Hazelnut Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge)

Here's another traditional Filipino dish.  Champorado is typically a breakfast-type of meal, usually served with  a cured meat, such as a bacon or Filipino tocino (shown at right), and is a heartier alternative to chocolate Maypo or Cream of Wheat.

The inspiration for this recipe came from two places for me: a college friend and my cousin.  I have my friend to thank for putting the original idea in my head; during a discussion once I mentioned how the only Filipino recipe in which I recalled normally seeing chocolate (no, dinuguuan does NOT count!) was champorado.  Chocolate icings or candies like we see here in the U.S. were not prevalent when I was growing up; it just wasn't practical because of the tropical heat.  So then over the next few weeks, while I was mulling over making champorado, my cousin who was visiting for Thanksgiving mentioned adding Nutella to it and how much better it made the dish.  Whoo boy, was he ever right.  It adds a depth to the chocolate taste that I never would have guessed could have been possible. Turned it right up to 11.  ;)  So here you go, here's what I came up with after those two influences.  And now that it's colder, this dish is the PERFECT breakfast treat...sort of like hot chocolate in a bowl.  ;)  I hope you enjoy.

(Thank you, Maria D-P, and Francis!)

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Ingredients:
6 C day-old (or several days-old) sticky rice
6 C milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use the fat-free kind)
⅔ C unsweetened powdered cocoa (such as Ghirardelli)
¼ C Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
1 tsp salt

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat milk on medium heat; be sure to stir often so milk does not burn at the bottom of the pan.  When milk has warmed to the point of starting to steam, add sweetened condensed milk and salt.  Using a whisk will help to mix everything in easier.  While milk mixture is heating up, break up leftover rice so that there are no longer any huge clumps.  Add to saucepan.  Vigorously stir for an additional 10 minutes.  Add powdered cocoa.  Stir until all the powder has dissolved and there are no longer any small cocoa clumps.  Add Nutella, and stir until it has blended fully into the porridge.  If champorado is too thick at this point, gradually add more milk until desired consistency is achieved.  Serve warm.  (Reheat leftovers with milk.)

Hazelnut Champorado, with a few white chocolate shavings sprinkled on top.  ;)

Makes 10 servings; perfect to make ahead of time and reheat on cold mornings!  ;)

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GBAdams
11/27/2011

Basic (Chinese Sausage) Fried Rice

Here's a basic recipe for my favorite kind of homemade fried rice.  It's what I grew up on, and is a formula that I've seen countless times in restaurants. My parents used to make a sort of crepe/omelet with the eggs, remove them, dice them, and then return them to the pan, but that's always been so labor-intensive. And I could never get a flat, thin omelet to cut up.  However, in observing how Chinese restaurants cook their food, I started doing it this way.  MUCH more efficient.  ;)

The key for this dish is to ensure everything is ready ahead of time, so all you have to do is add & stir and keep the food moving.  Also, use as high/hot heat as you can stand.  (These kinds of foods especially make me yearn for a professional-type high BTU burner. Like 10,000 BTUs. Hee!)  As with any kind of stir fry, the key to the crispness & flavor is to get it cooked as fast as possible to sear it all in. Basically, you add ingredients, stir, add, stir, etc., until your dish is done. 

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I forgot to capture diced onions & garlic, but they are a part of this.

 Ingredients:
6-8 C cooked, plain sticky rice. (Day-old leftovers work best)
2 C Chinese sausage, diced
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 C peas (frozen are OK)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/4 soy sauce (can use reduced-sodium)
3 Tbsp sesame or canola oil

This is Chinese sausage, diced.

Directions:
In a wok or high-sided skillet, heat pan on high and add oil. Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic. 

When onion has just started to become translucent, add Chinese sausage and continue to stir quickly. Then add the eggs, making sure to vigorously stir so that scrambled eggs don't clump too much and are broken up into small pieces. Once eggs are no longer runny, add peas.

Stir for another 3-4 minutes, then add rice. Drizzle soy sauce over rice, distributing as evenly as possible.  Fold rice over and over to incorporate the rest of the ingredients and to ensure even coverage of soy sauce. If there are any big clumps of rice left, this is the time to break them up so they can get covered, too. Continue to stir for another 5-7 minutes, or until fried rice is well incorporated.

Fried rice can be served as a side or as a main course.

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GBAdams
10/29/2011