Vegetarian Chickpea Paella

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 onion finely diced

1 courgette diced

1 red or orange pepper deseeded and diced

1 cup of frozen peas

400g tin of chickpeas

1 cup of long grain or basmati rice

1 clove of garlic crushed or finely diced

1 tsp of vegetable stock powder

2 tablespoons of smoked paprika

1 lemon

A tasty, vegetarian alternative to the classic Spanish dish, inspired by a similar version I tried while visiting Barcelona a few years ago.

Method:

Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish and place on a medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the garlic and onion.

Cook the onion until translucent, then add the peppers and courgette, cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly softened.

Mix in the paprika and stock powder, stirring constantly until it becomes paste-like.

Add the juice of half a lemon and stir in. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, mixing thoroughly to prevent it from sticking to the pan or burning.

Pour in the rice, stir thoroughly. Add three cups of boiling water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.

When the rice is almost cooked and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce-like consistency, add the peas and chickpeas, and cook for a further five minutes.

Serve with lemon quarters and add juice to taste.