This quick and easy dinner is packed full of vegetables. Make extra and enjoy for lunch the next day.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• ¼ vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 300ml / 10½fl oz. of boiling water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch of turmeric
• 1½ teaspoons of olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 medium pepper (any colour), de-seeded and finely chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes, pierced
• 2 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
• 1 teaspoon of paprika or smoked Spanish paprika (pimento)
• 75g / 2½oz. of paella rice
• 3 tablespoons of frozen peas
• Black pepper, to taste
• ½ a lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped

• Chopping board
• Chopping knife
• Cutlery
• Kitchen scales
• Measuring jug(for liquids)
• Saucepan

Method

1. Add the bay leaf, turmeric and saffron to the vegetable stock and set aside.
2. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a heavy bottomed casserole dish or saucepan, when hot add the onion, garlic, peppers, cherry and sundried tomatoes.
3. Cook for 5–10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
4. Next add the rice and paprika mixing everything well.
5. Once the rice and vegetables are coated well in the paprika add the flavoured stock, including the bay leaf.
6. Bring to the boil before turning down the heat, covering with a lid and simmer until everything is cooked and the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 15 minutes.
7. Next add the peas and if it looks too dry, add up to 50ml more of boiling water at the same stage, before simmering for 5 minutes.
8. Once everything is cooked, season with the pepper and lemon juice and serve garnished with the chopped parsley.

Serve with a mixed leaf salad.