CHICKEN CONGEE
This congee or rice porridge is incredibly easy to digest and very soothing to the digestive system
Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
3 cups water
3 cups chicken stock
4 – 6 dried shitake mushrooms (cut tiny)
10 – 20 Chinese red dates (cut tiny) available through a Chinese grocer. Substitute unsulphered dried apricots if red dates are unavailable; about 10 is plenty.
1 Scallion, or a small Onion or 1/2 clove of Garlic
1/2 teaspoon of Ginger
Sea salt
Cooked Chicken meat from stock (as much as desired)
Method:
In a slow cooker on low, or on the stovetop, bring rice, water and chicken stock to a boil. Meanwhile reconstitute mushrooms in a little water, soak 10 minutes.Then add mushrooms, dates, and a little sea salt to the soup. Let simmer very low, covered for about 2 hours stirring occasionally. After 2 hours add scallion, ginger and chicken meat. Heat throughly, another 20+mins, then serve, discarding the mushrooms and dates if desired. Add salt to taste.
I originally got the next recipe through a girlfriend’s book “Changing Habits, Changing Lives“/ Cyndi O’Meara, which has been a favourite nutritional resource for our family over the years. This particular wholesome breakfast, interestingly, always seems to be welcomed in our house. It is requested above and beyond regular porridge, rolled rice porridge, or barley porridge etc.
It is also particularly easy if you have a rice cooker or steamer as you can prepare it the night before and then just reheat in the morning. Try it and see what you think. Being brown rice I find that it also curbs sugar cravings during the day (not that I EVER get sugar cravings, ha ha – actually, show me any fatigued parent that doesn’t!!!!).
SWEET BROWN RICE CONGEE
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Brown Rice (vary the quantity depending on the size of your tribe)
- Enough water to cover and cook the rice (you will most likely need to add some additional water half way through cooking cycle)
- 4 Apples diced
- ½ cup of dates( sliced in to small pieces)
Method:
Throw rice, fruit and water into your rice cooker and leave until the rice is tender and soft (for at least 60 minutes). If you do cook it over night, simply reheat it for 10 minutes in the morning as this delicious breakfast is best served warm.
There is also diversity in how you can serve this morning feast . Simon loves the conjee as is, whilst the boys and I find it a little heavy on its own and we like to halve our serve then mix it with organic rice puffs.
For serving you may like to try:
- Apple juice, Soy or Rice Milk (if you are going to mix in Flax Seed Oil, do so before you add the milk )
- Honey to taste
- Sliced almonds and sesame seeds
- A spoonful of Yoghurt
It is so nice to wake up in the morning to a breakfast that is all ready for you and sooooooooo nutritious.
Enjoy.
