Brown Rice Congee with Apples and Dates. It's a date!

Brown Rice Congee with Apples and Dates. It's a date!

It's that time of year again and all you want to do is snuggle up in front of an open fire.  During the colder months I can't even imagine beginning my day with a cold breakfast. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.  This brown rice congee is delicious and warm and is the perfect way to start your day.

From 7 am to 11 am, energy flows through the acupuncture meridians (Stomach and Spleen) that are dominated by the Earth element. The Earth element governs our digestive functions in the body. Breakfast is the perfect opportunity to redefine your experience with food. We all must begin our day with Breakfast, I can't stress this enough.  Certain foods and herbs will strengthen your digestive system and Earth element, rather than exhaust it. During the cold winter months, it is a good time to experiment with making congee. Why not try it with grains; millet, quinoa, and amaranth.

2 cups of brown rice
1 to 1 ½ cups apple or pear juice to cover
2 green apples or your favorite kind (sliced thinly)
¾ cup dates (pitted and sliced)
1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or agave (optional)
A little cinnamon + 1 Cinnamon Stick
Pinch of salt
Filtered water (if needed while cooking)

You can add any fruit and nuts you like.

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and allow about four hours for it to cook. Check it about every 30 to 45 minutes and add a little filtered water as needed.

Once cooked serve with good quality yoghurt, shredded coconut, nuts and seeds, chia seeds, and fruit and berries if you like

Note: If the congee tastes too sweet next time try using half juice and half filtered water as your liquid to cover and do not add extra sweetener.