I’ve had the distinct privilege on several occasions over the last few years to help support a few non-profits through my blog.  Last year I was introduced to Nicole Gulotta of the GivingTable.org through another friend of mine who is a food writer and donated a blog post to support a campaign fighting hunger she was supporting.  When Nicole asked me to take part again this year, I said yes without hesitation.

Africa holds a special place in my heart.  I was fortunate to date a man from South Africa for a few years and got to be exposed to an entirely different culture.  And doubly fortunate for me, he and his family cooked traditional South African dishes for me on a regular basis.  I made one trip to South Africa and it is a place I hope to some day return to, as its people and the country are a wondrous beauty.

When thinking what recipe I wanted to use for the Giving Table’s campaign “Feed South Africa” in partnership with the Lunch Box Fund, I wanted it to be a simple recipe and one that was inexpensive to make.  The vast majority of hungry people (827 million) live in developing countries, where 14.3 percent of the population is undernourished.  66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone. Poverty is a major crisis across all of Africa.

Courtesy World Food Programme

My monthly budget for groceries, which includes eating lunch daily at Whole Foods Market, is roughly around $300 a month.  That $300 could go a long way to feed children in South Africa.  I can’t even begin to fathom having to survive off of $2-$3 per day or less. So what recipe would I whip up?

Rice is a readily available ingredient, inexpensive, can go along way and be paired with different meats and vegetables.  And by simply adding a few spices to the rice, it would result in aromatic dish.  Saffron, lemon and mustard seeds were my choice.  I know saffron can be on the expensive side, but a little goes a long way.  Two grams of saffron can be purchased for around $12.00.  Mustard seeds run around $6.00/3.5 ounces and lemons, depending on the type are inexpensive.

Here is the recipe – Lemon Saffron Rice

• 1 cups rice (I like using Basmati rice for this recipe)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 lemon
• Saffron (pinch – can use more as desired)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• Green onion to garnish

Measure out one cup of rice and rinse rice in a strainer until water runs clear (typically take 3-4 times).  Bring the water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Once water comes to a boil, add in rice.  Turn down stove to a medium heat and add in juice from one whole lemon, 1/2 tsp of mustard seed and saffron.  Stir in spices, reduce heat and cover rice for 20-25 minutes.  Once rice is done, turn off heat, remove cover and lightly fluff the rice with a fork.  Plate and garnish with green onions.

What can you do to #HelpFeedSouthAfrica?

The goal is to raise $5,000 to provide a daily meal to 100 South African school children for an entire year. Fundraising will take place on Causes from 2/10-2/16. By donating our posts, food bloggers are partnering with The Lunchbox Fund to help feed South Africa.  I donated $25.00 today which will provide two children a meal, won’t you join me.

Check out more bloggers who contributed their post to this great campaign!