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Quick-cooking
brown rice speeds up this simplified paella dish.
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An Asian
stir-fry has long been considered a healthful choice.
But the
idea of combining rice with a small amount of meat and
lots of vegetables exists in other cultures, too.
The Spanish
paella (pi-AY-yuh) is a nutritious one-dish meal that
includes saffron-flavored rice, bite-size bits of seafood,
chicken and sausage as well as tomatoes and peas.
Like a
stir-fry, which is made in a wok, paella is typically made
in a special wide, flat, two-handled pan. But unlike a
stir-fry, paella is not a quick dish to prepare. Even a
"simple" paella recipe at www.spain-recipes.com
takes 60 to 90 minutes.
The Star's
Weeknight Paella uses quick-cooking brown rice to speed
things up. While quick-cooking versions shorten the amount
of time needed to get dinner on the table, brown rice
pumps up the nutrition. The whole grain contains fiber (1
cup has 3.5 grams), B vitamins and trace minerals
manganese and selenium.
The USA
Rice Federation (www.usarice.com) confirms that
quick-cooking varieties have virtually the same nutrition
as long-cooking brown rice. Brown rice also has not had
the bran covering removed, so it is less fluffy than white
rice but has a nuttier flavor.
Shopping
tips: Saffron is pricey and can easily bust a budget. If
you don't want to make the investment, doubling the amount
of turmeric used is an adequate substitution.
We used
mild smoked turkey sausage; if you want to kick it up a
notch, add optional hot pepper sauce.
Cooking
tip: For testing, we used Minute Brand quick-cooking brown
rice; it cooks in about 10 minutes.
WEEKNIGHT
PAELLA
Makes 6
servings
3 cups
quick-cooking brown rice
1 cup
frozen peas
1
tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken
breasts (about 4 ounces each), diced
1 medium
yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
garlic, minced
4 ounces
fully cooked smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1
(15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon
saffron threads
¼ teaspoon
turmeric
¼ teaspoon
paprika
¼ to ½
teaspoon hot seasoning sauce, optional
8 ounces
medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Prepare
brown rice according to package directions. When rice is
removed from heat, stir in peas, cover and allow to stand
5 minutes.
Heat oil in
large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken
to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is
done. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add onion
and garlic to skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until
tender. Add sausage to skillet and heat through.
Stir in
tomatoes, spices and seasonings; bring to a simmer. Add
shrimp to tomato mixture; cover and cook over medium heat
2 to 3 minutes until shrimp is done. Stir in chicken and
brown rice.
Per
serving: 437 calories (15 percent from fat), 7 grams total
fat (2 grams saturated), 94 milligrams cholesterol, 67
grams carbohydrates, 26 grams protein, 352 milligrams
sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber.
Recipe
developed for The Star by home economists Kathryn Moore
and Roxanne Wyss