rice cooker Archives - The Midnight Baker

Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

This cream soup is full of brown rice, veggies and turkey. So flavorful and comforting. It’s a meal in itself!

I had an accident with a tooth a few days ago–which makes chewing a little bit difficult to say the least. Not painful at all, just a very weird sensation, however, I have to wait about a week to see my dentist because this isn’t really an emergency.

However, I want to eat something BESIDES pudding LOL–and I don’t think I’d fare too well with a diet of that for a week, so I decided a soup may be a good idea (and one that could be pureed a bit with an immersion blender) and a soup that contained a bit of fibre and veggies.

I love cream soups! Plus I love brown rice. I also had 2 turkey drumsticks I’d roasted in the slow cooker for a post I was writing for a friend who edits the food section of Bon Bon Break. Great deal because I couldn’t manage eating those leftover turkey legs with this tooth so I was glad to use them AND I had a hankering for that turkey to be honest.

This soup is a complete meal!

I pureed it some with the immersion blender purely to go down easier. My pics, however, was before that process so you can see how yummy and chunky this soup is.

It tasted wonderful and hit the spot. This is a complete meal–so just a green salad as a side would be very good with this!

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Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

This cream soup is full of brown rice, veggies and turkey. So flavorful and comforting. It’s a meal in itself!

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown rice, soups, turkey

Servings: 4

Calories: 421kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 envelope Swanson's Flavor Boost chicken flavored stock
2 cups water
1 cup cooked diced turkey or chicken
1 1/2 cups light cream or half and half**

Instructions

NOTE: I prepared the rice and carrots in my rice cooker. For stovetop method, after rinsing and soaking the rice in the saucepan, add the carrots & olive oil, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
*I love the flavor that the Swanson Flavor Boost imparts, but you can use 3 standard chicken stock cubes in it's place or 2 cups of homemade chicken stock (omitting water if using homemade).
**Evaporated milk may be substituted for less fat
Rinse brown rice and drain. Place rice in the insert of a rice cooker. Add the 2 1/2 cups of water and let it soak for 45 minutes.
Then add the sliced carrots and the olive oil. Set to "COOK". This should take about 40 minutes, but check the water level. I try not to let it start to brown on the bottom (although that would taste nice in this).
When rice has completed the cooking cycle, heat the 2 tbs of butter over medium heat in a 4-5 quart dutch oven or stock pot. Add the celery and the onions. Cook until onions and celery are soft, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the Flavor Boost (or stock cubes) and water--if using homemade stock do NOT add the 2 cups of water!! Add the turkey or chicken and heat to boiling.
Add the cooked brown rice and carrots, stirring well.
Reduce heat and add cream, stirring until heated through. Add salt and pepper if needed--I needed no extra since the Swanson product is well seasoned.

Nutrition

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Luau Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Luau Ribs

Wonderful ribs with a tangy Polynesian BBQ sauce. The perfect appetizer for your holiday buffet or family meal.

Here’s another great rib recipe that comes my way from my friend Lillian from My Recipe Journey. I’ve been salivating about these since she made them. You can find her recipe right here. Lillian changed it from it’s original and I changed it a bit more LOL!! Her and I are great tweakers!!! We started playing Garlic Poker here because I saw Lillian’s 3 cloves and raised her 2. But you can cut back if you want. It’s just that Lillian and I tend to think if 2 garlic cloves is good, 5 are better, but we do understand not everyone is as ga-ga about the pungent bulb as we are.

Yummy Luau Ribs

I made these with regular spare ribs, but I think baby back ribs would work better here. For one, they are less fatty and have more edible meat on them.

The recipe did call for strained baby food peaches, which I did buy but got to thinking it would be cheaper to buy canned sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drain them then just puree them in my Ninja food processor. Next time I will do that. And yes there will be a next time with these because they are just out of this world!

OK for all you RICE COOKER fans–this can be made in the rice cooker!! How you do that is first pop the ribs under the broiler so they brown up a bit, then place the ribs and the sauce in the rice cooker, set it to COOK (the highest heat cycle) and let ‘er rip or rib or whatever. After about 1 hour, they should be done and the sauce should be syrupy. If not, set it to COOK again and check it in 15 minutes.

You want to get close to THESE ribs!

