Vegetarian Paella

The bad blogger has returned! After a whirlwind month of Will going to Fort Benning, Georgia for Airborne school (yes, he actually did jump out of a plane!), Tony and I making the hike up to Milwaukee to spend some time with family and friends, and finding out that I'm pregnant again-yes, our second babeh is due on April Fools Day!-I haven't had much time for blogging. Basically, I made a bunch of recipes before I left, photographed them, and conveniently forgot to post them. So, I'm back and hopefully my posts will be more consistent. At least for the next couple of months.

Let me start by saying I REALLY wanted to like this recipe. A) I love paella. My dear friend Chrissy can attest to this, after she saw the ridiculous amounts of paella I consumed in Spain. B) I love fresh summer vegetables. C) I am obsessed with anything containing saffron. And finally, D) I've been eating very healthy lately and this seemed like an absolutely perfect dish to add to our weeknight meals. The only problem...there was hardly any flavor at all. This really surprised me, because I added a significant amount of salt and pepper, and I personally felt that I shouldn't add too many other spices, because I didn't want anything to take away the saffron flavor. Unfortunately, the flavor in this meal was truly lacking, and I didn't enjoy it. All that being said, I don't want to discourage anyone from making it. I think if you add some of your favorite spices, this could truly be a delicious and healthy meal. It was very easy to prepare, and it's great for a weeknight.
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces soy sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 cup sliced yellow squash
• 1 cup baby squash or sliced zucchini
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 6 to 8 saffron threads
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large paella pan or skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add soy sausage and garlic and cook 2 minutes.

3. Add artichokes, squash, zucchini, carrots, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, saffron, paprika, and bay leaves, bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.

4. Add rice and broth and cook for 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. 

5. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves and stir in parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.