Spicy Thai-Style Peanut Paella (GF, V)

Source: National Peanut Board | Serves: 6 | Time: ~1hr

Changes: replaced ginger with allspice; used Beyond meat; replaced raisoins with dried cranberries; replaced fish sauce and soy sauce with coconut aminos; and replaced brown sugar with coconut sugar.

Ingredients

Paella

1 tbsp EVO

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, fine chop

1 tsp allspice

1 lb Beyond Meat Italian sausages

2 cups uncooked Arborio rice

2 cans of coconut milk, 13.5 oz cans (I used 1 full fat, 1 lite)

2 cups veggie broth

5 ounces sliced shiitake #mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup dried cranberries

¼ cup sliced green onions

¼ cup sliced cilantro

¼ cup sliced basil

Lime wedges

¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Peanut Sauce

½ cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts

1 tbsp EVO

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp water

½ lime, juiced

¼ cup cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon sriracha

2 tbsp coconut aminos

1 tbsp coconut sugar

Instructions

Prepare the sauce. Roast the peanuts in the paella pan in oil, stir in the smoked paprika and salt. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Thin with additional water if needed.

Combine the coconut milk and broth. Prep all the paella ingredients.

Put 1 tablespoon oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic & allspice for a minute, then add the peppers and mushrooms. Saute for approx. 3 minutes. Add the rice, stir to combine well and toast the rice for 2-3 minutes, stir in the raisins. Add 1 ½ cups of coconut milk/broth liquid to the pan. Pinch 2 tablespoon pieces of the Beyond Meat sausages and nestle throughout the pan.

Cook over medium-high heat, undisturbed. If the pan is too big for your burner, move it around a little; but otherwise, leave it alone. Add coconut milk/broth liquid, 1 cup at a time as needed when it begins to look dry. Do not stir. Flip the pieces of chorizo at approx. 15 minutes. At approximately 30 min, check for doneness of rice and season with salt and pepper. Keep adding liquid in ½ cup amounts (coconut milk, broth or water) until desired texture of rice is achieved. If you can smell or see the bottom starting to get dark, lower the heat a bit. The rice is done when tender and still moist.

If the mixture sticks a bit to the bottom of the pan that is called socarrat--a desirable characteristic of good paella. Drizzle the smoked paprika peanut sauce over paella as desired. Garnish with green onions, chopped basil & cilantro, chopped peanuts and lime wedges. Serve the paella in the pan, in the middle of the table for all to enjoy!