Congee with Kickstand

With winter quickly approaching along with cold and flu season, congee has been my go-to comforting (and lazy) meal.

What is congee (con-gee), you ask? It is a rice porridge of Chinese origin. You put rice in a pot, add a lot of water, and let it simmer for an hour. Have leftovers of rice from a previous dinner? Use the same ratio 1:10 and method for cooking the rice, and voila!

Spice for me is uncompromising, mostly if I'm sick. Kickstand will kick your head cold to the curb! The Red Fresno's are a perfect pair to the richness of the rice. 

Congee is like giving your tummy a warm hug. And you can add any topping or mix-in you'd like. This recipe is very manipulatable, so feel free to experiment! It can be vegan (without the fish sauce and egg) and gluten-free. 

Congee with Kickstand (serves 1)

For the Congee:

1/4 c long grain rice (jasmine or basmati) 

4 cups of water

1. Combine water and rice in a saucepot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow the rice to simmer until thick and porridge-like. 

2. Place congee in a bowl. Add mix-ins and stir. Top with vegetables, soy eggs, crispy garlic, sesame seeds, nori (seaweed)

Mix-ins:

Kickstand Hot Sauce

Fish Sauce

Sesame oil

Scallion, Thinly sliced

Soy egg* OR Soft boiled egg

Crispy garlic*

Sesame seeds, toasted

Pickled vegetables

Sautéed vegetables

Cooked tofu, chicken, or beef

*Crispy Garlic: Heat sauté pan over medium heat. Add cooking oil of choice and heat until shimmering. Add desired amount of chopped garlic. Stir constantly until garlic is aromatic and brown, about 3-5 minutes. Use garlic and oil for garnish.