Chicken Rice Congee – Instant Pot

Chicken Rice Congee is savory comfort food, easily made with an Instant Pot, on the porridge setting. You can serve it plain but the toppings turn this simple dish into something special. 

This is actually the third congee recipe that I’ve shared in this space and all I can tell you is that it’s one of my favorite dishes. I first enjoyed congee in South East Asia as a wonderful addition to many hotels’ breakfast buffets. 

For those buffet breakfasts, I’m guessing leftover rice was used because congee is a great way to turn leftovers into another comforting, nutritious meal. It’s basically rice cooked until mushy in water or stock and it could not be simpler to make. For this recipe, I used my Instant Pot but you could also use a slow cooker like I did for this shiitake congee or a normal pot on the stove as I did for a congee variation using oats instead of rice. Who knew oat dishes could be savory? We licked our bowls clean!

Chicken Rice Congee – Instant Pot

Traditionally the rice for congee is cooked with water but I like to use stock instead for a much richer flavor. I use extra long grain rice because that’s what I have on hand but any white rice will work. The add-ons can be simple: just some soy sauce and green onions or go whole hog and offer your family all of the suggested “to serve” items.

Ingredients

For the congee:

1 1/2 cups or about 290g rice 

8 1/3 cups or 1.5L water + 2 chicken stock cubes (or use chicken stock)

2 in or 5cm knob ginger

8 oz or 225g boneless, skinless chicken breast

To serve, options:

Chopped spring onions

Crispy fried shallots/onions (These can be purchased in most Asian stores, in a small plastic tub. Store in refrigerator to keep them from turning rancid.)

Salted or normal boiled eggs, cut in quarters

Pan-fried raw peanuts, salted

Crispy anchovies

Soy sauce

Sesame oil

Method

Peel your ginger and cut it into little matchsticks. If you are using water and stock cubes, heat 1/3 cup or 80ml of the water and dissolve the cubes in it. 

Put the rice in the Instant Pot and add in that intense stock cube flavored water.  Give the whole thing a good stir. 

Add in the rest of water. Submerge the chicken breast. 

Cook on the porridge setting, which is 20 minutes.

Leave to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes, then carefully open the vent to release rapidly. I use a folded towel to cover the vent then open to block the steam. 

Fish out the chicken breast and shred it with two forks and add it back into the pot. 

If you find your congee thicker than you’d like it, simply add more water. I ended up adding another cup or cup and a half. Conversely, if you find your congee thinner than you’d like, cook it on low sauté until some of the liquid evaporates. 

Serve the chicken rice congee in bowls and let people add the condiments they would like. 

Enjoy!

It's Sunday FunDay and today we are celebrating Hot Breakfast Month by sharing some of our favorite recipes for warming breakfasts that are a treat in cold weather. Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni.

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake 
• Food Lust People Love: Chicken Rice Congee 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Egg Burji 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Fluffy Pancakes 
• Our Good Life: Garlic Basil Sausage with Herbed Scrambled Eggs 
• Sizzling Tastebuds: Kodo Millet Crepes (Varagu Arisi Dosai) 
• Palatable Pastime: Sweet Breakfast Rice 
• Making Miracles: Toad in the Hole Bacon Breakfast Sandwich 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Tomato & Peas Poha

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Super Fudgy Brownies

These super fudgy brownies are a chocoholic’s delight! Serve them with a glass of cold milk for the perfect afternoon snack or with a small espresso for dessert. 

As I’ve mentioned in this space many times, at least twice a year we make banana cream pie since it’s my husband’s favorite sweet treat. Unlike a custard pie that is topped with meringue, banana cream is served with a heaping helping of whipped cream. This means that after cooking the egg-yolk rich vanilla custard, you are left with four lonely, unused egg whites. 

I’m always on the lookout for recipes to use up those four whites. When I came across one for brownies on The Luna Café calling for exactly FOUR EGG WHITES, I couldn’t resist trying them. 

