Summer Vege Paella

I am a high school fashion and food technology teacher. This year I am teaching Year 7 Food Technology and during the course the students design a healthy meal that they will go home and cook for their family. I completed the task along side them for fun. I decided to make vegetarian paella for my vegetarian family. The brief required the students and myself to consider seasonality, cost and healthy eating. It was a great time to learn how to make real paella and my students really enjoyed hearing about my progress as I trialled different vegetables and combinations.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Rice bran oil
1 whole	Small red onion, Chopped finely
1 whole	Red capsicum, Thinly sliced
1 whole	Fennel bulb, Sliced
2 cloves	Garlic cloves, Chopped finely
½ tsp	Smoked paprika
¾ tsp	Ground turmeric
1 pinch	Saffron
2 whole	Bay leaves
100 ml	Dry white wine
300 g	Paella rice (Main)
3 ½ cups	Vegetable stock, boiling

Toppings

20 g	Capers
24 whole	Kalamata olives, pips removed
½ cup	Edamame beans, unshelled
1 stem	Parsley, Chopped
½ whole	Lemons, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Heat oil in the paella pan.
2. Cook onion until it starts to soften.
3. Add capsicum and fennel and cook for another 3-5 mins.
4. Add garlic and cook for a further 1 min.
5. Add the spices and stir through then add the wine and cook until it has mostly cooked away.
6. Add the paella rice with the bay leaf and stir constantly for 2 mins.
7. Pour the boiling stock over the rice. Do not stir! Make sure it is boiling, then turn to low. Let it cook on the element for 20 mins without stirring at all.
8. Place the edamame beans on the paella with the capers and olives and parsley. Cover with foil and let it stand for 10 mins to make sure it is cooked and hopefully you have achieved the delicious socarrat!
9. Sure with lemon wedges.