Multi-grain Vegetable Porridge

(Yields: 1 large pot, Serving: 14, Prep time: 15 mins, Cook time: 1 hr)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup multi whole grain rice (I usually use Kashi pilaf or Chinese multi whole grain rice)

• 1/3 cup steel cut oats

• 1/2 cup brown rice

• 2 tablespoon millets

• 2 tablespoon maize

• 1 tablespoon flax seeds

• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

• 6 1/2 cups water

• 1/3 cup reduced sodium miso paste

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion flakes

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon red peppers (optional)

• A sprinkle of pepper

• 1 cup carrot chips

• 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 big bok choy (or 4 small ones)

• 4 big mushrooms

• A handful of dried lily bulbs

The whole grain rice usually includes brown rice, oats, buckwheat, wheat, pearl barley, yam and various other grains. The more variety you can get, the better!

Instructions

Put shiitake mushrooms and dried lily bulbs in water overnight. Drain water well and wash clean.

Combine the whole-grain rice, brown rice, oats, flax seed, maize, sesame seeds and millets in a big pot.

Dissolve the miso with 6.5 cups of water and combine all the spices, including garlic powder, paprika, red pepper, pepper and onion into a large bowl, then add it to the mixture with grains. Let it sit for about an hour.

Chop carrots, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and bok choy in small pieces, separating the bok choy stems from the leaves.

Put all chopped vegetables in a separate bowl, except for the bok choy stems and mushrooms.

Add carrots in the pot with the rice and grains, then bring it to a boil for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes when everything is boiling, turn the heat down to 3-4 and simmer for about 25 minutes until the mixture becomes slightly thicker.

In a separate pot, add shiitake mushrooms with oil and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the dried lily bulbs, mushrooms and bok choy together in a strainer and rinse with water (to get rid of sands and dirt). Do the same to the bok choy leaves.

Add bok choy stems, mushrooms and dried lily bulbs into the pot and mix well. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Lastly, add the rest of the bok choy leaves and shiitake mushrooms and cook for another 10-15 minutes with the lid open.

Once everything is looking thick, do a taste test. You should be able to tell if the vegetables are cooked. If so, then serve or put in a container to be eaten for the week.

Try not to leave it out in the open with the lid off once it has finished cooking, because it dries up very quickly.

This is one of the main food we have each day for lunch or breakfast. It provides a lot of nutrients because of the wide variety of grains and vegetables we used.