Super Fudgy Brownies

This recipe is adapted from one on The Luna Café. The original author says she tried the recipe with just egg whites and with whole eggs and the only egg white version is lighter and better. I haven't tried both ways but we certainly loved them. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup or 170g unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan

6 oz or 170g unsweetened baking chocolate, roughly chopped 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/4 cup or 30g unsweetened, Dutch process cocoa

4 large egg whites, cool room temperature

1 cup or 125g unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups or 337g sugar

Method

Set a rack in the upper middle of the oven and preheat it to 375°F or 190°C. Prepare a 9x9-inch or  23x23cm baking pan by buttering it and adding flour to coat or by lining it with baking parchment.  

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Remove butter from the heat, stir in chopped chocolate until melted.

Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Set aside to cool. 

While waiting for the butter-chocolate mixture to cool, combine the sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder in the bowl of your stand mixer or another large mixing bowl. 

Using your stand mixer or electric beaters, whisk while adding in the 4 egg whites. This is definitely easier in a stand mixer but if you don't have one, enlist the help of a friend or family member who can pour as you beat. 

Mix on medium speed for a full 5 minutes, until the mixture is somewhat thickened, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times in the process.

Add the lukewarm butter-chocolate mixture and mix well to incorporate.

Sift in the flour.  

Mix on slow speed until the flour is completely incorporated, scraping the bowl down with a spatula occasionally. Beat for a full additional minute to help activate the gluten. 

Spoon the thick batter into the prepared baking pan then spread it out evenly. 

Turn the oven down to 350°F or 180°C and bake the brownies for around 35-40 minutes, turning the pan halfway through to make sure it is baking evenly.

Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. To serve, cut into squares with a serrated knife.

Enjoy! 

It’s the first Wednesday of the month so that means I’m joining my Foodie Extravaganza friends to celebrate a random food holiday. This time it’s National Snack Food Month! Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. 

• Beetroot Hummus from Magical Ingredients
• Bread Pizza Margarita from Sneha's Recipe
• Hot Corn Dip with Bratwurst from Palatable Pastime
• Nutty Chocolate Hearts from A Day in the Life in the Farm
• Spicy Spanish Olives from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Super Fudgy Brownies from Food Lust People Love

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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Blackberry Mini Muffins #MuffinMonday

These Blackberry Mini Muffins are tender and fluffy with lovely bursts of flavor and color from the chopped fruit. Somehow 22 mini muffins always disappear quicker than 11 full-sized muffins!

For a change the other day, I decided to pop into Aldi to see what was on special only to discover that their 6 oz or 170g punnets of blackberries were only 85 cents! I bought 10. We love blackberries in bread, tarts, jam, cake, cocktails and, of course, muffins so how could I resist?

I immediately froze them single file on metal trays and then piled them into plastic bags and popped them back in the freezer where I will find them whenever I feel like adding blackberries to something tasty. I am feeling very smug right now. 

Blackberry Mini Muffins

If you have the time, freezing fresh blackberries first makes them much easier to chop up and lots less messy! Put them on a metal tray overnight in the freezer and then take them out just as you are ready to mix them into the dry ingredients. 

Ingredients for 22 mini muffins:

1 cup or 125g flour

1/4 cup or 50g sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup or 85g chopped blackberries 

1 egg

1/4 cup or 75g Greek yogurt

1/4 cup or 60ml milk

2 tablespoons canola or other light oil, plus extra for the pan 

Method

Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and prepare your mini muffin pan by lining it with little paper muffin cups or brushing the inside with oil. 

In large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Chop the blackberries and put them in the dry ingredient bowl.  

Stir to coat them with the dry ingredients.

In smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, milk and oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient and fold until just combined. 

Divide the batter between your mini muffin cups. 

Bake in the preheated oven about 12-15 minutes or until the muffins are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Leave them to cool for a few minutes then remove them from the pan and cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy!

It’s the final Monday of the month so that means it’s time for Muffin Monday! Check out all the great muffins we are sharing below. 

• Blackberry Mini Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Breakfast Oatmeal Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Choco Peanut Butter Oat-Millet Muffins from Magical Ingredients
• Mini Chocolate & Banana Muffins from Making Miracles
• Morning Glory Muffins with Vanilla Cream Cheese from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Protein Packed Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sourdough Red Velvet Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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