Butternut Squash Congee

Last Saturday I made this for breakfast and we all loved it. You can start it the night before at around 10:00 or 11:00 and it is ready when we end morning chanting. The cottage cheese was not part of the original recipe, but I love the bland cold large curds with the hot congee and spicy oil. It is an easy way to add protein to your morning meal. Actually, I could eat this congee at any meal–not just breakfast. I will try the fresh sage leaf option next time, but the tiny chunks of ginger are so good I may just use both.

• 3 Tbsp Butter or coconut oil, if vegan
• 12 Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Cup Basmati rice
• 8 Cups Water or stock
• 2 1/2 lb Butternut or other winter squash (Sweet Potato also good)
• 1 Inch Inch knob fresh ginger, peeled & minced OR minced fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Green onions, sliced
• Sesame or chili oil* 
• Gomasio
• Chopped nuts
• Pickled sushi ginger (optional)
• Large-Curd whole milk Cottage Cheese (try Cashew cream for vegans)

Directions

1. Prep the squash: peel, seed and cut the kabocha squash into bite sized pieces, about 1/2-inch cubes or use 3 cups frozen butternut squash. Brown butter in skillet and sauté mushrooms. Add drained rice and sauté. Add squash, mushrooms, and rice to crockpot with stock/water, salt and ginger. Cook on low overnight or 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours in crockpot. Serve with sliced green onions, gomasio (ground toasted sesame seeds and salt), chopped nuts, pickled ginger (if used), and sesame or homemade Chinese Red Smokey Spicy Chile Oil* as condiments. Serve the congee hot with bowl of cottage cheese.

* CLICK for video of amazing homemade chili oil recipe that makes this dish so extra-ordinary. There are several variations on Will Yeung’s recipe, but this is the version I made and it is excellent! I reduced the salt by half and did not strain the spices, keeping them in the jar. It does mean finding an occasional Sichuan or black peppercorn, but so far no one has objected. You can simmer the oil with the spices and strain, if you like, but I like the idea of the spiciness getting stronger. This Chinese-Canadian young man has an excellent food channel and every recipe I have tried was excellent and simple and many require this special oil.