Start the day with rice congee.

In China, rice congee is a common breakfast food. It is made with rice cooked on low heat for a long time. White rice is used. We recommend this for breakfast in the morning because white rice is easier to digest than brown. Rice congee has a sweetness that awakens the digestion at the beginning of the day. Medicinal herbs may be cooked in rice congee for people who are ill, weak or convalescing. Congee tastes great as a breakfast food. For lunch you can make it with left over bits of vegetables and meats.

Rice congee is very easy to make. Take 1/2 cup of white rice and 2-3 cups of water and put it in a crockpot. You’ll have to play with the amount of water to find a consistency you like. It is like porridge, and we all know that some like it thick and some like it thin. Add whatever you want to cook with the rice. Turn the crockpot on low, cook overnight, and your delicious breakfast will await you in the morning. You may use a broth instead of water if you like.

Congee can be as simple as adding a little butter, chopped walnuts and dates or raisins. For the GBA meeting, Andrea made one with sweet potato cut into small pieces, red dates, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, and gou ji berries, and another savory one with scallions and ginger. I often use chicken broth and cook it with pieces of leftover chicken. When it’s done I’ll add a vegetable like broccoli and cook it a little longer. For breakfast congees I enjoy adding seasonal fruits.

Congee is a versatile medium for many tasty meals. If you’d like to try Andrea’s sweet congee, above, give us a ring and we can provide you with a packet of the food herbs she used.