Vegetable Paella

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups vegetable stock
1 large pinch saffron
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium celery sticks, sliced
8 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
10 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

**A note on veggies in this dish: Use these veggies and amounts as a guideline. Red bell peppers, any delicious greens, artichoke hearts, cashews, peanuts or garbanzo beans would be great in this dish. I used far less "veggie" than this recipe suggests and it was delicious.

1. In a large saucepan, cook the onion over a medium heat, stirring until translucent. Stir in the rice and cook for a few more minutes. Add the vegetable stock and saffron, bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a separate pan, steam the carrot and celery until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the celery and carrot, reserving the water. (I think this step it stupid. Either throw them in with the rice or with the roasted veggies. They don't need separate steaming)
3. In a large bowl, toss the carrot, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables to a lightly greased baking sheet and place in the oven at 450*F (230*C). Roast the vegetables until they are brown on the edges. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400*F (205*C).
4. Meanwhile, in the same pan you steamed the carrot and celery, steam the peas until they are just tender. (If you use frozen, this step is unneccessary)
5. Toss the roasted vegetables with the rice. Stir in the peas. Transfer mixture to a greased casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Serve