Smoky

Millet-Vegetable Paella

I’ve always loved the one-pot-meal attributes of paella—how the rice, aromatics, veggies, and other elements come together to create a whole family feast. But I don’t usually eat rice, so this book has forced me to think outside of the one-pot box. Millet to the rescue! This seed is high in antioxidants and is a good source of manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. To replicate the smokiness of sausage—a typical paella ingredient—while keeping this dish vegetarian, I shake in a healthy lashing of smoked paprika, a dried spice with flavor nuance and antioxidant oomph. The cooked tomatoes in this dish actually contribute more immune-boosting lycopene than raw tomatoes; add to that the green bell peppers’ huge helping of vitamin C—200 percent of the daily allowance in one serving!—and this recipe is a winner on every front.

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 large green bell peppers, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups cooked millet (see also Tip)
• 2 cups diced tomatoes or 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

Add the millet, tomatoes, broth, and saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the millet absorbs most of the liquid, 18 to 20 minutes, adding the peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Tip If you can, look for millet labeled hulled (versus pearled); hulled is healthier.