Paella de Verduras
from Best Ever Mediterranean

Special Ingredients:
Saffron
Paprika
Grilled bell pepper

Modifications:
used whatever I could find in a fridge
 Added porkbelly bits
Substituted parsley with little remaining cilantro and lovage from the garden



What do you do when you have nothing to eat and are too tired to go to grocery store to complete a recipe? You make jambalaya from anything you can find in a fridge.

This is a vegetarian recipe, but since I didn't have all the vegetables in the recipe, like asparagus or peas, I decided to beef it up with porkbelly bits and homemade pork stock. I have made pretty good jambalayas before, but this one is amazing (despite me having to get by with whatever I could find in the fridge). Saffron and paprika give a strong authentic Spanish flavor to this paella. Grilled bell pepper is another special addition. I got to use my cast iron grill-pan. Yeay!! Simple way to add flavor and a gourmet touch. I had only dry chick peas (recipe calls for canned), and tried to rapid boil them while prepping, but they still turned out on an al dente side. But great protein addition to the vegetarian recipe.

Will I make it again? No - too homy for my taste. Unless I am in an emergency again, where I have to scratch something up like tonight. But will definitely try other paellas from this cook-book with meat (like chorizo) and seafood. I also learned, that saffron and paprika are a must in paella!