All Rice: For Better or For Worse...

Let me tell you this; if there is one thing that I can’t live without when it comes to food, it is Rice! Yes, honestly I really can’t survive the whole day without eating rice. I must admit I grew up eating rice practically every meal almost every day. Even during breakfast, my mom will cook fried rice with hotdogs, fried egg and chocolate or coffee to complete the meal. That is how we were raised.

As a matter of fact, our love for rice has always shown even when we as family eat out for lunch or dinner; we always have this line after we have ordered everything... plus 2 extra order of rice please! Another proof that we, Filipinos cannot let go of rice is that many restaurants or cafes or even eateries give promos for unlimited rice to attract customers. Other famous dish of ours that already include rice is what we call “Beef pares”, literally means pair; this dish is best served in a bowl of garlic rice with braised beef on top paired with beef soup.

Asians, especially Filipinos love rice. Aside from the fact that rice is the main star in our meal and viands like meat, vegetables and fish are just some of the ways to spice it up, we also have a lot of delicious foods made from rice which are usually serve during special occasions like birthdays, fiestas and even on Christmas. We Filipinos have our very own rice cake, we call it here bibingka or puto we also love congee or lugaw, Japanese also have sushi rice, one Latin American dish I am familiar with which is made from rice is Arroz A la Valenciana, it has become famous here in the Philippines and that we made some variations in preparation that will suit the Filipino taste. There are a lot of recipes that you can find online for desserts and other dishes with rice as part of the ingredients.

I really have great passion for food; since I was a kid until now where I am currently trying to build a career online by taking some training from best online schools.  Health and fitness enthusiasts always suggest that if you want to trim down and lose some extra pounds you should also reduce rice intake. Probably, I can do that but not totally remove it from my everyday meal.  I cannot imagine myself replacing rice for bread or pasta.

If you are one those who does not enjoy eating rice because you find it boring and bland spice it up. You can try different varieties, aside from the white rice, there is also the brown and the black rice. Rice is a very versatile food in such a way that it can be prepared according to your taste. Try your own creativity or you can check out some rice recipes online and you’ll see why Filipinos love rice like nobody else does.

All About Tofu and It’s Health Benefit

Have you ever tasted tofu? Did you know that this off white color, bland looking food usually packed in rectangular shape is a nutritious food that was once only found in Asia, and is now considered a kitchen wonder? Yes, tofu, which is made from curds of soy bean milk, has gained wide recognition because of its health benefits.  It is a very good source of protein that helps lower total cholesterol level.

Many people have started using tofu as alternative ingredient, because it’s cheaper and is widely available in the market. Vegetarians have been using tofu as a meat substitute in a variety of dishes; I do use tofu as extenders for meat dishes too. Aside from that, health experts and health conscious eaters as well have made tofu part of their daily diet program. This is also good for those who want to enter the police officer training, since this kind of training entails a lot of vigorous activities and most trainees are prone to various hearth diseases.

I used to hate tofu when I was a kid; I don’t like the smell whenever my mom would fry it and then serve it as an appetizer, you only need a combination of soy sauce, vinegar and chopped onion as dip, At times tofu is also part of our main dish where it is mixed with boiled pork cut or sliced in bite size. It is blended with soy and vinegar topped with chopped onions... best serve with congee. Now, I don’t care about how it smells, I don’t notice it actually now whenever I prepare a tofu dish. All I know is that I’m hungry and can’t wait to have a bite.

Here in the Philippines, tofu also known as tokwa is more commonly prepared as appetizer, usually for some friends who are having a good time after a day’s work. It is not just cheap, easy to prepare but of course with a lot of nutritional value. It has no particular taste actually as it only absorbs the taste of the ingredients in the dish.

It is not easy to ignore the benefits tofu can contribute to our health. It contains no cholesterol, low calories and high in protein. So to all those health and figure conscious out there, start including tofu as part of your daily meal plan for a healthy lifestyle.