Eclectic Food: Dirty Rice

I love dirty rice like nobody's business, but unfortunately it is difficult to come by in the Midwest.  While the Midwest has some delicious foods of its own, I sometimes get a hankering for a taste of home and wind up making myself some dirty rice.  If you've never had dirty rice before, you should definitely try it as soon as you can!  It's spicy, it's flavorful, and it is downright delicious.  Just never try the Zatarain's or pre-packaged versions of Southern food unless you're truly desperate.  They are usually terrible and never as good as actual Southern food.  Here's my favorite recipe for dirty rice.

Warning:  I have included directions for making dirty rice the way I grew up eating it--spicy as sin.  If you are a baby with spicy things have a low spice tolerance, omit the spicy items from your version.  If you accidentally make it too spicy, you can just add more rice to tame the burn, though you might need more seasoning added.  And be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after chopping the jalapeño!

Dirty Rice



Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2-1 yellow onion, minced
1 pound hamburger
1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
1 handful uncooked wild rice
2 cubes beef bouillon
2 cups water
Seasoning salt, to taste
Garlic powder

Optional:
1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced
Liberal amounts of Tabasco sauce
Cajun seasoning of your choice

Directions:
1.  Put diced bell peppers, minced onion, and hamburger in a large pot with a bit of water.  Cook on medium-high heat until the hamburger is browned and the vegetables are nice and soft.
2.  Add brown and wild rice, bouillon, water, seasoning salt, and garlic powder.  If you want it spicy, now's the time to add your jalapeño pepper, Tabasco sauce, and/or Cajun seasoning.  Heat over medium-low heat until it starts to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed (about 25-35 minutes).
3.  Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  Serve and enjoy!

Vegetarian and Vegan Version:
Replace hamburger with black beans or meat substitute, or omit entirely.  Substitute 2 cups vegetable broth for water and bouillon.