Do you have an easy, light recipe involving rice?
June 27, 2022 8:50 PM Subscribe
We just got a rice cooker, and I need some inspiration because this change in diet is new to me. Please help me with rice-based or rice-additional recipes that are not heavy fall/winter food. I do love a good rice stew but, I am trying for lighter things.
So my problem is that I'm used to going overboard with rice. Adding a bunch of rice wine, frying a bunch of stuff in oil, overspicing it, making heavy coconut rice, making very sugary arborio rice, making a delicious chicken rice stew that takes forever to eat because there's so much of it... I have to stop this habit and keep it light! Help me.
I am used to making and eating many salads because the setup is foolproof (chop vegetables into a pile, pile into containers in fridge, later remove from container and add dressing) and the prepared food lasts for days. Now I have this rice cooker and I am excited to, say, make and use a small amount of rice most evenings, or make a bunch of rice and store it in the fridge as I use it.
Ingredients I have or plan to use: Lots of saffron. Coconut milk for coconut rice. A furikake mix. A Korean glutinous-rice mix meant to be mixed with white rice. I want to try putting ingredients in the rice cooker as much as possible, like spices or legumes within the rice.
Difficulty level: Vegan ideas are appreciated but not necessary, my SO is vegan and I often find I'm not good at cooking with meat anyway.
So my problem is that I'm used to going overboard with rice. Adding a bunch of rice wine, frying a bunch of stuff in oil, overspicing it, making heavy coconut rice, making very sugary arborio rice, making a delicious chicken rice stew that takes forever to eat because there's so much of it... I have to stop this habit and keep it light! Help me.
I am used to making and eating many salads because the setup is foolproof (chop vegetables into a pile, pile into containers in fridge, later remove from container and add dressing) and the prepared food lasts for days. Now I have this rice cooker and I am excited to, say, make and use a small amount of rice most evenings, or make a bunch of rice and store it in the fridge as I use it.
Ingredients I have or plan to use: Lots of saffron. Coconut milk for coconut rice. A furikake mix. A Korean glutinous-rice mix meant to be mixed with white rice. I want to try putting ingredients in the rice cooker as much as possible, like spices or legumes within the rice.
Difficulty level: Vegan ideas are appreciated but not necessary, my SO is vegan and I often find I'm not good at cooking with meat anyway.
Put edamame in it.
Put cut-up candied ginger and soy sauce in it.
Put frozen peas and pine nuts in it.
posted by amtho at 8:58 PM on June 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Put cut-up candied ginger and soy sauce in it.
Put frozen peas and pine nuts in it.
posted by amtho at 8:58 PM on June 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Treat the rice like a bland base upon which you can eat highly flavored things. That means you are not flavoring the rice itself, but using it to mellow out the intensity of something that wouldn’t be pleasant on its own. Consider any kind of spicy or vinegary pickled vegetable, like kimchi, takuan, southern style spicy pickled okra, the enormous world of Indian pickles. There are also things like preserved fish that are highly salted or smoked that are wonderful on rice, like smoked salmon or oil packed anchovies.
To reheat plain rice, I find it’s best to steam it. You don’t have to make a steamer dirty though, just sprinkle your cold rice with water and put a cover on it in the microwave (if you have leftover containers that have steam vent lids that is perfect). The steam will make it tender and fluffy. It can be lovely to have hot plain rice with furikake, cold vinegar pickles, and room temperature smoked tinned seafood. An awesome meal for any time of the day.
For putting things in the rice cooker with your rice, try the classic tomato rice. That video actually has a bunch of comments you should read for rice cooker inspiration, tons of good ideas.
posted by Mizu at 9:19 PM on June 27, 2022 [9 favorites]
To reheat plain rice, I find it’s best to steam it. You don’t have to make a steamer dirty though, just sprinkle your cold rice with water and put a cover on it in the microwave (if you have leftover containers that have steam vent lids that is perfect). The steam will make it tender and fluffy. It can be lovely to have hot plain rice with furikake, cold vinegar pickles, and room temperature smoked tinned seafood. An awesome meal for any time of the day.
For putting things in the rice cooker with your rice, try the classic tomato rice. That video actually has a bunch of comments you should read for rice cooker inspiration, tons of good ideas.
posted by Mizu at 9:19 PM on June 27, 2022 [9 favorites]
cilantro lime rice - or really any green herb with any citrus. It might take time to get the proportions right for the best flavor.
There are a lot of pasta salads with orzo that you could sub with rice.
Sushi rice makes a great snack and you get to control the sugar. I like to add everything bagel seasoning, but some sushi recipes add salt to the dressing part and you don't need it in both dressing and topping.
posted by soelo at 9:26 PM on June 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
There are a lot of pasta salads with orzo that you could sub with rice.