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Luau Ribs

Wonderful ribs with a tangy Polynesian BBQ sauce. The perfect appetizer for your holiday buffet or family meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 45

Total Time2 5

Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ recipe, luau party, pork ribs

Servings: 4

Calories: 786kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 lbs bone-in pork ribs baby back or spare ribs
salt
pepper

Sauce:

1 cup pureed peaches*
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ginger

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean up).
Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Cut ribs into serving portions, single ribs for regular spare ribs and 2 ribs for baby backs. Lay ribs in a single layer in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, drain all liquid from the pan and reduce oven temp to 350 degrees F.
Pour sauce over ribs and cover pan with foil. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting with sauce every 30 minutes. Remove foil cover during last 30 minutes of baking time.
Coat ribs with thickened sauce in the bottom of the pan and serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Sauce may be reduced in a saucepan on the stovetop if desired

Notes

*Strained baby food peaches are fine, but you can also puree drained, canned peaches in a blender, strainer attachment or Ninja

Nutrition

Luau Ribs

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Rice Pudding

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Rice Pudding

Comforting rice pudding–easy and quick if you have a rice cooker!

Who doesn’t love old-fashioned rice pudding? It’s a timeless dessert, and seems to be served world over. My German mother-in-law called it milk rice.

This was a staple in my house on a Friday night when I was growing up. My mother always made the recipe, which STILL appears on the package, from Carolina Rice. So rich and creamy, but with today’s energy costs, baking something for 3 hours is prohibitive for costs and energy consumption, so you just have to look for something a bit faster.

My husband was of German extraction and they call this “Milk Rice.” My mother-in-law made “milk rice” on the stovetop, but again it required a longer cook time and constant watching.

This version does sacrifice the texture of the long-baked Carolina recipe, but is pretty close to my mother-in-law’s but slightly less creamy–however, you CAN add extra cream (which the Germans do anyway LOL)

I load this with raisins, dried cranberries and sliced toasted (you don’t have to toast if you don’t want to) almonds. And of course the obligatory cinnamon and sugar. You can add more sugar to your taste, or less if you wish.

Rice Pudding

1 cup uncooked white rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp butter
1 cup heavy cream (you can substitute light cream or half and half, but it won’t be as good)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs raisins
2 tbs dried cranberries
2 tbs toasted almonds

Add rice, water and butter to rice cooker bowl. Set rice cooker on COOK and cook until water is almost all absorbed.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Set rice cooker to COOK, close lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Once the milk/cream is reduced slightly and creamy, the pudding is ready to serve.

Serve with extra cream if desired. If the pudding is chilled, you will need to reheat it with some half and half or cream as the rice will continue to absorb the liquid.

Serves 4

Rice Pudding

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Merlot Meatballs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Merlot Meatballs

Perfect holiday appetizer. Don’t have a rice cooker to make these? Enter to win one!

I simply love my rice cooker. It’s the one appliance that I wouldn’t ever part with because it does so much! It doesn’t only cook rice. In fact, rice is one of the last things I use this for!

Rice cookers cook by reduction which is why it is excellent for preparing anything with a sauce. Reducing stocks and wine sauces intensifies the flavor. Of course you can do this stovetop, but it’s automatic in a rice cooker–you set it and forget it!

Most cookers come with a steaming basket, so there, you have a steamer too! It’s also a low-pressure pressure cooker of sorts since it has a gasketed lid. However, unlike old-time real deal pressure cookers, a rice cooker will never explode on you.

One of the most valuable features to me is that it cooks pasta PERFECTLY. I won’t go into that here, but check my blog post on Cooking Pasta In A Rice Cooker for a complete run down.

You can easily substitute frozen ready-made meatballs in this recipe. However, I do give my standard meatball recipe in the directions. The times are only a guide! If you are a neophyte at rice cooker cookery, you’ll have to pay attention to the cooking process because it varies by cooker. Once you get the hang of how YOUR machine works, cooking will become a breeze!

OK, onto the giveaway–

It’s for an Aroma (or comparable brand) 8 cup rice cooker. This is pretty much the standard size. It will cook 4 cups of rice (that’s UNCOOKED rice) resulting in 8 COOKED cups–that’s how you get the size–by the cooked cups of rice.

