Prawn (Shrimp) and Vegetable Paella

1. Heat the oil in a paella pan or a large, wide frying pan (about 30 to 34cm/12 to 13in) over a medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft.
2. Stir in the garlic and paprika for 1 minute, then add the grated tomato and cook for 3 minutes, until it darkens and thickens.
3. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat it in the mixture. Pour in the hot stock and the saffron with its water (or the turmeric), stir once to spread the rice evenly, and bring to the boil. Taste the liquid and add a little salt only if needed.
4. Scatter the green beans over the top. Turn the heat down and simmer, without stirring, for 12 minutes. If the pan is bigger than your burner, turn it a quarter turn every few minutes so the edges cook too. Scatter over the peas and simmer for 3 minutes more.
5. Toss the prawns in the lemon juice and press them into the top of the rice. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning them once, until pink all over and opaque all the way through and the rice has absorbed the stock and is tender. If the rice is dry but not yet done, add a splash of hot water. For a crisp bottom (socarrat), turn up the heat for the last minute until you hear it crackle.
6. Take off the heat, cover loosely with a clean tea towel (dish towel) or foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
7. Paella is best eaten fresh. To keep leftovers safely, cool them within an hour, keep in the fridge and eat within 24 hours, reheating only once until steaming hot.

A serving has about 30g of protein and 454 calories, with three vegetables cooked into the rice. Prawns are very lean, with less than 1g of fat per 100g, so the dish needs only 2 tbsp of olive oil for four people.

Why you do not stir. Unlike risotto, paella is left alone once the stock goes in. Stirring releases starch and turns it creamy; leaving it lets each grain cook evenly and allows a thin, crisp, toasted layer, called socarrat, to form on the bottom, which many Spaniards consider the best part.

Which rice. Short, round Spanish rice such as bomba absorbs a lot of liquid and stays firm. Risotto rice works too but turns softer. Not tagged for blood sugar, because white rice brings about 61g of carbohydrate a serving; for a lighter plate, serve smaller portions with a large green salad.

Saffron or turmeric. Saffron gives paella its colour and aroma, but it is expensive. Turmeric gives a similar colour for a fraction of the price, though not the same flavour. Smoked paprika and peppers add the depth.

Leftover rice needs care: cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and eat it within 24 hours. For another prawn dinner, try the garlic prawn and spinach stir-fry or the Cajun prawn quinoa bowl.