Congee is a delicious porridge made out of boiled rice and water. This nourishing dish can be traced back all the way to the Zhou Dynasty and varying recipes can be followed through different parts of Asia. Traditionally, it is served as a breakfast or late supper but is also served to the sick, recovering, or to small children. This is because the porridge is very easy on the stomach and full of nutrients. When this dish is prepared with CBD, you are fortifying the dish even more for your endocannabinoid system.
Traditionally Congee can be served plain with toppings on the side or stewed alongside the rice in the pot. Culture often dictates what ingredients are found on the side or within the porridge itself. Ingredients range from spring onions, ginger, meats, fish, foul, eggs, soy sauce, bamboo shoots, tofu, lettuce, mung beans, and fresh corriander to name a few.
The first time I had a traditional Congee prepared for me was when I was recovering from surgery for endometriosis excision in 2017. It was made by my good friend Diane Fornbacher, whose mother was from Thailand. I will never forget how amazing the aromas were floating around in my kitchen as Diane hypnotically worked the rice into the most creamy porridge. Nor will I forget how she knew instinctively that my body needed more cannabinoids and a lymphatic massage. Much how Jesus washed his disciples feet, I felt for that moment, what that must of felt like for them. Not that Diane was a proverbial prophet, but rather, the intimacy, love, and humility she showered me with felt like such a gift.
As she took off my compression tights, gently rubbing cannabis salve on, she began pushing and pulling the fluid through my legs and feet. She then worked diligently taking a hot wet towel compressing my legs and feet, allowing my pores to open up and drink in the cannabis salve. In that moment I also saw her mother, even though I never met her (God rest her soul), taking care of me much like I imagined her taking care of Diane as a child.
Her mother’s energy was very present in my house that day, her spirit permeating the physical plane of our dimension. It was as if she was gently guiding Diane’s hand, comforting us both, as she helped her beloved daughter to look after me. In a way, we were both healing in that moment, from the physical traumas that life had handed us.
As I surped my first few sips of Thai Congee or Juk, my taste buds went wild from the complex flavors of the ginger, vegetable stock, fish sauce, herbs, and tofu. She made enough to feed me for the next week and it sustained me as I healed. The porridge was so healing to my body that I could literally feel myself getting stronger each day. From that day forward, I have been making her mother’s congee whenever someone needs healing or recovery in our household.
This particular recipe is not Diane’s mother’s recipe, however, it is a basic Congee that will get you started and work as a great base for anything you want to add in. Congee I have found also aids in recovery from intense training sessions. Bruce Lee was known to eat offal Congee daily (heart, liver, or kidney) and that was said to aid in his streghten. Whatever the reason for eating this dish, get to know the history of Congee that you are making. And honor those ancestors while you partake in such a culturally significant dish.
Mise en place:
- 1 cup white rice
- 1/2 cup sweet corn
- 10 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 package Simple Truth Kielbasa or other plant-based sausage
- 2 green onions diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 tablespoon dried lemon grass
- 1 tablespoon dried onions
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 pinches pink Himalayan sea salt
- Coconut aminos to taste
- 1 dropper full Rewind CBD oil and chives to garnish
Directions:
- Rinse the rice and add to a stock pot with the vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil, then add the corn, green onion, garlic, chives, lemon grass, onions, seasame oil, and bay leaf.
- Drop to a simmer, then add the miso paste when the bubbles die down. Add the sea salt and some coconut aminos.
- Let the mixture simmer until the rice breaks down and the congee reaches the desired cobsistency. About 1hr and 30 mintues. Some like a soupy congee whereas others like a thicker porridge congee. Add water when the time is up if you want it lighter, or let it cool longer to thicken up.
- Taste test and add more coconut aminos as needed. Serve with chives, green onions, and a dropper full of Rewind CBD. Enjoy!