Give it to me hot ... Porridge that is

I was introduced to Chinese rice porridge - zhou (粥) or congee - while living in Beijing and frequently ate at at zhou fan guan (congee joints). The menu's were extensive with several dozen varieties of porridge, each with its own specific health benefits ascribed. In essence, congee is rice simmered in significantly more times its volume in water until it has dissolved and formed a porridge. Congee has been consumed in Asia for thousands of years, especially for breakfast, and is noted as a gentle and tonifying food, which heals the digestive system and improves metabolic function.

Make congee overnight and try it for breakfast to see if it gives you a boost - it's easy to make, even for a kitchen-challenged person like myself:

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Filtered Water - 8 cups
Sea Salt - 1 tsp
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Ginger - 1 slice, crushed
Wakame Seaweed - 2 tbsp (crushed up)
Dried Chives

Directions:
Cook all ingredients in a slow-cooker on LOW setting for 6-8 hours.

Miscellaneous:

• For a larger batch, can add more rice and water in the same proportion as above
• Use meat stock in place of half of water or add a bullion cube to the mix
• Can experiment with adding protein to the mix or cooking with meat bones
• Some porridge may stick to the sides of the slow-cooker
• When re-heating congee, tend to the pot and stir frequently, add liquid if necessary

Most Important: The Condiments

Stuff I like to add to my congee when its hot in the bowl: pork floss (this one is weird, but trust me...), cilantro, green onion, radish, fried red onion, liquid aminos, garlic chile.

Endless Possibilities!

This morning, I had my congee with all of the above, plus an egg friend in bacon grease and an organic chicken hotdog. Down-and-dirty dankness.