I’ve always liked to think of myself as the adventurous sort – I have visions of a ramshackle bus on a dirt road in South America with a chicken as my travelling companion –  but alas when push comes to shove I think I’m less ‘bus full of chickens’ and ‘chicken in a basket’.  The thing is, if you’re going to spend your hard-earned cash on two weeks in the sun there’s a big part of me that wants some guarantees such as sunshine, a comfortable bed and a warm ocean to dip into.  I’m lucky because since I was a young boy my family have had a home on the Spanish island of Mallorca.  Regular readers of this blog will know all about my love for this very special place and the inspiration it has brought to my cooking.  I love the fact that we have so many different cuisines from so many countries so close to the UK and travel is so simple and really quite inexpensive now there is very little reason not to get away and stuff your face…

Wether you’re feeling adventurous or in need of guaranteed sunshine the good people at ebookers have given me £50 worth of Bonus+ points to give to one lucky Belleau Kitchen reader… the Bonus+ points can be put towards booking flights and hotels through ebookers.com .  ebookers are the first online travel agent to develop allow customers to earn rewards on flights, hotels and packaged trips all in one place with both business and leisure travellers being rewarded with meaningful discounts, bonuses and exclusive added value services. All you have to do is answer the simple question in the nifty rafflecopter thingy below…

I adore a good paella and even though it’s something of a dirty word when you’re on a Spanish holiday you need to get over the naffness of it all and go ahead and order one… the issue I have of course is that The Viking is a vegetarian and there are very few places I can find that will make a good quality vegetarian paella so it’s nice to try and develop something that has all the wonderful flavours of a traditional paella but without the meat…

Spinach & Artichoke Paella

I’ve used traditional paella rice which is slightly different to risotto rice and if you can find it then do but risotto rice will work here.

If you have or can find a large paella pan then go for it but if not a large shallow casserole pan with a lid, like the one i’ve used, will work really well

Place the pan on a mid heat and heat up some butter and olive oil, add the carrots, celery and onion and let them sweat for about 5 minutes, then add the smoke paprika, stir and let it cook off for another 3 minutes, then add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms and again let it cook off for another 3 minutes, place the lid on and let is cook gently for 5 mins until all the veg is soft

Vegetarian Paella With Artichokes (easy Recipe)

Add the rice, stir then add the wine and let it sit for a moment whilst it bubbles away, then add the stock, tun down the heat, place the lid on and let it cook gently for 10 minutes

Take the lid off, add the broccoli, place the lid on and let it steam for another 10 mins, then add the peas, stir in, then add the spinach, place the lid on for a further 5 mins whilst the spinach wilts.

Take the lid off, stir it all together, turn up the heat and add a couple of gluggs of olive oil and let it really pick up heat… you want that patina of darkly golden rice on the bottom to get an authentic paella taste… then once you’re happy, serve…If you didn’t catch yesterday’s post let me catch you up. We kicked off our Monday by hostinga vibrant Spanish themed dinner(and a MAJOR giveaway) with two of my favorites, Le Creuset and Williams-Sonoma. And today, as promised, I’m sharing therecipes for my Easy Seafood Paella and Espinacas con Garbanzos.

Vegetarian Paella Recipe With Mushrooms And Saffron Rice

So first, a little backstory: I love seafood paella. And I’ve wanted to take a stab at making my own for awhile now, but truthfully I’ve been a bitintimidated to try and tackle it at home. Though some recipes slightly vary, I’ve always enjoyed it as atraditional rice dish with fresh mussels, little neck clams and shrimp, simmering in afiery bathof spices and seasonings (think cayenne, saffron, smoked paprika and more). It’s really no surprise that people from all over consider thistraditional Spanish dish an elevated comfort food, and it’s dramatic one-pot presentation makes it a true show stopper.

To my delight, making my own seafood paella was so much easier than I had imagined. What I thought would be a painstakingly long process, turned into an under-30-minute (or just about) meal! I mean I was shocked. You will spend that active time simmering, blending and boiling, but you’ll find that thelevel and depth of flavors you’ll achieve is well worth the time spent over the paellapan.

Next up (which can serve as a first course to the seafood paella or by itself as a tapa) is the traditional Spanish side dish: Espinacas con Garbanzos, which translates to “spinach with chickpeas.” Sounds simple enough, but thisspinach and chickpea Moorish-style stewis a comforting, filling dish that’s typically servedhot and has a smoky, hearty flavor. This, like the seafood paella, is an under-30-minute dish, so it’s a great option when you’re hoping to kick up your weeknight routine or impress (without all the fuss) at your next dinner party. Truly, MKR

Paella De Cerdo Con Chorizo Y Espinaca (rice With Pork, Chorizo And Spinach)

P.S.Don’t forget to enter ourweek-long giveaway with yourchance to score a 16-piece Le Creuset set in the color of your choice! All the details are listed below in the widget, and I’d love to hear: what color would you choose?!

So first, a little backstory: I love seafood paella. And I’ve wanted to take a stab at making my own for awhile now, but truthfully I’ve been a bitintimidated to try and tackle it at home. Though some recipes slightly vary, I’ve always enjoyed it as atraditional rice dish with fresh mussels, little neck clams and shrimp, simmering in afiery bathof spices and seasonings (think cayenne, saffron, smoked paprika and more). It’s really no surprise that people from all over consider thistraditional Spanish dish an elevated comfort food, and it’s dramatic one-pot presentation makes it a true show stopper.

To my delight, making my own seafood paella was so much easier than I had imagined. What I thought would be a painstakingly long process, turned into an under-30-minute (or just about) meal! I mean I was shocked. You will spend that active time simmering, blending and boiling, but you’ll find that thelevel and depth of flavors you’ll achieve is well worth the time spent over the paellapan.

Next up (which can serve as a first course to the seafood paella or by itself as a tapa) is the traditional Spanish side dish: Espinacas con Garbanzos, which translates to “spinach with chickpeas.” Sounds simple enough, but thisspinach and chickpea Moorish-style stewis a comforting, filling dish that’s typically servedhot and has a smoky, hearty flavor. This, like the seafood paella, is an under-30-minute dish, so it’s a great option when you’re hoping to kick up your weeknight routine or impress (without all the fuss) at your next dinner party. Truly, MKR

Paella De Cerdo Con Chorizo Y Espinaca (rice With Pork, Chorizo And Spinach)

P.S.Don’t forget to enter ourweek-long giveaway with yourchance to score a 16-piece Le Creuset set in the color of your choice! All the details are listed below in the widget, and I’d love to hear: what color would you choose?!