RICE AND VEGETABLES

Is there any combination better than our Calasparra rice (with Protected Denomination of Origin) and the variety of treasures found in our vegetable garden? Probably not.

Today we have the recipe of one of the most respected and loved dishes in Murcian gastronomy: arroz y verduras. It's time to cook something tasty and healthy with today's #GastropediaRM! .

In today's gastro formula we'll use red and green peppers, beans, broccoli, aubergine, potato, pava (cauliflower) and green garlic, but, depending on what's in season, we can combine different vegetables such as pésoles (peas), alcanciles (artichokes), tender baby beans, courgette or (and why not?) mushrooms. The range you can play with in this recipe is as wide as the regional pantry.

They'll all be bubbling in the pan along with our paprika (DO) and saffron, to achieve an unbeatable colour and flavour that will inspire you to throw away that pot of food colouring that's been sitting in the cupboard once and for all. While you're cooking the rice, you can prepare the traditional allioli, or give it a touch of lime - the perfect finish to this wonder of our culinary tradition.

Remember, some people gently fry the rice, and others don't. The grand masters opt for the first option, so, if you follow their lead, remember to add the water once it's already boiling, or you'll cut the cooking point of the rice and this will damage the ideal texture of this incredible dish. Also remember not to stir the rice, and to adjust the temperature accordingly.

An ideal option for veggies.
A healthy recipe.
Difficulty: easy, using fresh vegetables.
Delve into the video and savour Murcia's produce at home!



Get all the ingredients ready and dedicate your afternoon to preparing this simple but excellent recipe. As always, the times we indicate should be respected for the dish to come out just right.

Your trusted butcher will provide you with the perfect chicken carcasses, and will select the best cow or ham bone from the shelf. Then all you need to do is pick the best vegetables to enrich this glorious broth even more. Here we used celery, tomato, leek and carrot, but you can customise it by using other options. If you want to give it a more powerful touch, you can add rosemary, thyme and/or parsley when it comes to roasting them.

And if you don't want to use food colouring, make it even healthier by adding a spoon of turmeric, a natural colouring with infinite benefits for your body. And you can never go wrong with a few strands of saffron.

Across our land, the shopping list of ingredients varies, but the basics are practically identical. Here we're giving you two options, so you can choose which you prefer. Raúl, from Contigo en la playa, gives us his family recipe via this link, and here Mama Luisa shares her grandmother's. Are you salivating yet?

Now you've got all the ingredients to prepare an out-of-this-world broth at home. It doesn't matter if you're a small family - freeze the remains and you'll have a magic formula in the freezer for when you've overdone the late nights, or a nasty cold has left you wiped out.

Healthy cooking with #GastropediaRM!

Difficulty: a case of investing time and love - and lots of it.

To the video!