Spinach & Artichoke Paella

Who doesn’t love the flavors or spinach and artichoke. They’re actually super delicious thrown into a cream sauce and also as a dip. The flavors are warm and comforting. If you nosh on the duo in a dip, the calories could add up. With today’s recipe, not so much. And the beauty about this recipe (as with most DariusCooks.com recipes) is that it’s simple and easy. Did I mention this recipe uses leftover rice? Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

4 cups of leftover white or brown rice

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme

The zest of 1 lemon

1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups of canned artichoke hearts, chopped

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In an oven safe skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the fresh thyme and cook for 60 seconds more.
3. Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, and vegetable stock to the pan. Allow the mixture to cook for 2 minutes. Then, stir in the rice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and pack the rice tightly in the pan.
4. Put the skillet in the oven and allow the paella to cook for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy warm.