Betty Crocker cooking goes vegetarian

With the familiar signature on the cover of a new cookbook, "Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian" (Wiley, 2006, $24.95), the generic Betty Crocker now offers about 200 recipes for family-style meatless dishes.

As always, the style is "from her family to yours." The recipes cater to hunger pangs of varying urgency ranging from snacks, bites and nibbles, through wraps and pizzas, to pot pies, soups, stews and chilies.

The adjectives "oriental" and "Mediterranean," the worldly use of "Moroccan" and "Indian" in recipe titles proves awareness of today's far-flung acceptance of once-exotic tastes. But the recipes keep practicality in mind, and make use of canned or packaged ingredients where that suits the day's menu. Each recipe includes preparation and cooking times, and the book is sprinkled with color photos.

This paella is from the chapter on grains, risotto and pasta; it shares rice, peas and tomatoes with its Spanish ancestor, substituting other colorful vegetables for the meats and shellfish of the original dish.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

(Preparation 30 minutes, start to finish 55 minutes)

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain brown or white rice

2 3/4 cups water

1 pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

2 small zucchini, chopped (1 1/4 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped ( 1/2 cup)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads or 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (2 cups)

Two 15- to 16-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

10-ounce box frozen sweet peas, thawed, drained

Lettuce leaves, if desired

Cook rice in water as directed on package; set aside and keep warm.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 inch water to boiling. Add asparagus and broccoli; return to boiling. Boil about 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, broccoli, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, salt and saffron; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is crisp-tender.

Stir in rice, tomatoes, chickpeas and sweet peas; heat through. Serve on platter or on individual serving plates lined with lettuce if desired.

Makes 6 servings.