Stock Congee with Carrots

Prep Time : 5 min
Cook Time : 1 hour 30 min (Inactive)
Yield : 1 toddler serving
Freezer-friendly : No

Well, as it was the first week after the Chinese New Year holiday, as expected, late wake-ups, rushy mornings etc etc.

I have found a quick way to cook fresh congee for my pre-schooler everyday, the trick is to use frozen stock/soups. It makes the congee/porridge taste amazing without much preparation work. You can actually wake up, throw in everything into the smart cooker, and go back to sleep.

I have not taken a photo out of the rushy morning but hope I am able to do so in the coming weeks if this congee is back on demand.

Here is my quick & easy recipe:

Ingredients :
350ml of frozen vegetable stock (stored in breastmilk bag)

1/4 cup of rice
2 tbsp of diced carrots
Water

Steps:
1) Run the breastmilk bag under tap water until you can 'move' the frozen stock by squeezing it.
2) Squeeze out the frozen stock into a small pot under low fire to melt it.
3) Wash rice and diced carrots. Put into rice/smart cooker.
4) Once the frozen stock is half melted, pour into the rice cooker, add water until the level of cooking 1 cup of rice as marked in the cooker.
5) Select 'Congee' mode and go back to sleep!

Minced Pork Congee

Prep Time : 15 minutes

Cook Time : 1 hour 45 minutes

Yield : 2 servings

Freezer Friendly : No

Ingredients:

1oz minced pork 

1/3 carrot, diced

1 small potato

1tsp red lentils

1/2pc huai san (dried chinese yam)

1/4cup rice

Water

Pinch of salt

Steps:

1) Wash all ingredients.

2) Put all ingredients into rice cooker.

3) Press 'boil' function. After boil, cancel the function, press 'congee' function.

4) Add salt and serve.

Carrot Choy Sum Congee

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield : 3 servings for toddler

Freezer Friendly : No

I made the congee before I head off to work on weekend, so I did not get a chance to snap the photo of the congee.

Ingredients:
2 stalk of Chinese Flowering Cabbage (Choy Sum in Cantonese)
1 small carrot
2 oz pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
4 cups of water
Pinch of salt

Steps:
1) Wash Choy Sum, carrot and pork. Cut into small pieces.
2) Wash rice and put into rice cooker.
3) Add water, Choy Sum, carrot and pork.
4) Press 'boiling' function.
5) When the mixture is boiling (about 15 minutes), stop the 'boiling' function and press 'congee' function. This should take 1 hour and 30 minutes.
6) When the congee is done, add a pinch of salt, stir with ladle and serve.

Chinese Cabbage Chicken Congee

Prep Time : 15 minutes

Cook Time : 1 hour 45 minutes

Yield : 2 servings

Freezer Friendly : No

                            After

                             Before

Ingredients:

1cup Chinese Cabbage

2oz chicken breast

1 dried scallop

3tbsp lentils

1/4cup rice

Water

Pinch of salt

Steps:

1) Wash all ingredients. Slice cabbage and chicken. 

2) Put all ingredients into rice cooker.

3) Press 'boil' function. After boil, cancel the function, press 'congee' function.

4) Add salt and serve.

Dried Scallop Congee

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield : 3 servings for toddler

Freezer Friendly : No

It has been a hard week for me that I need to work on weekend but I know I still would love to prepare food for my baby (she is a toddler now but I still call her baby...). Saw this dried scallop porridge recipe on the book 'Cooking for Kids' by Ben Yeo and Anna Phua and decided to try it out as congee as the recipe is quick, easy, hassle free and still tasty!


Ingredients:
3 pieces of dried scallop (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes)
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
4 cups of water


Steps:
1) Put everything into the rice cooker.
2) Press 'boiling' function.
3) When the mixture is boiling (about 15 minutes), stop the 'boiling' function and press 'congee' function. This should take 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Original Recipe:
Cooking for Kids by Ben Yeo and Anna Phua

Brocolli Congee

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield : 3 servings for toddler

Freezer Friendly : No

Ingredients:

5 brocolli florets

2 oz lean pork

1/2 cup white rice

2 tbsp lentils

Water as needed

Little Liquid Amino

Pinch of salt and sugar (for blanching)

Steps:

1) Wash brocolli and pork. Cut into small cubes.

2) Blanch brocolli in boiling water with pinch of salt and sugar for 1 minute to remove dirt. Drain and put into a bowl of water to preserve colour.

3) Wash rice and lentils.Put in rice cooker. 4) Add blanched brocolli, pork and water as needed. 

6) Turn to boiling function, let boil, then turn to congee function which will take 1 hour 30 minutes.

7) Add few drops Liquid Amino for taste. Stir with ladle and serve warm.

Brocolli Cauliflower Porridge

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield : 3 servings for toddler

Freezer Friendly : No

Ingredients:

5 brocolli florets

5 cauliflower florets

1/2 carrot

2 oz lean pork

1/2 cup white rice

2 tbsp lentils

1 tbsp tri-quinoa

210 ml Anchovies Stock

Water

Pinch of salt and sugar (for blanching)

Steps:

1) Wash brocolli, cauliflower and carrot, peel carrot, chop all veges into small cubes.

2) Blanch brocolli and cauliflower in boiling water with pinch of salt and sugar for 1 minute to remove dirt. Drain and put into a bowl of water to preserve colour.

3) Wash rice, lentils and tri-quinoa. Put in rice cooker. Add brocolli, cauliflower and carrot. 

4) Wash pork and cut into pieces. Wash again before placing into rice cooker.

5) Add anchovies stock and water as needed. 

6) Turn to boiling function, let boil, then turn to porridge function which will take 1 hour.

7) Stir with ladle and serve warm.