Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest

I know, I know.

"Hey, Mo, way to not post in forever."

I've been busyyy. And tired.

But! I come back rejuvenated (kinda) and ready to get my creative boogie on.

Nicole at Prevention RD asked me if I'd like to host this week of the Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI) contest, and I took up the opportunity with glee. Thanks, Nicole! :D

What is the BSI contest, you ask?

Basically, each week a food blogger hosts the contest, in which s/he picks one ingredient and challenges the world (hey, everyone's eligible, technically) to come up with a creative recipe which features said ingredient.

The rules go:

• The host (moi) chooses an ingredient that is preferably in season, readily available and doesn't involve selling a kidney to justify paying for it. 
• The host links back to all previous posts.
• Participants create a unique recipe using the BSI, then email the host (moi) with the recipe or the link to the recipe. Participants can also enter by leaving the host a comment with the link to the recipe.
• You don't have to have a blog to submit. If you've created a really cool recipe using the secret ingredient, just email it to the host! You don't even have to include a photograph. Of course, pictures are pretty, but it's the recipe that counts.
• The host will review all of the recipes next Sunday (in this case, the 13th; please send it in no later than 7 PM EST) and pick his/her favorite.
• The winner will be announced on Monday, and said lucky duck will receive a prize of the host's choice.

After much pondering (okay, I thought about it for like 5 minutes before getting all excited about my idea), this week's blogger secret ingredient issss...

Rice.

And by rice I mean, rice and its various forms. Cooked rice, rice flour, rice noodles/pasta (made with rice flour and water only, please) and your choice of rice varieties. White rice, brown rice, basmati, arborio, sticky, short-grain, long-grain, wild rice, black rice... Whatever floats your boat and is available to you!

To submit your recipes featuring rice, please send me a message at moskitchen(at)yahoo(dot)com* sharing your recipe or link to the recipe on your site. If you don't have a site, but do have a picture and want me to post it along with the recipe, you can send it to me as an attachment. Sending a picture isn't necessary if your website already has one. :)

Alternatively, you may post a comment with a link only. If you don't have a link, email will be the best way to send it. 

If you submit via comment, make sure I have your email address because if you win I'll be sending you a message. And a prize!

*I now understand why people don't just write down their email addresses. I've been getting spam galore ever since I posted this, and when I'm asking strangers to email me and someone named "John Bergman" or whatever sends me a message with no subject I'm kind of forced to open it, and then immediately run a virus scan.

As for the prize, I'll have to think about that but hopefully it'll knock your socks off...
Actually, if you have any suggestions as to what the prize could be, share them! As I've said before, I live in an area where much is available, food-wise, that isn't in many places. If you can think of some items that are shippable, not too expensive, and not readily available in your area, suggest it! Off the top of my head I can think of tons of "exotic" spices that you can't find in a regular grocery store, or maybe you can't find a certain type of legume, lentil, flour or whole grain (all of these I can get pretty cheap, especially "weird" types of flour like chickpea, mung mean, millet, sorghum, etc...) that you've heard lots about. Let me know what interests you! 

The previous hosts and ingredients of BSI:

