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.