Vegan Quinoa Paella

I've never had paella before, and this kind of isn't really it either, but the seasonings are the same.  Basically, I wasn't in the mood for meat, and scallops were $15/lb.  You could throw sausage, shrimp, or another seafood in this and it would be closer to paella, but slightly more nutritious than the rice version.  For a vegetarian - but not vegan - version, top each serving with a poached egg.  They're both still gluten-free.

I took the recipe off Simply Quinoa, but - as she suggested - made it my own.  I've been looking for a use for my last two carrots in the pond, so I made one the garnish on top instead of bell pepper.  I also had celery in the fridge, which went into the mix instead of green beans.  Really: green beans, chickpeas, and quinoa?  Sure, I eat more fiber than the average American, but this could hurt a person.

This is never going to be as creamy as a rice paella, so I didn't stress about the constant stirring thing. There just isn't enough starch in quinoa to stick to anything.

You'll notice the scarcity of stars on major ingredients, although I did have all the necessary spices.  At least it gave me a chance to find out how much four servings cost.  $7, with nothing on special but buying store brands or bulk.  Oh, and making my own broth.  Now, if you have to invest in saffron, it's going to more than double that.  This is why I pick up expensive items when they're on special.  They will come in handy eventually.

2/3 C dry quinoa
1/2 onion, diced
*2 ribs celery, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb olive oil
1 C chopped baby Bella mushrooms (about 6)
1 15 oz can diced low-sodium tomatoes
1 15 oz can artichokes, either quartered or hearts
1 15 oz can low-sodium chickpeas
Salt and pepper to taste
*1/4 tsp saffron threads
*1/4 tsp turmeric
*1 tsp paprika
1 C low-sodium vegetable broth
*2 medium carrots: 1 petite diced, the other one thinly sliced
*Juice of half a lemon to finish

1.  If you like to rinse and/or soak your quinoa, give it a 2-hour head start.  If not, don't drain the artichokes and that should provide enough liquid.

2.  Drizzle oil in a 10" skillet.  Over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery, and garlic until softened.  Stir in (drained) quinoa and saffron, turmeric, and paprika.  Allow it to toast lightly, like a pilaf.

3.  Drain and rinse chickpeas.  Drain artichokes if pre-soaking quinoa.  Add to skillet, along with tomatoes in their juice, mushrooms, the diced carrot, and 1 cup of broth.  Stir to combine, lower heat to a simmer, and cover.  Simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.

4.  Remove lid and taste.  Add salt and pepper if necessary.  This is why I specifically put "low-sodium" on all the canned ingredients except the artichokes.  You're opening four cans of various items, and canned food can be very high in sodium.  Rinsing the beans and artichokes helps to reduce it, but I still only added maybe 1/8 tsp to the entire skillet.  If too dry, add a little more broth or water.  Stir again after these additions.  Top with sliced carrots, recover, and simmer for 5 minutes, to soften carrots a little without cooking them all the way.

5.  Serve hot, after letting everyone see the pretty skillet.  In a mixed group, you can top the non-vegan servings with poached egg, shrimp, or sausage.

Difficulty rating. :)