A bowl of soothing porridge

Celery, carrot and minced pork porridge

Looks like baby food? :)

This is specially created for hubby who doesn't like raw or stir-fry celery.

I love celery but seldom have the chance to cook it since hubby doesn't like the charismatic strong taste and crunch. After cooking the celery for some time, it becomes much softer and the distinct smell almost non-existent. The carrot and minced pork add a tinge of sweetness to the porridge.

It's good to have porridge after feasting on rich and heavy food; gives a warm and soothing feeling to the tummy.

Celery, carrot and minced pork porridge (serves 3-4)

Ingredients

• Celery, finely diced (3 to 4 stems)
• Carrot, finely diced (1 small carrot or half a big one)
• Minced pork (200g to 250g), marinate with soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and Huatiao wine (can substitute the pork with chicken but porridge doesn't taste as 'sweet')
• Rice (1.5 cups)

Preparation (takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour)

• Cook the rice in a medium-size pot with water filled to 3/5 depth (medium fire).
• As the water heats up, add the diced celery and carrot and let the mixture boil for 20 minutes. Stir once in a while.
• When the rice is just cooked (see the texture), add the minced pork bit by bit. As minced pork tends to be sticky and lumps together, I usually put a chunk in a scoop, lower into the water and use a chopstick to stir and break it quickly.
• Let the porridge boil for another 10 minutes, stirring it once in a while.
• Switch to low heat, add soy sauce (or salt), pepper, sesame oil and simmer for another 15 minutes before serving.