Asian In America

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Filipinos love to put assorted toppings on platters of rice. The various toppings can be anything and everything. It ranges from beef, pork, chicken to fish, vegetables and lots of different sauces to moisten the heaps of steamed jasmine white rice.

Rice toppings are a food group in itself to Filipinos. We love to experiment and top rice with anything available to extend the viand or make meals more affordable. And usually, the “toppings” are so delicious, the rice meal is just so irresistible.

For our Good Friday this year, another no-meat Lent day, I made sure nobody got hungry or felt deprived of anything delicious.

Thanks to my good friend, Carmen Martin of the Martin Pure Foods brand, I received a boxful of assorted sardine products. Carmen, a former college chum, insisted this was purely a gift and not a pitch for any of her family’s products. And what a wonderful gift it was !

I used the Martin’s Spanish Sardines, which were sumptuously swimming in sweet tomato sauces and some flavorful spices. I added it to a mound of white rice, sliced scrambled eggs, grape tomatoes, green olives, sautéed onions.

This Spanish Sardines Rice Toppings were so scrumptious that I may just make it again, even if it’s no longer Lent !  So easy, so affordable and a downright magnificent all-in-one meal!

Rice Toppings: Sardines on Rice with Tomatoes and Olives

One can (4 and 3/8 ounces)  Martin’s Spanish Sardines, about 3 pieces in a can

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups steamed white rice, preferably a day old

½ cup grape tomatoes (or 1 medium tomato, chopped)

1 whole egg, scrambled & sliced thin

½ cup green olives

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chopped green peppers, for garnish

1. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Saute the onions, garlic, tomatoes and let this soften for about 5 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, mash the sardines and mix with the Spanish tomato sauce from the can. Add this to the skillet with the rest of the onion-tomato ingredients.
3. Add the day-old rice and mix well to incorporate the tomato sauce.
4. Mix in the sliced scrambled eggs and olives. Season with salt and pepper.Garnish with green peppers. Serve hot.

Cook’s Comments: I used the Martin Pure Foods Spanish Sardines which was given as a gift to me. It is available in most Asian groceries. Feel free to use any brand of sardines or any variety available. Or add your own toppings as you desire.

*Disclosure: I was not compensated for the mention or use of this product. This was a gift by the manufacturer. But I will gladly recommend this brand for this recipe.