Merlot Meatballs

And here’s how I’m working this to include all you Canadians and Alaska & Hawaii residents—

Contest is open to continental US residents only (48 contiguous states, no Alaska or Hawaii due to postage) if you want the RICE COOKER or AMAZON GIFT CARD. Valid email must be provided if your choice is the AMAZON GIFT CARD as it will be delivered to you via email from Amazon.

Contest is open to residents of Alaska, Hawaii and CANADA but you can ONLY choose the AMAZON GIFT CARD. Gift card will be an e-gift card (delivered electronically) so you must provide a valid email if this is your choice.

Winner may elect to receive an Amazon gift card for the value of the rice cooker ($25 maximum). You will be given the option on the prize in the Rafflecopter app–this is a mandatory answer, so please do not bypass it.

You must be at least 18 to enter, have a valid US address and valid email address (since that is how I notify you).

Winner must fulfill all mandatory entry option requirements stated in the Rafflecopter application which include, but are not limited to liking Facebook pages, following on other social media channels, posting comments and polls. One entry per IP address only.

Mandatory options in the Rafflecopter application are printed in BOLDFACE TYPE. If you previously fulfilled a mandatory entry option i.e., if you already “like” me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest, you may STILL claim those entry points!!

Please scroll to the very bottom of the post for the Rafflecopter entry application. GOOD LUCK!!!

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Merlot Beef Meatballs (Rice Cooker Recipe)

Beef meatballs simmered in red wine sauce. The perfect holiday appetizer or easy dinner.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef meatballs, merlot sauce, red wine, rice cooker recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 cup merlot wine
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
10 tbsp heavy cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp
1 tbsp butter

For the Meatballs *

8 oz 90 percent lean ground beef
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/4 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp brown gravy mix
1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a rack on a shallow baking sheet.
Mix all meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on rack on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 min or until lightly brown. Remove from oven; set aside.
Set rice cooker to COOK (or rice cycle). Add butter and let melt. Add the 1/2 cup onions and mushrooms. Saute in rice cooker until onion is beginning to get soft.
Add the meatballs to the pot. Add the merlot, brown sugar, water and the 2 tbs of cream. Close lid, set on COOK. Check in about 20 minutes--what you are looking for is the original liquid to be reduced about 50%--this GENERALLY happens when the cooker switches to warm, however, that's in my cooker and cookers vary. When you have the 50% reduction, open cooker and add the 1/2 cup of cream (you may have to add about 1/4 cup water) and stir well. Switch cooker back to COOK (or RICE) and cook until sauce is heated through and is your desired consistency.

Conventional Directions

Follow steps above, up to browning the meatballs in the oven.
In a large skillet or saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until onion is tender. Add the merlot, water, brown sugar and 2 tbsp cream. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove cover from pan. Turn up heat to reduce sauce by half. Stir in remaining cream.
Serve over noodles.
Makes 4 servings.

Notes

*Prepared frozen meatballs may be substituted for homemade meatballs

Nutrition

Merlot Meatballs

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Making Pasta in a Rice Cooker

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Cook Pasta With A Rice Cooker

Cooking pasta in a rice cooker is easy. No draining required.

First make sure your rice cooker can handle the amount of COOKED pasta–remembering that it doubles in volume when cooked. Mostly I make about 1 cup dry, 2 cups cooked in my rice cooker.

For “shaped” pasta like elbows, bow ties, penne, etc. put the amount dry i.e. 1 cup in the cooker. Add water to cover plus maybe 1/8-1/4-inch above the pasta (depending on how soft you like it) If you like it REALLY al dente, then just cover with water.

Add some salt to the water (you can leave that out if you’re watching your salt) but go easy because remember a rice cooker cooks by evaporation. Then add about 1 tsp oil to stop the foaming, close the lid and set to “cook.” I open the lid and stir a few times while cooking to keep it separated. I also try to catch it before it switches to “warm” so it doesn’t brown on the bottom. It’s a bit of a learning curve with times and water amounts, but once you have that all down, you’ll find it’s easy, quick, no waiting for big pots of water to boil, no draining (the worst part for me) and it doesn’t heat up your kitchen which is great in the summer!!!

For spaghetti, I break the spaghetti in 1/2 and cook like I do shaped pasta. About the only thing I can’t do in this is lasagna noodles…since you can’t break them if you make a big dish of the stuff–although I’m trying to figure that one out.

