Food

A Delicious Way To Help Improve The World

Posted: 2/18/2011

Raspberry-flavored rice pudding is not only a great dessert, it can help make the world a better place.

(NAPSI) - Many people have found the way to a better world may be through their stomachs.

That’s because they’re enjoying the fine food and other items that are among the more than 9,000 high-quality fair trade products. These help improve lives and protect the environment because Fair Trade offers farmers and workers in the developing world fair prices, community investment funds and the business skills necessary to produce high-quality products that can compete in the global marketplace.

Fair trade standards require:

• No genetically modified organism crops.

• No use of chemicals internationally recognized as dangerous.

You can look for products with the Fair Trade Certified label. Nearly half of all Fair Trade Certified imports are also certified organic. If you don’t see the label, you can ask the store manager.

Fair Trade USA, a nonprofit organization, is the leading fair trade certifier.

A number of fine fair trade food items can be found in this deep red, raspberry-flavored rice pudding, a sweet, smooth and creamy dessert great for any occasion. It comes from Gina De Roma, author of “The Philosopher’s Spoon.” Her recipes have been featured in the “Southern Living Cook-Off Cookbook.”

Ruby Red Raspberry Rice Pudding

1 12-oz package of frozen organic raspberries

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup uncooked Alter Eco Fair Trade Certified Ruby Red Jasmine Rice

½ teaspoon Frontier Organic Fair Trade Certified Ground Ceylon Cinnamon

2½ cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Certified Organic Sugar, divided

½ teaspoon Frontier Organic Fair Trade Certified Vanilla Extract

1 3.5-oz bar Divine Fair Trade Certified 70% Dark Chocolate with Raspberries

Whipped cream, for garnish

Place frozen raspberries into a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium-sized glass or plastic bowl to thaw. After thawing, pour liquid that has drained from raspberries into a mea-suring cup. Replace sieve with berries back over bowl. Set aside. Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cinnamon and sauté, stirring to coat rice (about one minute). Add enough water to reserved raspberry liquid to make 11/4 cups. Add this to the rice. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 min). Add 2 cups of the milk, increase heat to medium and cook until just boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until mixture is thickening (about 10 to 15 minutes). Increase heat to medium. Add cream, remaining ½ cup of the milk and half of the sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened again (15 to 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Let cool slightly, stirring a few times, and pour into heatproof glass bowl or baking dish (it will thicken up as it chills). Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Cool to room temperature and then chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight.

Raspberry sauce: Push thawed raspberries through the sieve into bowl using the back of a spoon. Keep pushing and scraping until all raspberry puree is in bowl and nothing but seeds remain in the sieve. You should have about a scant 1 cup of puree. Stir remaining ½ cup of sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla into the puree. Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Cover and chill. Scoop chilled rice pudding into bowls or wine glasses. Top with raspberry puree, a dollop of whipped cream and Divine Chocolate Bar shavings. Serves 4.

For more information, visit www.fairtradeusa.org.