Humble rice cooker a
whiz at 1-pot meals

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Star-Bulletin staff

"The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook" (Harvard Common Press, 2002, $24.95, hardcover) is a celebration of all things rice. Many of the dishes simply make use of cooked rice in salads, sushi, paella, etc.

Where the cookbook really adds to the home cook's repertoire is through its recipes for meals that go start to finish in the rice pot. That was the focus in our testing of several ideas from the book. Also, the recipes had to work in the simplest on-off pots.

If you find your pot shuts off too soon in making any of these dishes, author Julie Kaufmann suggests you unplug the pot for a few minutes so that the temperature drops (keep the lid closed), then plug it back in and continue cooking. Sometimes preliminary sautéing will overheat the pot.

Madame Soohoo's Fish and Rice

1-1/2 pounds fish fillets (such as snapper, catfish or salmon), in 2-inch pieces
1 cup medium-grain white rice
1-3/4 cups water
>> Marinade
2 teaspoons minced garlic or ginger
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons brandy
Pinch sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over fish. Marinate 20 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator (do not marinate too long or fish will get mushy).

Wash rice and place in rice cooker with water. Place fish pieces on top, then pour in the marinade. Turn on cooker. After the pot switches off, let rice steam 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 430 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 40 g protein.*

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Lemon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
2 large stalks celery, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Set cooker for quick cook or regular cycle. Place butter, olive oil and onion in cooker. Cook, stirring a few times, until the onion softens, about 10 minutes (if rice pot switches off, cover it). Add garlic, carrot, celery and cumin; cook until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add split peas, water and bay leaf. Close cover and cook on regular cycle 1 hour.

Stir in lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Close cover and cook 10 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf. If soup is too thick, stir in some water.

If desired, serve with basmati rice, garnished with chopped Italian parsley and cilantro. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (soup only): 270 calories, 7 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 14 g. protein.*

Italian Sausage Risotto

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage in 1/2-inch slices
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups arborio rice
5 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté sausage in water until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. (Browning can be done on the stove or in the rice pot, but if using the rice pot, wipe clean before proceeding to the next step).

Set rice cooker for quick cook or regular cycle. Place olive oil and butter in the rice cooker bowl; when butter melts add onion. Cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 2 minutes (if rice pot switches off, cover it, lifting cover once to stir).

Add sausage and wine and cook 1-2 minutes to reduce wine. Add rice and stir to coat the grains. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is nearly transparent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add stock and stir to combine. Close cover. If cooker has switched off or to warm, reset to regular cycle. If your cooker offers variable cycles, reset for porridge cycle.

When the machine switches off (after about 25 minutes), stir. The risotto should be slightly liquid, with the rice cooked al dente. If necessary, cook a few minutes longer. Risotto will hold on the warming cycle for an hour.

Just before serving, stir in parsley and cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including salt to taste): 430 calories, 23 g total fat, 9 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,050 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein.*

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