Breakfast Bowl from the Madriwag Kitchen

This hearty, quick breakfast is perfect for those who like a big boost of protein in the morning and aren’t overly concerned with calories, cholesterol and carbohydrates (the three Cs that make life worth living). If you’re in a hurry and can’t afford the distraction of hunger, this will fill you fast. Of course, the main thing is taste, so I made sure to make it delicious, too. However, to do it right, you will need some preparation and an additional recipe: my chili oil.

Ingredients:

• Dried chilies (I use Japanos—like those used in kung pao chicken—but for those who like it spicier, dried Thai chilies are good)
• Olive Oil
• Sesame Oil

Preparation:

1. Thoroughly grind the dried peppers in an electric grinder used exclusively for spices. However many you grind is up to you. Empty the powder into a heavy iron frying pan.
2. Heat the pan over high heat, stirring the chili powder with a wooden spatula (a large roux stick works well so you can scrape the bottom of the pan). Roast dry for a couple minutes until aromatic. If you have an exhaust fan in your kitchen, use it!
3. Reduce heat to medium and add enough olive oil to cover the powder barely. Stir thoroughly and add more olive oil if necessary to make a moderately thick paste. Cook for about 5 minutes and allow the pan to cool (an hour or so).
4. Store the main portion of the chili paste at room temperature for months (it has never spoiled on me and is often in the cabinet for over 8 months).
5. Place a couple tablespoons of the paste in a serving container such as that shown below and dilute it with several tablespoons of sesame oil. Add the oil to any dish that you wish was spicy; it’s especially good on virtually all Asian foods.

What makes this a quick breakfast is preparing almost everything ahead of time. The best place to start is cooking rice. Assuming that you have a rice cooker, cook a batch of rice; it may be refrigerated long before use or used freshly cooked.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 10 oz. roll of breakfast sausage (we use Farmer John because it’s local), cooked in patties and then separated into bits and pieces with fork and spoon (this can be done ahead of time; Note: bits of chicken, bacon or other sausage can be used instead; Italian sausage is particularly tasty in this recipe.)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice (fresh is best but not necessary)
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. cooking wine or sherry (we usually use xiaoxing wine but sherry works well)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• Ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. If the rice is cold out of the fridge, place it in a microwaveable bowl and zap it for a few minutes.
2. Add all other ingredients other than the sausage to the rice and zap it for 4 more minutes on high. Stir thoroughly and if it’s still very saucy, zap it for another minute or two.
3. Add the sausage to the rice; fold together thoroughly and store in the fridge until needed. We usually put half in the freezer, which makes the rice slightly funky when defrosted but still tasty and is better than reaching for breakfast and finding mold on it.

Ingredients:

• Madriwag breakfast bowl rice mix
• 1 or 2 eggs prepared however you like (I soft boil mine)
• Soy sauce
• Lemon juice
• Madriwag chili oil

Preparation:

1. Scoop as much rice mixture as you want into a bowl (if eating on the fly, paper bowls and plastic spoons come in handy), sprinkle with a little lemon juice and soy sauce (or just a few drops of water; you don’t want the rice too dry) and a drizzle of chili oil if you want some zing. Set the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes, cover the bowl and let it sit.
2. Prepare eggs. If you like soft boiled eggs, do this: in a small saucepan with a lid, heat hot tap water to boiling, lower the eggs in carefully with a spoon (cheap eggs often crack and have to be replaced). Once it resumes boiling, reduce heat to very low, just enough to maintain a low simmer and cook for 6 minutes covered for soft, 6 1/2 for medium and longer for harder. While the eggs are cooling in cold water, run the microwave. By the time the rice mix is hot, the eggs will be cool enough to peel.
3. Add the eggs to the rice mix, chop, stir and chow down. This is where I sometimes add a little more chili oil.