Hello everyone, this is a very special post since we've got a guest this time... this inspiring blogpost is written by Reese Jones! Keep reading to learn more about meals that you are going to love using your rice cooker.
Here at Purely Healthy Living, we pride ourselves on nutritious and delicious recipes that showcase the beauty, flavor, and versatility of healthy foods. From your favorite sweet treats like cookies, pies, and muffins to more savory dishes like pizza rolls and even no-bake delights, there’s a little something about healthy and tasty food for everyone to discover.
One thing we’d like to cover today is the versatility of one particular appliance: the rice cooker. Rice cookers can be used for more than just cooking rice. They come in different forms and with different features and designs — and so they can be used for a variety of functions to create countless dishes. It helps that rice in itself is a versatile ingredient with a range spanning from savory to sweet, so you can expand the possibilities of the rice cooker even further. Below are a few standout meals you didn’t know you could prepare using a rice cooker!
Rice cooker cakes
It may not look like it, but rice cookers — especially those with cake settings — are capable of cooking a number of tasty cakes when you need them. If you’ve ever longed to make a bouncy, airy Japanese souffle cheesecake, just throw in some eggs, flour, butter, sugar, milk, and cream cheese.
For a moist chocolate cake, simply keep the staples and swap cream cheese for chocolate and vanilla extract.
You can even produce some giant pancakes with pancake batter and some eggs!
Rice cooker pasta
You can cook any pasta you want by pouring it into your rice cooker and covering it with ⅛ to ¼ inches of water. The water either evaporates or is absorbed by the paste, so you can add your sauce and toppings straight into the rice cooker to finish your meal — no draining involved!
You can do the same with mac and cheese by adding milk and cheese gradually as the macaroni cooks. It’s a quick, healthy, and delicious way to prep meals, making it especially perfect for college students!
Rice cooker porridge
Too tired to make breakfast? Using a rice cooker with a porridge setting and a timer function, cooking oatmeal is as easy as 1-2-3. Then just sprinkle some sugar, cinnamon, and other toppings of your choice! You can even use porridge mode to make hearty meals like congee and risotto. These are both one-pot recipes where you can throw all the ingredients in and let them cook away! Even if you put proteins like chicken and mushroom in, you’ll end up with tender perfection
Rice cooker bread
If you don’t have an oven to make that perfect loaf of bread, the rice cooker will be your best friend! You can make bread without eggs, milk, or butter, recreate the traditional “loaf,” or be adventurous and add nuts, seeds, and fruits.
Since ovens are among the most power-hungry kitchen appliances out there, you’ll be able to cut costs. At the same time, you’ll end up with a perfect “loaf” that’s crusty on the outside and fluffy within!
Rice cooker fried rice
Fried rice lovers know the joy of tossing their fried rice up on the stovetop. But what if we told you that you could do it straight in a rice cooker? Simply wash your rice, add it to the rice cooker along with your favorite ingredients, and cook it up!
The best thing about this recipe is its versatility. Much like with rice cooker pasta, you can make any fried rice dish you want — whether it be classic Chinese style, Indonesian Nasi Goreng, or spicy Korean buldak fried rice!
If you haven’t yet mastered the technique of cooking rice just right in a saucepan, it’s time you copy the pros and buy a rice cooker. You’ll find that it can cook more than just rice — and it can delight you with a variety of dishes countless times!