Sushi rice makes a great snack and you get to control the sugar. I like to add everything bagel seasoning, but some sushi recipes add salt to the dressing part and you don't need it in both dressing and topping.
posted by soelo at 9:26 PM on June 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
Curry rice pilaf (you could omit the vermicelli) with a bunch of roasted summer veggies. Hazelnuts, chickpeas or golden raisins would all add a nice texture. Preroast and portion the veg, put it in with the rice or add closer to the end if they get too soggy.
posted by soelo at 9:28 PM on June 27, 2022
posted by soelo at 9:28 PM on June 27, 2022
I'm going to go hard in the other direction - I would suggest buying multiple samples of premium rice and eating it plain, using filtered or mineral water, you will be surprised by how delicious the flavor is. If you own a high end rice cooker, that's even more of a reason to do so. My personal family favorite is the brand Golden Phoenix, which is a beautifully fragrant Thai Jasmine rice.
Crack a raw organic egg into freshly made rice, top with furikake, and you have tamago kake gohan.
posted by yueliang at 9:55 PM on June 27, 2022 [8 favorites]
Crack a raw organic egg into freshly made rice, top with furikake, and you have tamago kake gohan.
posted by yueliang at 9:55 PM on June 27, 2022 [8 favorites]
I like to include a scoop or two of rice (or other similar cooked grain) in basically any salad.
posted by flug at 9:55 PM on June 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by flug at 9:55 PM on June 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
I just now threw two scoops of rice into the cooker topped with about half a bag of some store's superfood-type bag mix (probably Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage, broccoli, carrots and kale, all fairly shredded), so probably 5-6oz. Pinch of salt, drizzle of oil, and then I pushed about a third of a lemon down into the center. I'll cool it and pack it in the fridge before bed, and in all likelihood I will use this on tacos tomorrow.
Sometimes I do a reverse of this method and open the cooker when it sings, fluff the rice quickly, and then pack as much fresh spinach in as I can and close the lid and let it sit on Warm for 10-30 minutes and then take it all out to season and stir.
I like anything that takes advantage of the steam - it's my favorite way to use up small tomatoes that are getting long in the tooth, slices of zucchini or similar squash. You can use dried mushrooms either by pre-soaking them and using the soaking liquid in your rice water, or just eyeball some extra water in with the rice.
I'll echo the sentiments of others that this may be your opportunity to learn to love the actual flavor and texture of rice, cooked perfectly. Or prep rice to make onigiri, onigirazu, vegan Sushi Bake, and vegan maki or gimbap.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:09 PM on June 27, 2022 [5 favorites]
Sometimes I do a reverse of this method and open the cooker when it sings, fluff the rice quickly, and then pack as much fresh spinach in as I can and close the lid and let it sit on Warm for 10-30 minutes and then take it all out to season and stir.
I like anything that takes advantage of the steam - it's my favorite way to use up small tomatoes that are getting long in the tooth, slices of zucchini or similar squash. You can use dried mushrooms either by pre-soaking them and using the soaking liquid in your rice water, or just eyeball some extra water in with the rice.
I'll echo the sentiments of others that this may be your opportunity to learn to love the actual flavor and texture of rice, cooked perfectly. Or prep rice to make onigiri, onigirazu, vegan Sushi Bake, and vegan maki or gimbap.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:09 PM on June 27, 2022 [5 favorites]
Just add extra water to make rice porridge. Go with HALF the rice you usually use and decrease rice instead of adding more water, or you may end up with rice-water spitting out the top exhaust valve. If you need more flavor, use half chicken stock instead of water. Porridge is great for breakfast when coupled with other Chinese breakfast items, but can serve as a carb dish on its own.
You can also use the steamer insert to cook a Chinese meatloaf while cooking the rice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCIiAuS2Yc
This version uses salted fish, but you can go without it, just add a dash of soy sauce. Cooking is all automatic. The additional time is just prepping the meat and packing it into the insert.
posted by kschang at 11:41 PM on June 27, 2022
You can also use the steamer insert to cook a Chinese meatloaf while cooking the rice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCIiAuS2Yc
This version uses salted fish, but you can go without it, just add a dash of soy sauce. Cooking is all automatic. The additional time is just prepping the meat and packing it into the insert.
posted by kschang at 11:41 PM on June 27, 2022
Nthing plain rice with anything you like on it. If you want to put everything into the cooker, try throwing in some veggies to cook, and stirring in some jarred pesto or your favorite hot sauce (or Indian pickles) when it comes out.
A basic pulao is simply this: roast cumin in a bit of oil with, optionally, ginger-garlic paste. Put oil-spice mixture into the cooker with rice, peas, dash of salt, and a bay leaf (and optionally, a stick of cinnamon, a couple of cardamom pods, and a couple of whole cloves). Garnish with cilantro.
posted by redlines at 12:41 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
A basic pulao is simply this: roast cumin in a bit of oil with, optionally, ginger-garlic paste. Put oil-spice mixture into the cooker with rice, peas, dash of salt, and a bay leaf (and optionally, a stick of cinnamon, a couple of cardamom pods, and a couple of whole cloves). Garnish with cilantro.
posted by redlines at 12:41 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
It sounds to me like you're cooking heavy - coconut milk has lots of lipids.
Cuisines where rice is the staple carbohydrate tend towards "filler" vegetables, and meat of some kind to release amino acids (protein taste, umami) into the gravy.
