Rice Porridge – Congee for Breakfast

We eat a lot of rice dishes and my favorite way to use up leftover cooked rice is as a breakfast porridge or congee.

Ingredients

• 1 TSP ginger paste from those convenient grocery store tubes, or use fresh. Whatever works for you.
• 1 TBSP Better Than Bouillon Chicken Flavor – Don’t use a cube of bouillon. It’s not as tasty. This stuff is a different world of flavor, and I hate brand name anything.
• 2 Cups cooked leftover rice. Bonus points if you made it with MSG the night before. Don’t fear the MSG.
• 2 Cups water, then maybe extra at the end if needed
• 1/4 Cup Crushed or Chopped Peanuts
• 1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce – Or regular if that’s what you have.
• Enough chopped green onion to top

Directions:

1. Add rice, water, ginger, and chicken Better than Bouillon to the sauce pot.
2. Bring to a low boil for somewhere around 20 minutes, or until your rice reaches a rice pudding texture. You can go longer or less, depending on your time constraints. I often do chores while it’s going and forget for a while.
3. If it looks too thick, add a bit of extra water, mix thoroughly, then give a minute or so to integrate.
4. Stir in the crushed or chopped peanuts.
5. Put in a soup bowl, and drizzle soy sauce on top, then add your green onions.

Notes:

I also sometimes add a fried or over easy egg, or sausage, or leftover chicken teriyaki. Basically whatever I have in the fridge at the time, or whatever I have the energy to make for it. It’s very versatile.

Garden Note:

I have these grocery store green onions I have planted in my garden when I was done with them, and I cannot emphasize enough how much better they taste planted in my garden. They have so much more flavor.

I was not holding my breath as they came from the grocery store, but apparently proper care and growing time makes them a whole different plant.