Basic Congee

Congee is the ultimate comfort food. It requires very few ingredients, and it is gentle on the stomach. The basic rice to water ratio that I like is 1:12. If you have fresh ginger (I didn't), you can add julienned fresh ginger to the water for extra flavor. I added leftover cooked chicken (I like the chicken shredded rather than diced or cubed) to give it some protein.

• 1/4 cup rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 tblsp small dried scallops
• 1/2 cooked chicken breast, shredded
• white pepper to taste

1. Put rice, water, and dried scallops in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 
2. Lay two wooden spoons across the top of the saucepan and balance the lid on top of the wooden spoons. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour.
3. Stir in cooked chicken to heat through.
4. Season with white pepper before serving.