Filipino Food Rice Toppings

Rice has all the time been the staple food in Filipino cuisine, but until recently, plain and fried were the only varieties we knew. It was only a few years ago that we started playing nearby with rice recipes such as java, garlic, chili, and Chinese. But what seems to be a hit among Filipinos is rice toppings, wherein meat and vegetable dishes are served on top of a box of rice. It's the same old Filipino food, but packed in a light, convenient way. You've probably seen them in malls, sidewalks, and school cafeterias.

But although they come in handy on busy days, they're often overpriced, especially inspecting that you can do them yourself at home. That's right-you don't have to run to the mall whenever you're craving. What's more, there are no long lines and you can mix and match toppings as you please. Here are some Filipino food recipes that make exquisite rice toppings.

Barbecue Tongs

Chicken Curry

Filipino Food Rice Toppings

It's more Indian than Filipino, but it fits in perfectly with other Filipino cooking recipes. Curry blends well with rice because of its strong flavors. Use it on plain white rice-flavored varieties will wash out the taste of the curry.

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken meat, diced

1 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp curry powder

1 small onion, chopped

½ tsp powdered ginger

¾ cup flour

¾ cup butter

2 ½ cups milk

garlic to taste

Procedure: In, melt the butter and sauté the ginger, garlic, onion, and curry powder. Set on low heat and let stand for about 1 minute. Add in the broth and milk and stir until the soup is thick. Stir in the chicken and cook until the chicken is done. Serve over white rice.

Stir-fried Beef Teriyaki

Filipinos love teriyaki dishes because of their obvious Asian flavor. They make exquisite rice toppings because they're easy to cook and personalize-you can make them all-meat, all-veggie, or a mix of the two like most Filipino recipes. This formula can be ready in advance, exquisite for those hectic weekdays.

Ingredients:

½ kg beef round, cut into strips

3 tbsps teriyaki sauce

2 tsps cornstarch

2 bell peppers, cut into strips

6 spring onions, thinly sliced

4 tsps vegetable oil

Procedure: In a bowl, mix together the cornstarch, teriyaki sauce, and half of the vegetable oil. Stir in the beef and refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stir-fry the onions and bell peppers in the remaining oil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan, then stir-fry the marinated beef for someone else 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and cook until the beef is done.

Honey Lemon Chicken

This tasty topping provides a good difference to wild and flavored rice, especially the Chinese and garlic varieties. It also goes well with cold Filipino desserts recipes and salads. The dish is fairly easy to prepare; you can have it ready in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

4 pcs skinless chicken breasts, chopped

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup butter, melted

2 tbsp hot water

1 tsp seasoning

Procedure: Preheat oven to 325oF. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish with the bone side facing down. Sprinkle with seasoning. Set aside. Mix the honey and hot water, then add the butter and lemon juice. Pour over the chicken breasts and cover with foil. Bake until the chicken is just done. Remove the cover and baste with the remaining sauce. Continue cooking until the chicken is browned, basting occasionally to add flavor.

Sweet and Sour Pork

A beloved viand among Filipinos, sweet and sour pork is a exquisite complement to roughly any rice variety. It's great for kids as it offers a nice blend of flavors and a equilibrium of meat and vegetables.

Ingredients:

¾ kg pork loin, deboned and sliced into bite-size pieces

2 ½ c pineapple chunks (reserve juice)

1 tbsp soy sauce

¼ c vinegar

¼ c packed brown sugar

½ c onion slices

1 pc green onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp cornstarch

½ tsp salt

¾ c water

Procedure: sauté the pork in vegetable oil until it turns light brown. In a bowl, combine the water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and sugar. Mix until well dissolved. Pour over the pork andlet it simmer until the meat is soft. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then add to the pork. Turn down the heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Stir in the pineapple chunks, pepper and onions. Simmer for someone else 10 minutes, then serve over rice.

Filipino Food Rice Toppings

Chicken 'N Dumplings Under Pressure

Make something easy and dissimilar with chicken! Chicken 'n Dumplings has been a favorite in my family for decades but making the broth from scratch normally takes hours; that's why I love my pressure cooker for this recipe!

Perfect broth in less than an hour and the whole meal, including homemade dumplings, in about 90 minutes! Use fresh, organic chicken and broth base for the best flavor and don't sub the fresh thyme for dried...it makes a huge difference.

Barbecue Tongs

Ingredients

Chicken 'N Dumplings Under Pressure

1 3-pound fresh, whole chicken (organic is best)
1 Tbs. Kosher salt
1/2 Tbs. Fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbs. Vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion; coarsley chopped
1 handful of baby carrots; about 11
1/2 bunch fresh thyme; stems and all
3 Tbs. Good than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base
8 cups water
2 Tbs. Cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Prepare the following before beginning:
1) wash and pat dry the chicken and cover with the salt and pepper; don't worry if some of the seasonings fall off.
2) peel and coarsley chop the onion
3) mix the chicken base into 8 cups of hot water.

Plug in your electric pressure cooker, set the timer for 50 minutes and press start.

Add the oil. When hot, use tongs and carefully place the chicken, breast up, into the pan; cook about 4 minutes and then turn over for another 3-4 minutes before returning it to the breast-up position.

Add the broth, chopped onion, carrots and the thyme. Close the lid and the exhaust valve and let cook the 50 minutes. When the cooking time has elapsed, turn the cooker off and let the pressure issue plainly for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool and take off the meat from the bones. Pull the meat into large pieces as it will plainly shed further during the final cooking stages; discard bones, skin and any cartilage.

Remove the carrots from the broth and set aside. Pour the broth first through a colander to catch the thyme stems, onions and any remaining bones before pouring through a mesh strainer to take off the majority of thyme leaves and some of the fat.

If your family likes carrots, coarsely chop and return to broth as is. But if your family is like mine...use an immersion blender to join them into the broth! Return the chicken meat to the pot and turn the cooker to keep warm while you make the dumplings.

Dumplings

3 cups flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbs. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Onion powder
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbs. Half n half

Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the half n half and stir well. Use a heaping Tablespoon of the dough to form an oblong-shaped dumpling; repeat until all of the dough has been used.

Press cancel on the pressure cooker and set the cook time for 8 minutes; press start. When the composition boils, drop the dumplings, one at a time, into the pot; stir gently. Close the lid and close the exhaust valve. Let cook unil the timer sounds and turn the cooker off. Let sit for 10 minutes before releasing pressure. Open lid and stir.

Set the cook time for 2 minutes and press start. Make a slurry of 2 Tbs. Cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir the slurry into the boiling composition and cook 1 minute. Turn the cooker off and let rest 5 minutes before stirring and serving with cracked black pepper.

Chicken 'N Dumplings Under Pressure