Easy Fast "Congee"
This is almost not a recipe at all, since it's so simple. However it's very nice to have some simple methods in the repertoire for days when complexity is overwhelming.
Given all of the recent attention to the flu, this recipe is even thematic, because it's possible to be cooked by a flu sufferer as long as they're not too confused and reasonably ambulatory. How do I know this? I made it while having a flareup. Safety tip: I do not recommend messing around with hot stoves if you *are* confused and feverish. But it would keep for a few days in the fridge, so you could make it up in advance and microwave portions.
This isn't really congee in that it doesn't have a long cooking time, doesn't use whole rice, and it plays fast and loose with the proportions. But it is close enough that it will fill the same niche (a simple and highly digestible gruel, excellent for sick people to eat) and can be made in under five minutes out of long-keeping ingredients that are easy to have on hand.
The basic ingredients:
* water (or chicken broth/stock, or other broth/stock of your choice)
* rice cereal; I use Arrowhead Mills brown rice cereal
* pinch salt if you're using water (optional)
Make this up but use only half to two thirds of the cereal directed on the package, depending on how thick you want it. This has microwave instructions and times given, but I have never made it in the microwave without covering the inside of the microwave with a layer of rice, so I make it on the stove. If you want it to be smoother you can cook it for longer, but this will be quite eatable in two minutes of simmering. You will end up with a thin gruel.
This is pretty bland, which might be exactly what you want if you're feeling sick. But you can add a lot of different things to it to make it less bland. The most obvious is to use some sort of broth for cooking it. Chicken broth is a mild anti-inflammatory and will probably make you feel better. Other anti-inflammatories that are also tasty flavorings include:
* a quarter teaspoon turmeric powder
* a dash of ginger juice or a pinch of powdered ginger (or minced fresh if you have the energy)
* small clove of garlic, minced or crushed, or garlic powder
* some hot pepper sauce
* a sliced green onion
* minced parsley or cilantro
Most of these are very easy additions requiring minimal work with a knife. You can add any or all to taste. I don't usually like garlic or ginger powder as much as the fresh ingredient, but they're nice to fall back on when chopping seems too difficult.
If you have a rice cooker with a porridge setting, you can also make rice porridge in that. It will take longer but be very easy.
Given all of the recent attention to the flu, this recipe is even thematic, because it's possible to be cooked by a flu sufferer as long as they're not too confused and reasonably ambulatory. How do I know this? I made it while having a flareup. Safety tip: I do not recommend messing around with hot stoves if you *are* confused and feverish. But it would keep for a few days in the fridge, so you could make it up in advance and microwave portions.
This isn't really congee in that it doesn't have a long cooking time, doesn't use whole rice, and it plays fast and loose with the proportions. But it is close enough that it will fill the same niche (a simple and highly digestible gruel, excellent for sick people to eat) and can be made in under five minutes out of long-keeping ingredients that are easy to have on hand.
The basic ingredients:
* water (or chicken broth/stock, or other broth/stock of your choice)
* rice cereal; I use Arrowhead Mills brown rice cereal
* pinch salt if you're using water (optional)
Make this up but use only half to two thirds of the cereal directed on the package, depending on how thick you want it. This has microwave instructions and times given, but I have never made it in the microwave without covering the inside of the microwave with a layer of rice, so I make it on the stove. If you want it to be smoother you can cook it for longer, but this will be quite eatable in two minutes of simmering. You will end up with a thin gruel.
This is pretty bland, which might be exactly what you want if you're feeling sick. But you can add a lot of different things to it to make it less bland. The most obvious is to use some sort of broth for cooking it. Chicken broth is a mild anti-inflammatory and will probably make you feel better. Other anti-inflammatories that are also tasty flavorings include:
* a quarter teaspoon turmeric powder
* a dash of ginger juice or a pinch of powdered ginger (or minced fresh if you have the energy)
* small clove of garlic, minced or crushed, or garlic powder
* some hot pepper sauce
* a sliced green onion
* minced parsley or cilantro
Most of these are very easy additions requiring minimal work with a knife. You can add any or all to taste. I don't usually like garlic or ginger powder as much as the fresh ingredient, but they're nice to fall back on when chopping seems too difficult.
If you have a rice cooker with a porridge setting, you can also make rice porridge in that. It will take longer but be very easy.