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Sausage and Quinoa Risotto

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Sausage and Quinoa Risotto

This is OH SO GOOD!! And easy too. One-pot meal.

I have to admit. This was one of those suppers I threw together because it was one of those days I’d forgotten to defrost something.

Sausage defrosts quickly and cooks SO nicely in a rice cooker or pressure cooker. I cooked this entire meal in my 5 cup rice cooker. Of course, it was a single portion, so if you’re cooking it for a family, use a larger model!!

Quinoa cooks exactly like rice, so perfect to be made in a rice cooker. I also sauteed the onion, peppers and mushrooms in the rice cooker–set to COOK, which is the high heat. If you are using a pressure cooker, then HI or BROWN (on electric models) will do fine.

A rice cooker will switch to WARM once the liquid is evaporated, so when the cooker switches to OFF or WARM, the dish is done.

If you are going to do this in a pressure cooker, then set it to HIGH or MEAT and cook for 15-20 minutes.

I was so surprised at how tasty and succulent the sausage was cooked this way. I’m so used to baking them, and thought they were good then, but I think I will use my rice cooker in future to do this. This was oh-so good and definitely a keeper.

And to think, this was one of those “toss what you have on hand in” kinda meals. What a pleasant surprise! I used sweet Italian sausage in here, but hot would be good, or any variety sausage!

This can be cooked by conventional methods on the stovetop. Use a covered skillet or everyday pan. After you add the quinoa & water, bring the water to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook until all water is absorbed.

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Sausage and Quinoa Risotto

This Sausage and Quinoa Risotto is OH SO GOOD!! And easy too. One-pot meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Pork

Cuisine: American

Keyword: italian sausage, pork,, quinoa, risotto recipe

Servings: 2

Calories: 1547kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 Italian sausage links
1/4 cup diced green or red bell pepper or a combo of the 2
2 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pkg G. Washingtons Brown Seasoning mix or 1 beef or chicken stock cube
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Set rice cooker (or pressure cooker) to HIGH. Add oil and heat. Add the peppers, onions and mushrooms. Saute until onion is translucent.
Add water, quinoa, seasoning mix (or stock cube) and sausages. Stir.
Leave rice cooker on HIGH. If using pressure cooker, seal and set on HIGH or MEAT for 15 minutes.
When rice cooker switches to OFF/WARM dish is done. With pressure cooker, let pressure drop naturally for 5 minutes, then release pressure.
Serves 2 (larger servings) or 3 smaller servings.

Nutrition

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Sweet-n-Sticky Boneless BBQ Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Sweet-n-Sticky Boneless BBQ Ribs

Oooey and gooey sweet sauce with a hint of tangy. There’s several surprises here. How they’re made and a secret ingredient. It’s also easy: made in one-pot and you set it and forget it until it’s done.

Last week my grocery store had boneless country-style ribs on sale buy one get one. Couldn’t pass that up since I love pork? Did I ever mention that? Well, I do.

You can, of course, do this with bone-in baby back ribs too. I wouldn’t advise regular spare ribs mainly due to the method of cooking–a rice cooker. Unless you have a super-size rice cooker, regular belly ribs just will not fit.

The beauty of a rice cooker is it cooks by reduction. That’s how you get this marvelous sauce and the other benefit is, it’s a one-pot meal. Since most rice cookers come with a steaming basket that fits in the pot, you can cook your veggies in the last minutes of the cook time for the ribs.

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Sweet-n-Sticky Boneless BBQ Ribs

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Pork

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ Ribs, pork ribs

Servings: 4

Calories: 658kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless country-style or baby back pork ribs
12 oz can of beer OR 12 oz chicken stock
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup pancake syrup

Instructions

Brown ribs either in a large skillet or by placing under the broiler for a few minutes.
Add ribs and remaining ingredients to a 7- or 10-cup rice cooker. Stir.
Set rice cooker to "COOK" and check ribs every 30 minutes. Theoretically, when the cooker switches to "WARM" the ribs are done and the sauce is reduced to a sticky syrupy conistency. Your rice cooker may cook differently than mine, hence, it's a good idea to check the progress periodically.

Nutrition

Sweet-n-Sticky Boneless BBQ Ribs

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