Perfect Rice

Here’s an awesome recipe for oriental chicken!Ingredients:

1 onion (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 ½ cups of rice
1 14 oz. can of chicken broth
1 6 oz. can chicken
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts
1 8 oz. can sliced mushrooms
½ cup butter

First mix the ingredients together in a rice cooker.  Set the rice cooker to “cook”.  When the rice cooker goes off the dish should be done, but check it yourself.  The easiest way to tell whether the dish is done is to taste the rice and ensure its texture is not grainy.  Simple and easy!  (Serves 4-6)

Any chef knows that chopping can take a good deal of time. In fact, even noted television chef Rachael Ray has acknowledged this fact. Her “30-minute recipes” have received a lot of criticism for taking more than the allotted half an hour. When directly asked about this issue, she confessed that the time did not account for preparation, which includes…you guessed it…chopping vegetables.

Hand chopping vegetables, however, is not only time consuming. It can also be dangerous. Especially if you’re trying to do something quickly, using a knife to chop can result in nicked fingers or serious cuts. That’s why every fully stocked kitchen should be outfitted with a high quality vegetable chopper. It could just save your fingertips!

Rice cookers are very versatile appliances.  They can steam vegetables, seafood and chicken, boil eggs, and cook oatmeal and other cereals and grains.  A rice cooker can either shut off or keep the food warm after it has finished cooking.

Rice cookers save time and effort because a pot on the stove does not have to be watched closely—usually they include an alarm that can be set for a time increment.  This appliance does not take up much space, and some of them come with detachable electrical cords for portability.  For convenience, low-effort cooking, and as a starter kitchen appliance, it is hard to beat a rice cooker!

Approximate cooking time:  20 minutes
Approximate advance preparation time:   20 minutes
Serves: 4Ingredients:
2 cups macaroni pasta
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1-1/2 cups shredded mixed cheeses (mild and Vermont cheddar, mozzarella, and fontina)
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Place pasta and liquids into rice cooker.  Close lid and press cook.  When pasta goes to keep warm, add the other ingredients, stir with paddle. Close lid and keep on warm till ready to serve. If a larger serving is desired, go ahead and double or triple this recipe…however, when adding the cheese, you may need to add an additional 1/2 cup of liquid if the pasta is not thoroughly cooked, and press cook again.

Here’s a great recipe for making soup in a crock pot.  It tastes great and is worth a try:

Ingredients
-   3 slices bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces
-   4 tablespoons onion, minced
-   10 1/2 ounces can cream of potato soup
-   2 cups milk
-   8 ounces American cheese
-   1 cup wild rice, cooked according to pkg.
 
Directions
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon for 3-4 minutes or until slightly browned.

Add onions and sauté until onions are light brown in color and bacon is crisp. Remove onion and bacon and drain off excess bacon drippings. Set aside.

Prepare rice, instant or uncooked.

Add soup, milk, rice, cheese & bacon mixture. Simmer until cheese melts, approximately 10-12 minutes. If needed, thin with additional milk to appropriate consistency.

Brown rice is simply white rice that has not had the brown-colored bran covering removed. So brown rice is considered a whole grain. Why remove the bran? Because most people prefer white rice since it is fluffier and cooks faster than brown.Since brown rice still has the bran intact, it has more fiber than white rice. One cup of brown rice has 3 1/2 grams of fiber while the same amount of white rice has less than one gram of fiber. We all need from 25 to 38 grams of fiber in our diet everyday.

Brown rice also contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese, and zinc. White rice has reduced levels of these nutrients, but is often fortified with iron, and some B vitamins. Both can be readied in electric rice cookers.

One of the staples of the Mexican-American restaurant is the ever-popular Spanish Rice.  Making it isn’t too difficult.  All you’ll need is the following ingredients:

1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-2 cup long grain rice
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1/2-1 small onion, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons cumin
2-4 tablespoons tomato paste
2-4 cup water, boiled

Cook 2 cups of rice in a rice cooker.  Once it’s done, let it cool for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, fry rice in oil until slightly golden, about 3-5 minutes.

Add salt, cumin, onion and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add tomato, tomato paste and boiling water. This should boil almost immediately; turn down heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 mins, or until water has evaporated.

Great for preparing chicken for salads and sandwiches.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

kosher or sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Use a plate that fits into your rice cooker container with at least 1/2 clearance around it so steam can circulate.

Spray plate with cooking spray. Place the seasoned chicken breast on plate and cover with plastic wrap. Place covered plate in the steaming tray that comes with most rice cookers today. If your rice cooker does not have a steaming tray see note below*.

Add 1 cup of water to the rice cooker container, place steaming tray with plate in cooker, cover and start. Steam for at least 10 minutes after water comes to a boil. Chicken is done when firm to the touch. Carefully remove tray from rice cooker.

*If rice cooker does not have a steaming tray…. place a small rack or 8 oz. can with both ends removed in the rice cooker container. Place the covered plate with the chicken on top of this platform and steam as above. Use caution when removing plate, use a plate lifter.

Let cooked chicken rest for a few minutes before removing cover and cutting or serving.

Serve hot or cold.

Simularities

Both require a liquid for the rice to absorb.

Differences

Cooking rice in a Rice cooker

• Shuts off autmatically when liquid is absorbed.
• Come in many sizes, from some that cook a few cups of rice to ones that can make enough for a restaurant.
• Forms a slight crust on bottom
• Drier, fluffier rice is produced

Cooking Rice in a Steamer.

• Slightly less liquid is required
• More time is required to cook rice.
• Rice and liquid are placed in a rice bowl, which is set inside the steamer.
• Need to set a timer to shut off.
• Rice bowls are small so limited to quanities
• Does not form a crust on bottom
• Moister rice is produced

 A nice rice side dish for fish or chicken.

1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tsp. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
6 cups shredded fresh spinach leaves
4 oz. feta cheese crumbled
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper

Combine rice, broth, and water in your rice cooker. Cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  The ‘cook and hold’ style rice cooker will switch over to warm setting and chime when ready.  The ’steam type’ cooker, set timer to 20 minutes and check.  The time depends on the type of rice used in recipe.  Brown rice takes longer than most white and converted rices.

Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute onion, mushrooms and garlic until onion is tender.  Stir in lemon juice and oregano. Add cooked rice, spinach and feta cheese; season with pepper.  Toss lightly until spinach is wilted and rice is heated through.
Garnish with roasted red pepper.

Yield: 6 servings