One of the things I enjoy most about cooking is finding useful kitchen tools that have multiple applications. These tools can be either hand tools or power tools. In this post, I would like to introduce you to the greatest contribution from Asia to western cooking: the rice cooker.
I was first introduced to the rice cooker by a friend who grew up in a missionary family in Singapore. He gave us our first one -- don't remember if it was a wedding gift, housewarming, or Christmas. When my wife and I opened it, our first thought was "great, how often do we eat rice?" But as I began to read the instruction manual, I learned the device was very utilitarian. Since then, I've experimented with numerous dishes in it that have turned out wonderfully.
The rice cooker has two main uses. First, it cooks near-perfect rice every time. You don't have to worry about burning the rice, getting it sticky, or not fully cooking it through. But it is the cooker's secondary use that I utilize most often. The rice cooker doubles as a steamer, whether for vegetables or for other more interesting dishes.
Let me share a few recipe ideas with you:
VARIATIONS ON TRADITIONAL RICE
Traditional Rice
2 parts liquid
1 part rice (the better the grain quality, the finer the rice will turn out)
a bit of salt
This is the most basic rice recipe. Put the ingredients in the rice cooker and hit the "on" button. The rice will cook to perfection and turn off automatically. Now, for some variations on the theme, you can replace half the liquid with a flavored liquid and add herbs, spices, or other savory elements, as follows:
Chicken Rice -- use 1 part broth or chicken stock in place of 1 part water, add some chopped onion, a slice or two of butter, and maybe some parsley flakes if you like. You can also do the same with beef broth.
Spanish Rice -- use 1 part liquid from a can of Rotel tomatoes or 1 part salsa in place of 1 part water. If the salsa is thick, add a little extra water. Depending on what's in the salsa, you can also add some medium-chopped onions and bell peppers, and a dash or two of chili powder.
Chinese Fried Rice -- cook your white rice normally, Fire up a wok or skillet with a little oil, soy sauce, chopped green onion, and maybe some fresh bean sprouts and/or canned water chestnuts (drained). Once the liquid is hot, scoop in some white rice. Crack a whole egg into the rice and toss until the egg is cooked.
HARD STEAMED EGGS
It's a twist on hard-boiled eggs, only better and easier! No more egg timers and not knowing if you've cooked it too hard or too soft.
1 or 2 dozen eggs
Water
Put the steamer tray in the bottom of the rice cooker (it's the round plate with holes in it). Fill with enough water to just be even with the top of the steamer tray. Layer in your eggs. Hit the "on" button. That's it! The eggs come out perfectly done every time. They're great for salads, deviled eggs, or any other way you want to use them.
These are just a few ways I use my rice cooker. Sometime in the future, I'll share with you some rice cooker one-pot meals. For now, get you a rice cooker and start experimenting. Most of all, enjoy the food!
I was first introduced to the rice cooker by a friend who grew up in a missionary family in Singapore. He gave us our first one -- don't remember if it was a wedding gift, housewarming, or Christmas. When my wife and I opened it, our first thought was "great, how often do we eat rice?" But as I began to read the instruction manual, I learned the device was very utilitarian. Since then, I've experimented with numerous dishes in it that have turned out wonderfully.
The rice cooker has two main uses. First, it cooks near-perfect rice every time. You don't have to worry about burning the rice, getting it sticky, or not fully cooking it through. But it is the cooker's secondary use that I utilize most often. The rice cooker doubles as a steamer, whether for vegetables or for other more interesting dishes.
Let me share a few recipe ideas with you:
VARIATIONS ON TRADITIONAL RICE
Traditional Rice
2 parts liquid
1 part rice (the better the grain quality, the finer the rice will turn out)
a bit of salt
This is the most basic rice recipe. Put the ingredients in the rice cooker and hit the "on" button. The rice will cook to perfection and turn off automatically. Now, for some variations on the theme, you can replace half the liquid with a flavored liquid and add herbs, spices, or other savory elements, as follows:
Chicken Rice -- use 1 part broth or chicken stock in place of 1 part water, add some chopped onion, a slice or two of butter, and maybe some parsley flakes if you like. You can also do the same with beef broth.
Spanish Rice -- use 1 part liquid from a can of Rotel tomatoes or 1 part salsa in place of 1 part water. If the salsa is thick, add a little extra water. Depending on what's in the salsa, you can also add some medium-chopped onions and bell peppers, and a dash or two of chili powder.
Chinese Fried Rice -- cook your white rice normally, Fire up a wok or skillet with a little oil, soy sauce, chopped green onion, and maybe some fresh bean sprouts and/or canned water chestnuts (drained). Once the liquid is hot, scoop in some white rice. Crack a whole egg into the rice and toss until the egg is cooked.
HARD STEAMED EGGS
It's a twist on hard-boiled eggs, only better and easier! No more egg timers and not knowing if you've cooked it too hard or too soft.
1 or 2 dozen eggs
Water
Put the steamer tray in the bottom of the rice cooker (it's the round plate with holes in it). Fill with enough water to just be even with the top of the steamer tray. Layer in your eggs. Hit the "on" button. That's it! The eggs come out perfectly done every time. They're great for salads, deviled eggs, or any other way you want to use them.
These are just a few ways I use my rice cooker. Sometime in the future, I'll share with you some rice cooker one-pot meals. For now, get you a rice cooker and start experimenting. Most of all, enjoy the food!
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