Bring stock, saffron and sprigs of thyme to a simmer in a medium size pot. Keep at a simmer until ready to use.
Heat oil in a large flat bottom skillet over medium high heat. Quickly sear both sides of the vegetable: 2 minutes per side for the yellow squash and zucchini; 4 minutes per side for the eggplant. Set aside.
In the same skillet add chorizo, onion and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent and starting to brown.
Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika and cayenne and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add rice to skillet, continuing to stir, toasting the rice for 2 minutes. Add the orange zest, juice, saffron and chicken stock.
When the liquid boils, reduce heat to low. Stir the rice mixture frequently for 5 minutes. Stop stirring and allow rice to cook for 20 minutes. DO NOT STIR.
After 20 minutes, nestle the seared vegetables into the paella, cover the skillet and turn off the heat. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Bring a 4-quart pot of water to a boil, add orzo, return to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes until just tender.
Using a sieve, strain orzo reserving ⅛ cup of water in the pot.
Return drained orzo to pot with liquid. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and stir to coat. Set aside.
Layer the Flavor
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add artichoke quarters and stir to combine, scraping garlic from bottom of pan. Continue cooking 5-7 minutes until everything begins to brown
Remove from heat and immediately pour in vinegar to deglaze the pan. Vigorously scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.
Add in minced parsley, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and the roasted nuts. Stir to mix evenly.
Spoon artichoke mixture into orzo and stir to distribute everything evenly.
Serve it Up
Taste the dish and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on individual plates. Garnish with a sprig of parsley, a pinch of Parmesan cheese and a few sprinkles of lemon zest.
Offer with freshly cracked pepper, accompanied by focaccia bread and a fresh green salad.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can easily be made with fresh artichokes when they are in season and inexpensive.
1. Steam 6-8 fresh artichokes in a large stockpot of boiling water for about 45 minutes until they are tender.
2. Drain the water and let the artichokes cool completely. (Steps 1 & 2 can be done the day before).
3. Remove all the outer leaves and the “choke” itself. Only the hearts are used in this dish, save the leaves to eat as a snack. Discard the fuzzy inner choke.
4. These will be larger than either the frozen or canned options, so cut the hearts into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 equal pieces and sauté with the garlic as described above.
This recipe is from the award-winning cookbook, Eat it Food Adventures with Marco Polo available at recipe4success.org
