Poor Man's Paella

Before we went plantbased, I had the pleasure of eating real authentic paella made by a true Spaniard.  It was so incredibly delicious, and a few years back I decided to try and come up with something that even slightly resembled what I ate so many year prior.  I'm not 100% sure if I succeeded since it's been so long, but what I came up with is now a family favorite.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Poor Man's Paella
serves 6-8

• 2 cups rice
• 4 cups broth
• 1 TBLS cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 4 cups cubed eggplant (1 lb)
• 4 cups sliced zucchini
• 2 bell peppers, any colored, diced
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 TBLS cumin
• 1 TBLS oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1 TBLS lemon  juice, at the end

-- Cook the rice with the spices (cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon).

-- Meanwhile, steam/saute the onion and garlic 5 minutes.  Add the eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers and continue sautéing until soft.  Add the spices and heat til fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with juice, peas and beans.  heat through and add lemon juice.

-- Transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl, add the rice and gently incorporate being careful to not mush the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.