Sunday, September 21, 2008

Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers for World Food Day




Ivy of Kopiaste in Greece and Val of More than Burnt Toast in Canada have joined international forces to raise awareness of the hunger crisis that exists in the world. Equal Opportunity Kitchen is delighted to participate in this important event. Many of us take food for granted - just go to the store, pick up what you want, go home and cook it, take pictures and voila, you're a rock star. That's not a bad thing - in fact - we all love going to the concert to see the rock stars. On a more somber note, it's important for all of us to continue to be grateful that we are genuinely blessed to have the good fortune of plentiful food. It's not available to everyone. By participating in this event, we stand to be counted by creating either a family favourite or a regional dish to feed 6. When we lay out our dishes on roundup day, we hope to create enough awareness to figuratively feed as many people as possible - a street, a city, a country. Send in your entry - support this cause!



Wild Rice is an entirely earthy grain that reminds me of my days growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba (mid western Canada) Whenever there was a cultural festival you'd find at least one wild rice dish and very seldom would you find two similar dishes. While it's grown in Manitoba and also the state grain of Minnesota, I understand that wild rice is not so readily available internationally.

Wild rice comes in several varieties and is both high in protein and fibre as well as gluten free. Without wanting to sound like a commercial, for those who have never tried wild rice, check here for more information, particularly in the nutrition section.





Ingredients

Serves 6

1 cup wild rice
4 cups boiled water
6 large bell peppers (top cut and hollowed)
1 medium to large diced onion
2 ribs diced celery
1 lb minced veal (this is not necessary - it can easily be vegetarian)
4 cloves diced garlic
1 lb mushrooms (I used cremini - adds to the earthiness of the wild rice)
tomato sauce (either home made or canned)

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil
2. Add 1 cup wild rice and bring heat down to a soft boil. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Turn stove off, leave cover on and let sit for another 30 minutes to allow the moisture to absorb to the rice and it will plump it up.
4. With approximately 3 Tbsp of olive oil in fry pan, add onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Also dice what's left of the tops of the bell peppers and add it.
Note: This dish is entirely forgiving - put in whatever strikes your fancy.
5. While filling is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the bell peppers for 3-4 minutes to just soften the shells. Remove and let drain.
6. In baking pan, layer the bottom with some tomato sauce, fill the peppers with your stove top mix and place them over the tomato sauce. Add more sauce to the tops of the peppers.
7. Bake in 350 F oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Note: I have made these before creating a rice pilaf from the wild rice - also very good and very satisfying.

Ivy and Val - thank you for taking on this event. My hope is that in some way, world wide bloggers can make a difference. StumbleUpon

28 comments:

Hopie said...

Oooh, I want to participate! I'll have to think about what recipe I want to make.

I LOVE wild rice but it's extremely expensive here and imported from Canada, so I feel very un-environmentally friendly when I buy it :-( Oh well, guess I'll have to come to Canada for vacation and stock up a suitcase-full some day!

kat said...

Oh we Minnesotans love our wild rice too. I feel like everyone needs to try the real thing not those awful wild rice blends you see out there.

Peter M said...

I try & watch how I eat and waste little...too many people in this world go to bed hungry...should not happen.

I love wild rice and why not in stuffed peppers?

Adam said...

Great contribution for a great cause. I was very fortunate to be raised in never taking food for granted, and saving everything. Thanks for letting me know about this event, I have a perfect dish in mind :)

Lori Lynn said...

Great event, thanks for bringing it to my attention. Your peppers look excellent. I don't cook with wild rice enough, sounds like a prefect autumn ingredient.

Ivy said...

Val and I thank you for this beautiful post, making the event known to more of your readers. Thanks also to your readers who want to contribute to this lovely cause. Giz, I've never had wild rice before but I always prefer the vegetarian style when I make stuffed tomatoes and peppers. They look wonderful.

Jenny said...

Mmmmm, those peppers look incredible. I've been wanting to make some the whole summer. I'm convinced now!

That Girl said...

I like the idea of using wild rice to stuff peppers. It just seems so much healthier.

The Peanut Butter Boy said...

I'm a huge fan of wild rice and an even bigger fan of stuffed peppers. They are a recipe fit to feed an army. I cannot throw away food, I can't even remember the last time I threw a scrap of food away. I will eat until I can't breathe if I think some food is going to go bad before I can eat it. And thank god for the freezer, that has saved me from throwing away so much delicious food. We are a lucky bunch indeed, we even have sophisticated electronic devices that can fit on your lap so we can talk about food with each other - it's pretty incredible.

PG said...

Nick: We are a lucky bunch indeed, we even have sophisticated electronic devices that can fit on your lap so we can talk about food with each other - it's pretty incredible

- So true. Sounds fortunate and crazy all in one.

OhioMom said...

Wild rice and peppers, yummy! I agree no one should go to bed hungry, which is why the lie about agri-businesses stopping world hunger needs to be exposed and stopped!

Sharona May said...

The stuffed peppers look very good. They are such a healthy dinner. I have a recipe I like with orzo and sausage . It is like a greek stuffed pepper.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Thank you so much for entering our event ladies with a truly Canadian dish. Hunger is not something anyone in this world should have to deal with...especially close to home:D

Jessica said...

I love stuffed peppers and wild rice! Why didn't I think of stuffing peppers with wild rice before?

Anonymous said...

I love a wild rice recipe. You are so right on how lucky we are!

Anonymous said...

Living in the "Third World" makes us more aware of other people who are poor and hungry. Growing up, we were raised never to waste our food, not even one little grain of rice. Thank you for sharing this worthy cause with the food blogging world! :)

Deeba PAB said...

Agree with Ning...breaks my heart to see HUGE food wastage so often in the West. Food is an entirely different perspective in the 3rd world. We were reminded about the poor & deprived with every meal served. I still chide my kids gently when they hanker for unnecessary stuff, pointing that there are still loads of people here who cannot even afford 2 square meals a day. I'm all for eating locally & sensibly...this is a great event!

Núria said...

Great event, great dish! I always stuff my peppers with rice but not the wild one. Should definetively try your way!

Nobody should suffer from hunger!

grace said...

roasted peppers are yummy, even more so when they're packed to the brim with other good stuff. very nice entry, giz! :)

Deborah said...

I love stuffed peppers - now I just need some wild rice! What a great entry for this wonderful event!

La Bella Cooks said...

What a wonderful cause to contribute to. I love that. Stuffed peppers are perfect for just about any occasion.

Darius T. Williams said...

I love wild rice...I need to think on this though.

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

alexandra's kitchen said...

These sound amazing. I love wild rice. I'm going to participate in this event, too. I have my dish all set, I just need to post it. Thanks for reminding!

Elly said...

Oooh these looks perfect. I love wild rice and I love veal, so what is not to love about these stuffed peppers? I really hope I can participate in this event, too. So many blog events and so little time!

Nic said...

A nice dish! I would love the veggie one for sure.

Anonymous said...

Mmm wild rice.. love it but never cooked it before. Looks like a good way to start using it.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Ladies thank you so much for your participation our World Food Day event today and for all your wonderful ideas Giz..the conga line is starting today!!!!

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