• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 pressed garlic cloves
• 2 sliced tomatoes
• 3/4 cups of rice (basmati or any long grained)
• a pinch of saffron
• 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper cut into pieces
• 2 handfuls of thawed, frozen peas (not canned)
• 2 handfuls of cut, cooked, green beans (not canned)
• 1/2 cup of cut broccoli
• 3/4 cup of vegetable stock or soup (I used Pacific Foods Vegetable broth)
• salt, chopped parsley, a bit of lemon juice
• a dash of sweet paprika

Fry the onion and garlic in a big, deep skillet with the olive oil. When it starts to wilt and turn yellow, add the cut vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice, salt to taste (remember stock or broth has salt!) and a bit of saffron. Mix well and add the broth. Cook on low to medium heat stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until rice is cooked according to preferred consistency. Do not overcook or it turns mushy and lumpy. Add a bit of water if it gets too dry. Remove from fire and before serving add some fresh, chopped parsley and a dash of lemon juice (about a tablespoon).

Serve with a big bowl of salad with Italian dressing.

Serves: 4-5

Preparation time: 45 minutes