What gets ya through the morning after (aside from hair-of-the-dog)? Here in Portland, Eggs Benedict has been a traditional favorite, but since I love Chinese congee (rice porridge) so much, this caught my eye.

congee recipe

Lots of people swear by greasy bacon and eggs to help a hangover, but here is a healthier recipe for congee, which British chef Simon Hopkinson says is the best cure after imbibing too much. If you overindulged last night, make yourself a pot of this and feel better. It takes a while to cook, but if doesn’t require much effort, so you can lie down until it is ready.

Even though he didn’t need a hangover cure, my husband loved this. I didn’t have any bok choy, so I used spinach and I didn’t have any chilis, so I used a few drops of homemade srihacha sauce.

This recipe is from The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson.

Congee with Bok Choy, Golden Fried Garlic, Green Chili and Soy
2/3 cup jasmine rice
4 to 6 cups vegetable stock
7 thick slices fresh ginger, unpeeled
3 tbsp Shao-xing rice wine
3 or 4 bok choy, or similar Chinese greens, steamed until tender, then sliced
4 or 5 large garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced and gently fried in a little oil until pale golden and lightly crisp
2 or 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
shredded fresh ginger, steeped in rice vinegar
2 fresh, large green chilis, sliced
Light soy sauce
Toasted Sesame oil and/or chili oil

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, mix together the rice, 4 cups stock and the ginger and bring up to a simmer. Cover and cook very gently indeed, for at least 1 hour or maybe longer, stirring from time to time; the desired consistency should be that of porridge, and with the rice and stock harmoniously married; you may need more stock to get it just right. Naturally, the rice will be overcooked almost to the point of submission. Once you are happy with it’s consistency, fish out the ginger and discard, then add the rice wine and stir in.

2. To finish the congee, ladle it into bowls, distribute the garnishes as you see fit, then trickle on a little of the soy and oils.

Greek Recipe Index

There are a variety of cheese pies made in Greece. This is one made with Greek strained yoghurt. Please note, the yoghurt is not part of the filling, but is part of the dough itself, which gives it its own special taste. These small pies can be served as a side dish, or as a meze or in a buffet. They may be quite small, but they are actually rather filling and, of course, very tasty! They are also very easy to make.

Greek Cheese Pies

Ingredients

Pasta Puttanesca

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
6 cloves minced garlic
2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice
1 cup tightly packed, pitted, and halved Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/4 cup goat or sheep cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
Salt
1 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente

Directions

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste, cover and set aside. Add penne pasta to the pan and toss for 1 minute.

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To Cook The Pasta

Fill a pot with one quart (1 liter) of water per serving of pasta (1/4 pound, 100 g) you plan to make, and set it to boil.

When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of coarse salt (a little less if it's fine-grained) per quart of water. In terms of saltiness, it should resemble sea water.
Check the pasta package for pasta cooking time. No time? See below.

When the water comes back to a rolling boil, add the pasta and give it a good stir to separate the pieces.

Stir occasionally to keep the pasta pieces from sticking to each other or the pot.
A minute before the pasta cooking time is up, fish out a piece of pasta and check for doneness.

Fresh pasta, especially egg pasta (fettuccine, tagliatelle, lasagna) cooks quickly, 3-5 minutes.

Thin dry durum wheat (no egg) pasta (spaghettini, shells, rotini) cooks in 6-9 minutes.
Thick-walled durum wheat (no egg) pasta (penne, ziti, spaghetti, tortiglioni, etc.) cooks in 12-15 minutes.

You want an al dente, or chewy texture -- not flab. Taste, or break open a piece of pasta to test for doneness.

If you see a thin white line or white dot(s) in the middle of the broken piece, it's not done yet.

Test again, and as soon as the broken piece is a uniform translucent yellow, drain the pasta.

Tips:

To better wed the pasta to the sauce, put the sauce in a broad skillet and heat it while the pasta cooks.

Drain the pasta when it's just shy of done and stir it into the skillet before the colander stops dripping completely.

Toss the pasta and sauce over high heat for a minute or two, until The pasta is done. This technique is called pasta strascicata, and will work especially well with creamy meat or vegetable sauces, sugo alla bolognese, and marinara sauce. Do not use it with sauces that are raw, for example pesto, or oil based, for example aglio e olio.

Empress Chili With Spaghetti

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium onions chopped finely
4 cloves garlic minced
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 large bay leaf crushed
5 whole allspice berries
2 teaspoons salt substitute
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cocoa
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups cooked pinto beans
3 cups cooked spaghetti
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 pound ground beef crumbled cooked and drained well

How to make it

Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium high heat and sauté onions for 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients except spaghetti, onions and cheese then bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
Serve chili over spaghetti and serve immediately with cheese and onions over the top.