• Week 82: Prevention RD – Paprika
• Week 81: Waisting Duxie – Swiss Chard
• Week 80: Fuss Free Flavors – Capers
• Week 79: Jenn Cuisine – Honey
• Week 78: Living Free – Cashews
• Week 77: Affairs of Living – Artichokes
• Week 76: One Frugal Foodie – Sunflower Seeds
• Week 75: Part of the Whole – Beets
• Week 74: Dinner at Christina's – Sour Cream
• Week 73: The Chef in My Head – Goat Cheese
• Week 72: 5 Star Foodie – Asparagus
• Week 71: Eats Well With Others – Carrots
• Week 70: Burp and Slurp – Brussel Sprouts
• Week 69: Fun Fearless Foodie – Parmesan Cheese
• Week: 68: Natalie's Killer Cuisine – Cocoa Powder
• Week 67: Eat, Live, Travel, Write – Lemon Zest
• Week 66: Travel Eat Love – Coconut Milk
• Week 65: Run Beans Run – Tofu
• Week 64: Chicago Marathon Val – Mushrooms
• Week 63: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Cheddar Cheese
• Week 62: A Fit and Spicy Life – Balsamic Vinegar
• Week 61: Peanut Butter Fingers – Nutmeg
• Week 60: Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now – Garlic
• Week 59: Home Cooked Em – Cinnamon
• Week 58: The Balance Broad – Flax
• Week 57: Cookin Fanatic – Blue Cheese
• Week 56: Foodie in the City – Ricotta Cheese
• Week 55: Savvy Eats – Maple Syrup
• Weel 54: Sound Eats – Dried Fruit
• Week 53: Mega Nerd Runs – Acorn Squash
• Week 52: Healthy Tipping Point –Pancake Mix
• Week 51: Live Laugh Eat  – Almond Butter
• Week 50: Balance, Joy and Delicias – Cauliflower
• Week 49: Healthy San Diego Living – Chickpeas
• Week 48: Food for Thought – Yogurt
• Week 47: London Foodie in New York – Chocolate
• Week 46:  Johnstone's Vic Blanc – Oats
• Week 45: Guilty Kitchen – Figs
• Week 44: Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet – Peanut Butter
• Week 43: The Sophisticated Gourmet – Brown Sugar
• Week 42: My Kitchen Addiction – Lime
• Week 41: Nutmeg Nanny – Coffee
• Week 40: Chaya's Comfy Cook – Broccoli
• Week 39: Healthy Delicious – Plums
• Week 38: Zoe – Feta
• Week 37: ChezWhat – Potatoes
• Week 36: Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice – Blueberries
• Week 35: Girlichef – Greens
• Week 34: The Ungourmet – Watermelon
• Week 33: Bread + Butter – Bell Pepper
• Week 32: Burp and Slurp – Corn
• Week 31: Say Yes to Salad – Kabocha
• Week 31 1/2: Simply Fabulous Now – Cherries
• Week 30: Thinspired – Bananas
• Week 29: To Be the Whole Package – Almonds
• Week 28: Krista's Kravings – Lemon
• Week 27: From French Fries to Flax Seeds – Coconut
• Week 26: Plentiful Plants – Avocado
• Week 25: Training Fuel – Eggs
• Week 24: Dinner at Christina's – Cabbage
• Week 23: Hey What's For Dinner Mom? – Strawberries
• Week 22: One Bite at a Time – Basil
• Week 21: Just Sweet Enough – Black Beans
• Week 20: Honoring Health – Kale
• Week 19: What's for Dinner – Orange
• Week 18: Bran Appetit! – Spinach
• Week 17: Tales of Expansion – Dates
• Week 16: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Zucchini
• Week 15: Sweet and Natural – Peppermint
• Week 14: bella eats – Ginger
• Week 13: Coffee Talk – Walnuts
• Week 12: For the Love of Oats – Pumpkin
• Week 11: Trying to Heal – Sweet Potatoes
• Week 10: The Inner Workings of a College Graduate – Eggplant
• Week 9: Itzy's Kitchen – Pears
• Week 8: The Fitnessista – Cranberries
• Week 7: Tri to Cook – Lentils
• Week 6: Rhodey Girl Tests – Polenta
• Week 5: Eating Bender – Butternut Squash
• Week 4: Care to Eat – Apples
• Week 3: On a Lobster Placemat – Mushrooms
• Week 2: Hangry Pants – Tomatoes
• Week 1: sportsnutritionliving – Quinoa

Some wordiness to help get your ideas started:

Puddings, pilafs, baked goods, soups, stir-fries, milk (if you're gonna do that, make really interesting rice milk :P), risotto, sushi...

I will try my best to incorporate this contest into what I make/eat for the week, and look forward to seeing what you all come up with! :)


PS: I'm writing this while eating breakfast and would like you all to know that if the store is out of organic spinach, don't think that organic arugula is going to work in place of it in green monsters. It doesn't. It really, really doesn't. It tastes like someone poured pepper over blueberries. Yet, I'm still eating it. Just... just don't do it. *sigh*