Brown Rice Paella With Chickpeas

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the rice and 2½ cups of the stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
   2. While the rice is cooking, in a pot combine the wine and enough broth to bring it to 1¼ cups of liquid. Bring to a boil, add the saffron threads, cover and keep warm.
   3. Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and brown slightly, then add the garlic, onions, and red pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are slightly wilted. Add the tomatoes and parsley and sauté 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes have cooked down. Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted, if using fresh, or when thawed, if using frozen.
   4. Stir in the paprika, thyme, cumin, and oregano, and blend well. Add the partially cooked rice, along with any remaining broth, coating it well with the mixture.
   5. Pour in the saffron infused broth and bring to a boil. Taste for salt. Add the chickpeas and continue to boil, stirring and rotating the pan occasionally.
   6. When the rice is no longer soupy but there is still liquid left to cook (this should take about 5 minutes), transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until the rice is almost al dente. Cover the pan with foil and let the paella sit in a warm place for about 10 minutes until the rice is cooked to taste.

Ann's Tips and Tricks

If you like to cook your chickpeas from scratch, and a little heat in your food, cook them with a small dried chipotle pepper and a couple of whole cloves of garlic, and use the broth as part of the stock for the paella.