Kitchen Essentials: The Rice Cooker

We’re sort of in love with the rice cooker. Besides allowing you to consistently achieve rice perfect in texture and fluffiness, it can also be used to cook other things.A nifty gadget, you can set it and move on to other kitchen duties while it does its job.

Since the cooker works at a lower temperature setting, we prefer not to use it for meat but instead, make wonderful dishes of pasta, tofu and vegetables, quinoa, oatmeal, and much more. Here are our favorites:

Black Bean Chili

Satisfy your tex-mex cravings with some chili. Let’s face it, fewer things are better than warming up with this hearty and flavorful bowl of goodness. We recommend adding crushed corn tortilla chips or dipping them in for an added crunch.

Super Cheesy Polenta

Creamy and ultra cheesy, this delicious recipe makes a perfect side dish to accompany an herb-roasted chicken. A typically high-maintenance and slow-cooking dish, the rice cooker method achieves great results in only 20 minutes. You can also substitute the types of cheeses used to suit your own taste.

Poached Pomegranate Spiced Pears In A Rice Cooker Recipe

Bold in flavors and presentation, this recipe is bound to impress! What’s more, these poached pears are sweetened solely with fruit juices, making this dessert a sensible treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. Top with Greek yogurt or crème fraiche for a tangy touch.

Rice Cooker Steamed Tofu & Asparagus

A winning combination, the chewy tofu and steamed vegetables cooked in an Asian sauce is simple and savory. To take it up a notch, add in more vegetables like mushrooms, red peppers, or bok choy, and throw in some fresh ginger.