Hot damn I’m glad I’m at the point in my cooking life where I can casually whip up a sweet potato congee with crispy mushrooms in soy-black vinegar-mirin reduction

Adrianna Tan

I have a lot of cheat codes! I make a broth every Sunday that I keep for a week

I have some Chinese mushroom bouillon and Japanese chicken ginger bouillon that adds more fat and depth

I have sweet potatoes that I have steamed separately for a snack

I have leftover proteins (like home cured salmon or roast chicken) to add to things

So very often it’s just shout assembling things I already have

But getting into a rhythm to have those things on hand took time at first

Adrianna Tan

I also do this out of desperation. I learned early on that if I don’t prep stuff like this for week day meals I get very sad and depressed. I am not the sort of person who can eat a microwaved frozen meal. I just.. don’t like that. Even if I have frozen har gow and dumplings (which I do!) I prefer to steam it in a wok. For all intents and purposes it takes a similar amount of time. Also, I’m more comfortable with a wok than microwave

Adrianna Tan

Also, if you don’t have time to prep this stuff: get a tiny rice cooker (a $20 mini rice cooker for one), toss jasmine rice into it (don’t even need to wash), cover with water or broth and add a little bit more, add raw leafy veg (bok choy, spinach), add any uncooked protein (chicken etc), dash of soy sauce and pepper, press the button

Come back and eat it after 20 min

Agnieszka R. Turczyńska

@skinnylatte May I ask how big is your pot and how many people to feed?

Adrianna Tan

@agturcz you can scale up!

For congee I use a 1:8 ratio (1/4 cup rice to 2 cups water / broth for 1 person)

For rice soup I use a 1:10 ratio (1/4 cup rice to 4 cups water / broth)

I can easily cook it for myself for 1. But I can also add more to cook for 4 or more

Adrianna Tan

(There are also rice cooker cups for microwaves that work in the same way but the nice thing about rice cooker is you don’t have to mess with it. Open it, take some, cover and keep warm. Come back and eat later again. In a microwave you have to fluff the rice and then take it out etc)

A really good high end Japanese rice cooker can keep rice good for.. a couple of days! That’s how I lived when I was more depressed

QOTCA 💛

@skinnylatte

Just one if the many of your "shortcuts" I've bookmarked. Thanks!

Alexander Hamizdat for Harris

@skinnylatte ok how long does a cheap rice cooker keep it fresh?

Adrianna Tan

@QueenOfTheCroneAge Indonesian student dorm room cooking

Mini rice cooker
Rice plus water plus veg on top
Plus leftover kfc chicken

Hahahah enjoy

Adrianna Tan

@alexhammy I would eat everything in it by end of day

Or remove into a container and keep it in fridge

Rocketman

@skinnylatte Rice cookers are wonderful!

We’ve had one for over a decade. They’re a bit unusual here in Germany; but every Asian person who has seen our kitchen was delighted

Ours is a larger model, topping out at around 2kg of rice. It’s sooo practical!

Adrianna Tan

@slothrop haha I once visited my Singapore friend at her dorm in a Swiss university

She had Korean, Indonesian, Chinese, Vietnam students

Every student showed up with one rice cooker

Alexander Hamizdat for Harris

@skinnylatte nice!

Evo Terra

@skinnylatte Will it work with fish or other seafood? I don’t see why not. Any tips?

Adrianna Tan

@evoterra yep fish congee is very common also

and fish rice soup