After having been off-kilter for a few days; I was sort of craving something warm and stick to your ribs good, but with not a lot of grease or heavy ingredients, and that I could make in my residence unit while I’ve been down here in Atlanta. Then I remembered about a rice porridge that a friend used to make me each year after Thanksgiving when she would use the leftovers for the stock to make a dish called congee or jok. Not new to those with Asian cultures, a few of my friends used to tell me that it was the Chinese version of “Jewish penicillin”.
With all the wet weather we have down here in Atlanta I thought it was a perfect recipe to attempt with my limited cooking options an the fact that another pal had lent me her crockpot while I’ve been here in town.
After looking at several recipes online I decided to go with a mashup of what I call the “travelers recipe” version which essentially means the infriedients has to use the who portion so I don’t have leftover ingredients.
After cooking on low for 8 hours. I got in after work to great smell and with a few last minute additions was eating in 20 mins.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups garlic infused jasmine rice (uncooked)
- 32 ounces of vegatable broth (low sodium)( a meat broth is acceptable too)
- 16 ounces of water
- 1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons of pureed ginger (I use the kind that comes in a tube)
- 3 carrots sliced or diced small no larger than a nickel.
- 1 bag of frozen cubed butternut squash ( fresh is fine too, but cube small)
- 2 roasted, chilled chicken breasts, shredded, with the skin removed (In this case I actually wanted to use cooked chicken that I could pick up at the grocery store; but you could do this recipe with raw chicken and it will cook untill it falls off the bone for an even richer taste. I’d suggest using thighs in something like this because that it’ll carry more flavor)
Seasonings are to taste I used what I had around here salt pepper red pepper flakes in a little bit of Italian seasoning mix.
If you’re going to be at work all day lightly spray the bottom with cooking spray. This could help if you run out of liquid and the rice sticks a bit
After rinsing the rice, mix water and vegetable broth, rice, ginger, salt and pepper, and carrots into the crockpot.
Stir several times, Cover and turn on low.
I let it cook for about eight hours, (and I didn’t stir mine until I got home and only had a little bit of stickiness on the bottom, other people have said that if your home doing it you can stir up to several times during the cooking process.)
Turn the heat up to high, add the bag of frozen squash, add the container of chilled chicken.
Cover and let cook for another 30- 45 minutes or until heated through.
I tossed in little bit a red pepper flakes about this time added some more salt and pepper to taste and it was good to go.
For this version I didn’t want something so thick like oatmeal so there was still some liquid in it but you can let it cook longer to cook out more the liquid.
Note: after eating and I also realized it eased my craving for creamy corn chowder that I’m not supposed to eat because of the dairy.