Mexican Meatball Subs

This is pretty cool, meatballs that use tortilla chips instead of breadcrumbs, plus avocado, cilantro and other Mexican staples on a hoagie bun. Make the meatballs ahead of time, it's perfect and easy hangover food!

Ah, yes, grease=goodness! A good boigah with fries for me.

Greasy fry-up would be right up my street (if able to concentrate for long enough to make it). Otherwise, a fishfinger sandwich with cheese and mayo is just the thing, only takes a few minutes to assemble and can be eaten in bed without much spillage.

Here's an easy Eggs Benedict recipe

Ingredients

4 slices Canadian bacon
1 teaspoon white vinegar
4 eggs
1 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 dash ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions

In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the Canadian bacon on each side until evenly browned.

Fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches water, and bring to a simmer. Pour in the vinegar. Carefully break the 4 eggs into the water, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until whites are set but yolks are still soft. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, melt the butter until bubbly in a small pan or in the microwave. Remove from heat before butter browns.

In a blender or large food processor, blend the egg yolks, heavy cream, cayenne pepper, and salt until smooth. Add half of the hot butter in a thin steady stream, slow enough so that it blends in at least as fast as you are pouring it in. Blend in the lemon juice using the same method, then the remaining butter.

Place open English muffins onto serving plates. Top with 1 slice Canadian bacon and 1 poached egg. Drizzle with the cream sauce, and serve at once.

Not being from the south, it was a Waffel House in Mississippi i think it was that introduced me to cheese grits which I love.

Noted!

Eats is pretty much a skanky hippie dump, better to get your heart attack snack next door at Zesto with a double decker or up the block at The Varsity, Atlanta's landmark chili dog palace.

Sounds good, when the Motards would come back from tour they would always say that they wished there was a Waffle House in Austin!

Do you go to that place Eats?

FYI At Las Vegas' Heart Attack Cafe a guy actually had a heart attack! People were taking pics 'cause they thought it was a publicity stunt! Here

The Waffle House provides the perfect rock and roll hangover food in the south.  It's cheap, greasy, open 24 hours, has a location on every other corner, a jukebox filled with awesomely corny 45 rpm theme songs, and you never know when a fight is gonna break out.  Get your coffee black, your hashbrowns "scattered, smothered, and covered," and your toast with raisins, of course.

Cheers to you Mardy for the free-range comment, I still feel guilty when I eat bacon (top meat tied mit der barbequed brisket)!

Wow, menudo, I've tried barbacoa, but I've gotta admit I'm not quite brave enough to try 'sweetmeats' (isn't that what the Brits call them?). Still, so many people swear by it...

Loco Moco sounds right up my alley, though. Anything Asian/Hot w/ loads of Liquid, Vietnamese coffee, water, smoothies, don't matter...

Poached eggs, grilled Tomato's, Baked Beans, Hash Browns, heaps of Bacon and sometimes breakfast Scotch (usually Irish, it goes down smooth in the morning).

All store bought, who can afford to be fussy when you've got a cranking hangover, apart from the Bacon, that has to be free range, I have far to much respect for pigs to eat one that lived it's life stuck inside a fucking cage!

Menudo, (beef tripe, hominy, in a red chili broth) which takes alot of pre planning to make, so you need to find a local spot that makes it to your liking, unless you plan your hangover in advance. Some corn tortillas on the side and lots of oregano and a big glass of water.

I've never tried Loco Moco for a hangover, but I would think it'd be something I'd try. Loco Moco as I've had it in Honolulu: fried eggs atop a hamburger patty which is on top of a mound of japanese style sticky rice and then mushroom gravy all over it all. Soy sauce is often added to personal taste at the table.

For me it's plenty of V8 veggie juice, not the fruity splash stuff...

Reply by Ghislaine Korb / THE PUSH-BACKS yesterday

pizza and a glass of very cold coke...before doin'it again.

or Guinness.

Reply dave yesterday

Classic rock & roll food, what about Yoohoo? [chocolate drink]

*Defensive* Hey, I like my bacon, at least the Yank stuff. UK-style cuisine sounds a bit much- 'Toad-In-Hole' 'Spotted Dick", but, yeah, I'll bite, yer on!

Uh, that looks waaay too healthy.

Me? I'm old fashioned. Not that I've had one recently, but for nostalgia? The classic fry up thanks. You know, eggs, toast... other bits and pieces. We like that here in Oz, thanks to the British. Esp with homemade baked beans!

While it may be a brekkie thang, it must never be consumed before noon, on a weekend especially. That's not the done thing...

Best hangover brekkie in Melbourne used to be The Spotted Dog's ridiculously large patter. :-D

The Spotted Dog, 260 Centre Rd,Bentleigh VIC 3204

Come on down some time Davo and we'll shout you a brekkie.