Vegetable Paella

Vegetable Paella

8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup diced onion
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 lb uncooked Valencia or Arborio rice
1 tsp saffron, crushed
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 cups vegetable broth
9 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup frozen petite peas
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/3 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
3 medium lemons, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Sauté mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until soft and light brown; set aside.

3. Heat remaining oil in a paella pan or 12-inch ovenproof skillet, and sauté garlic, onion, and peppers 8 minutes or until soft. Add rice, saffron and salt, and stir until rice is coated with oil. Add broth, and bring mixture to a boil.

4. Cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 8 minutes. Stir in reserved mushrooms, artichoke hearts, carrot, peas and tomato; cover and bake 8 minutes more. Remove foil, and bake 8 to 12 minutes more or until heated through. Remove from oven, and top with olives, green onions, roasted pepper and lemon wedges.

Servings: 8

Note: This is a very filling meal, full of flavor and fairly healthy [if you can resist eating the entire pan yourself ;) ].

Ground Turkey Skillet

Ground Turkey Skillet

1- 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 1/2 bell peppers

1 small onion

handful carrots

1 c. long grain brown rice

2 c. water

cilantro & parsley, fresh, chopped

salt, pepper, garlic powder, worchester sauce to taste

olive oil

In a medium saucepan, add rice, water and about 1 tsp. salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 35 mins.

In a large skillet, add about a tablespoon of olive oil, covering entire bottom of pan by spreading. Chop onion and bell pepper and saute in olive oil with a few dashes of salt and pepper. When almost finished sauteing, add ground turkey and about a tablespoon of worcester sauce. Thinly slice the carrots and add them to the skillet. Cook until turkey is done.

When rice has cooked for 35 mins, add to the skillet. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and more worcester sauce to taste.

Cover skillet and reduce heat, cooking about 10 more mins. until all liquid is gone.