Arroz Caldo Recipe (Chicken Rice Porridge)

 When the season changes, it is expected that my son will eventually get sick. It has been like this for the past nine years, that it has become like a norm to me. I do not get as worried as I did before.

Yesterday was no different. He is starting to cough and his nose is stuffy. Whenever he gets sick, he always clamor for Chicken Porridge. I am not sure if he is just being a kid but I find it cute that sometimes it feels like he is pleased that he is sick because it is an excuse for him to eat this meal. We always obliged at his request at the pleasure of his sister who tends to be always healthy (thank God).

So yesterday, we had some chicken porridge for him and we made it as our dinner as well. When I was little, I haven't remember my mom cooked this meal because it is always available in the sidewalks near my house. I always buy it for .25 cents and that is my 3 PM snacks. There were other street foods available also:  turon (banana wrap in spring roll wrapper), banana que ( fried banana with sugar), hot mongo (beans with coconut milk) and so many others. I remember sitting with my friends on the sidewalk with our bowls, relishing our well sought snacks.

 My son is a little better this morning and chicken porridge was his breakfast. He  wanted boiled eggs on top and he insisted that I do not put in some onion leaves nor roasted garlic in it. What a shame, those garnishes made this menu extra delicious and he want to skip that. I also recommend not to skip these garnishes because in my opinion, if you skip it, it feels like there is something lacking. The toasted garlic's bitter taste and aroma enhances the ginger's spiciness and the spring onion/leaves' rawness makes it extra delicious. I used the chicken stock left over from the chicken salad recipe I made for last week.here and just froze it for the time when I needed it.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 to 3

1/2 pound chicken breast thinly sliced
1 cup uncooked rice
1 /2 cup shredded ginger
1 small onion chopped
4 cups chicken stock
3 cloves ground garlic
Boiled egg
Cooking oil for roasting the garlic
Salt to taste
Spring onion/leaves


Direction:

Put a small amount of cooking oil in the big pot. When the oil gets hot, add in the ground garlic and cook until golden brown. Using a spoon, remove the garlic and set aside.

Using the same pot you used in cooking the garlic, add in ginger and let its release its aroma, add in chopped onion and let it cook. You can tell that the onion is cook when it appears transparent or when it releases its smell.

Add in the chicken breast. Let the breast brown on each side and let it sit a little and let is simmer. When it is cook, add in rice and stir so that any moisture will adhere to the rice.

Add in chicken stock. Let it boil in a low fire until the rice is cooked. You can tell the rice is ready when it looks fluffy and when it is soft when you press it with your thumb and index finger.

Add salt to taste.

To serve:

Put the porridge in a bowl then add in thinly sliced boiled/cooked egg , fried garlic and chopped onion on top.

Serve and Enjoy.