Chicken Congee with Soy Sauce Mushrooms

Believe it or not I found another bag of rice in my closet which calls for, you guessed it, another easy pre-pesach recipe with ingredients you may or probably do not have. The great news is, that you can also make it after pesach, which despite what it feels like right at this very moment, makes up 357 of the other days of the year. Good news for these Jews!

So about this recipe. It’s called congee (Khun- Gee) and its basically the Chinese version of porridge. It’s basically made by taking that teeny tiny bit of rice you have left in the bag (because companies like to send you uneven amounts just to give themselves a extra little spring in their step- sadistic beasts) and boiling it with an insane amount of stock- which lets face it- we all have leftover from Shabbos anyway- and letting it simmer low and slow until its basically a delicious silky porridgey consistency. And then you top it with an egg to make all the more breakfastey and silky. Yes, the Asians just know how to make everything better.

(Unless of course you want to argue that the best rice dish is risotto, a similar concept but revolutionary in that it adds an obscene amount of butter.)

So do you have to eat this for breakfast? Um, no! There are no rules! Especially this time of year when lately my kids wonder what dinner used to look like before eggs and frozen pizza. This is a dish for whenever you have just a second to add everything to a pot and forget about it for a nice long while. Okay, not really forget completely. The greatest part about this dish is the more you stir the more it breaks down the rice and the more silky your congee will become but if you only have a minute or two every once in a while it’ll still come out great. That’s the power of low and slow my friends.

I give some basic options for toppings here but feel free to go crazy. My kids decided sprinkles and maple syrup was the way to go and though I’m not suggesting that be your first choice of topping, feel free to try it out. Or better yet, Google Image some photos of congee for real creative inspo or just some drool worthy pics when you reach the end of your Instagram feed

This is kind of a one pot meal going on here cause you are set on carbs, got some protein running through there from the chicken and egg, and vegetable toppings are totally up to you. So one pot meal with a cup of rice and about 3-4 other ingredients is a definite win in my book. (I’ve even included a link to a slow cooker version just in case it’s the only pot you have out right now)

Thank you Seasons for sponsoring this post.

Congee:

1 c sushi rice

4- 6 chicken thighs you can use boneless and skinless thighs for a shortcut

6 c chicken broth

3 thin slices peeled fresh ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings:

Sliced Scallions

Poached/ Soft Boiled Egg

Sliced Cucumbers

Sliced Fresh Ginger

Sriracha

Soy sauce mushrooms (recipe below)

Adapted from @thekitchn

Place the rice in a colander and rinse the rice until the water runs clear or slightly milky. Drain.

In a large pot add the rice, chicken stock, ginger and chicken thighs. Bring the contents to a boil stirring to ensure the rice does not stick to the bottom

Reduce the heat to a simmer and partiallycover the pot. The congee will get creamier the more you stir it but it's not necessary to stir more than 2-3 times just to prevent sticking.

Cook the rice for about 1 1/2 hours or until it resembles a thick porridge with most of the liquid absorbed. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it before returning it to the pot. Discard any bones, skin or cartilage.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and top with desired toppings.

Recipe can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored tightly sealed in the refrigerator. You may need to add more stock when heating it up.

For a slow cooker version add 2 cups of stock and use the directions here:

Soy sauce mushrooms:

7 oz shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and stir until they begin to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and continue to stir the mushrooms until they brown and the salt sauce is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and use on top of the congee.

Roasted Garlic And Black Bean Veggie Burgers

I have this thing with rice. I buy it, make like half the bag, then forget about it. Okay I lied. This probably applies to majority of the items in my pantry. I only discover this issue, when it comes to cleaning out the pantry, which lets be real, only happens around Pesach time. I can't say that I'm great at the eat it or clean it thing like my friend Patchke Princess, but rice, I know how to take care of. 

The clean it or eat it stage has it's benefits, (Hello all of the cookies I was saving for a better time...) but can be seriously detrimental in the weight department especially before a holiday where we are expected to look pleasant as we sit for 3- 3 course meals a day. So for this one, I got your back. It's pretty healthy! Plus it uses BOTH beans and rice so you kill two birds with one stone on the Peach prep front, or are we up to three now? Oh, its also only made with 7 ingredients. Did I forget to mention that? Whoops...

Also, just in case you have bookmarked this for after Pesach because you are a queen amongst women and have already kashered your kitchen, this saves pretty well and makes a great lunch for hungry but holiday stuffed Abbas and Moms everywhere.

How does it taste you ask? Well it's like Roasted garlic met up with some chili (the bean kind) and said let us make a delicious and beautiful union that tastes way better than Dr. Praegers! Hurrah! Plus, balsamic mayo really puts it over the top.

Thank you Seasons for sponsoring this recipe! 

Recipe:  

• 1 head garlic, top removed to expose cloves
• 1 -1 lb can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 c short grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• A pinch of cayenne pepper(optional)
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F
2. Wrap the garlic in foil completely and place in a baking pan. Allow the garlic to cook for 35-40 minutes or until the cloves are tender and deep brown. This may be done up to 3 days in advance.
3. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
4. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an "s" blade add the black beans, garlic, egg and cayenne pepper if using.
5. Pulse until integrated but still a little chunky.
6. Remove the black bean mixture from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in the brown rice and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Using a large ice cream scooper or 1/2 c measuring scoop, measure out scoops and place them on the cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Using the back of a spatula or the scoop press down lightly so that a patty shape is formed. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes so the patties retain their shape.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 F
9. Brush or spray the tips of the patties with oil.
10. Place the cookie sheet in the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 15-20 minutes on one side or until the tops are crisp and then flip with a spatula and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the top is crisp.
11. Serve warm on a bun with balsamic mayo, avocado and plenty of greens!

Balsamic mayo:

• 1/4 c mayo
• 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together and season to your liking.

Note:

Patties may be formed and frozen for up to 3 months in advance. After the 30 minute freeze, carefully layer the patties between sheets of parchment paper in a sealed container or zip top bag. To serve just continue on with the recipe. You may need a coup extra minutes of cook time depending on the temperature of your freezer.