Pescatarian paella

 

To create vegan paella, don't put the prawns on

I don't remember where I found this recipe for paella, but it worked fine for me. I started out buying for 2 but ended up cooking for 3-4. The ingredients almost overflowed my skillet.

Slice or rip 200g mixed mushrooms (it's nicer if it's not just cremini or button mushrooms). Halve and thinly slice a thick zucchini. Fry in 1 tbsp olive oil on a medium-high fire for 12 minutes in a large, fairly deep oven-safe skillet, stirring regularly. Then remove and put in a bowl.

Boil half a stock cube in 400 ml water.

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Chop an onion and fry 5 minutes in the same skillet in another tbsp olive oil.  Add 3 chopped cloves of garlic, a pinch of saffron and 1 tsp of smoked paprika. Stir, then add a can of chopped tomatoes and 150g of paella rice (or risotto rice if you can't get it). Stir again. Then add the veg you fried earlier, 150g peas, 100g roasted bell pepper (from a jar, chopped), and 65g spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts. Then add the stock and bring to a boil.

Top with about 165g of prawns and put the whole thing in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and with a lemon wedge on the side.