miss congee-niality

i never planned to fall in love with congee.  this was not an arranged marriage, no long courtship.  i frequently passed congee in the hallway without a second glance, i denied congee’s facebook friend request, i barely even made eye contact with congee across the crowded high school cafeteria.   if hand-crafted ramen and kimchi-fried rice are the jake ryans of the asian carb world, then congee is the anthony michael hall; frankly a bit weedy, rather insipid, and oft outshined by burly teens in plaid shirts and sweater vests who drive red sports cars and wear a soulful gaze like it’s never going out of style (hint: it’s not).

my apparent aversion to breakfast leads me down many roads: smoothies?  worth a shot.  oatmeal?  i suppose i can dig that.  a handful of almonds on the run?  it’ll do.  but more often than not i sadly end up skipping breakfast, which we all know by now is the 8^th  cardinal sin.  or is that 13^th?  i get these things confused.  regardless, it’s a foodie and metabolism no-no.  this much i know for sure:  Avoid Like Plague Thy Corn Syrup of High Fructose, Never Shalt Thy Use Frozen Scallops, and Thy Shalt NEVER EVAH Skip Breakfast!!

the other night, stricken by a plague of insomnia, i lay in bed browsing recipes at 3am.  i happened upon an article about congee, and it got me thinking.  maybe here’s another way to conquer my leftovers problem; to cull the population of half-portions left to die a slow death in the wasteland of my fridge, and to turn them into delicious possibilities.  and maybe, just maybe, with having ready made breakfasts on hand, who knows, i might actually have something for my morning meal other than my obligatory cup of the good coffee crack.  congee, let’s go for a ride…

CONGEE (an apology to breakfast)

leftover rice (i use brown and feel less guilty.  marginally.)

water or stock

combine leftover rice with water or stock (or a combination) in roughly a 1:2 ratio.  simmer over low heat for 1.5ish hours (until thick and creamy).  congee can now be stored in fridge in a covered container for 5 days or so, ready to whip out for an almost-instant breakfast.  praise the lord!

show time: put as much rice as you’re hungry for in a bowl (you know your appetites better than i do, people) and reheat until warm.  add a splash of soy sauce, stir through, and then get ready for the fun part…

toppings:

the trick to making congee anything worth eating is (with apologies to anthony michael hall) the toppings.  the accessories.  the bling.  the options are, frankly, limitless. here are a few of my faves:

ginger-scallion sauce

a devilishly moreish sauce from the mind of david chang, it’s as easy as pie, and as addictive as crack.  combine sliced scallions, grated ginger, a glug of neutral-flavoured oil, a splash of soy sauce, and a dash of vinegar.  mix and enjoy.  on everything.  seriously.  (and yes, i just used almost every non-measured “measurement” in one sentence.  if only it also called for a “knob of butter…”)

grumpy asian lady chile sauce

i suppose i could look the actual name up, but i’ve never needed it in 15 years of cooking.  however, this adds zing to most things i eat.  thank you, grumpy asian lady, whomever you may be.

poached egg

less scary than it sounds.  bring a pan of water and a splash of vinegar to a boil, use a spoon to make a whirlpool in the middle (meanwhile pretending you’re some sort of warlock or some such), crack an egg into the swirling vortex, remove from heat, and cover.  five minutes later you have a perfectly poached egg and tom collichio wants to give you a foot-rub.  boom.

leftover protein goodness

my fridge is usually never without some kind of leftover protein from some recent dinner or another.  shredded pork, thinly-sliced steak, grilled salmon, these will all elevate your breakfast goodness whilst giving you a much-appreciated energy boost to help survive the morning.  protein FTW!

this is one of my recent efforts topped with baby shiitakes (which my friend grew for me.  truth), spinach, sliced steak, pickled mustard greens (one of my obsessions, see previous posts for further explanation), and grumpy asian lady chile sauce.  but, frankly, this is combination one of millions.  anything goes, my friends.  and between us?  if this is too barmy for breakfast, then it makes a mighty-fine lunch (or dinner), too.  and if you’ve no leftover rice?  i’ve done the same toppings with some soba noodles, and haven’t skipped a beat.  start your own Breakfast Club today, people.  and somebody be sure to invite The Geek…