Too much gravy is a thing, and definitely too little is an issue too.
--
I wouldn't want to store cooked rice in the fridge. Maybe I'm picky, but the state change in texture is a dealbreaker for me. I've put warm rice into locking tupperware-type containers, then microwaved them (top loosened) with a bowl or mug with a little water (a couple, few fl ounces, 60-100 ml).
--
If you end up with a few pieces of fried chicken in the morning; set up a couple of (dry) (rice cups) cups of rice in a cooker with the appropriate amount of water. Place a couple/ three pieces of leftover fried chicken on top. Cook rice as normal.
You can pull the chicken and remove the bones, or leave the bones in. Pour some gravy on top. Nom. Nomnomnom nom nom.
--
My mom used to drop a couple of Chinese sausages and some bok choi on top of raw rice with water in the cooker, and set it on a timer. It does the job, but I still have a hard time with bok choi even now.
--
It sounds like you're looking for a safron rice recipe, and incentive to marinate strips of chicken breast in yogurt (and tandoori masala), remove excess yogurt, dust with tandoori masala, and grill it.
Serve chunks of grilled tandoori masala chicken with the rice, and add a big salad to that.
--
I cut chicken breasts up into cubes - ~1.5" cubes. For a couple of breasts, a couple of tbso if pesto a couple of tbsp of sundried tomato sauce, garlic, onion, pepper, etc. Let marinate, string on skewers. 2 min, flip 1/4 - sear all 4 sides - ready to be included in a wrap (cut each chunk in half) or something on a plate.
posted by porpoise at 1:43 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Cuisines where rice is the staple carbohydrate tend towards "filler" vegetables, and meat of some kind to release amino acids (protein taste, umami) into the gravy.
Too much gravy is a thing, and definitely too little is an issue too.
--
I wouldn't want to store cooked rice in the fridge. Maybe I'm picky, but the state change in texture is a dealbreaker for me. I've put warm rice into locking tupperware-type containers, then microwaved them (top loosened) with a bowl or mug with a little water (a couple, few fl ounces, 60-100 ml).
--
If you end up with a few pieces of fried chicken in the morning; set up a couple of (dry) (rice cups) cups of rice in a cooker with the appropriate amount of water. Place a couple/ three pieces of leftover fried chicken on top. Cook rice as normal.
You can pull the chicken and remove the bones, or leave the bones in. Pour some gravy on top. Nom. Nomnomnom nom nom.
--
My mom used to drop a couple of Chinese sausages and some bok choi on top of raw rice with water in the cooker, and set it on a timer. It does the job, but I still have a hard time with bok choi even now.
--
It sounds like you're looking for a safron rice recipe, and incentive to marinate strips of chicken breast in yogurt (and tandoori masala), remove excess yogurt, dust with tandoori masala, and grill it.
Serve chunks of grilled tandoori masala chicken with the rice, and add a big salad to that.
--
I cut chicken breasts up into cubes - ~1.5" cubes. For a couple of breasts, a couple of tbso if pesto a couple of tbsp of sundried tomato sauce, garlic, onion, pepper, etc. Let marinate, string on skewers. 2 min, flip 1/4 - sear all 4 sides - ready to be included in a wrap (cut each chunk in half) or something on a plate.
posted by porpoise at 1:43 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Just a couple notes:
The whole point of having a rice cooker is to cook rice whenever you want, so cook JUST ENOUGH for yourself for one meal, and that's probably going to be half a cup... or even less. You don't really want to store leftover rice, as they harden up in the fridge. On the other hand, I prefer my rice soft and slightly sticky, whereas some people want distinct individual grains after they're cooked. So again, depends on your preferences, washing 2-3 times vs. no washing makes a difference, as do a lot of other prep methods, like a tiny bit of oil can affect the texture of rice. So cook a little at a time and experiment!
FWIW, please buy rice from an Asian grocery store, as they often have brands you never see in regular supermarkets. In SF Chinatown, we have jasmine rice such as "Three Ladies", "Buddha brand", "Golden Phoenix" and so on, in 10, 25, or 50 pounder sacks. A 5-gallon pail will easily store 25 pound of rice, and you don't need anywhere that big if you eat alone.
posted by kschang at 2:01 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
The whole point of having a rice cooker is to cook rice whenever you want, so cook JUST ENOUGH for yourself for one meal, and that's probably going to be half a cup... or even less. You don't really want to store leftover rice, as they harden up in the fridge. On the other hand, I prefer my rice soft and slightly sticky, whereas some people want distinct individual grains after they're cooked. So again, depends on your preferences, washing 2-3 times vs. no washing makes a difference, as do a lot of other prep methods, like a tiny bit of oil can affect the texture of rice. So cook a little at a time and experiment!
FWIW, please buy rice from an Asian grocery store, as they often have brands you never see in regular supermarkets. In SF Chinatown, we have jasmine rice such as "Three Ladies", "Buddha brand", "Golden Phoenix" and so on, in 10, 25, or 50 pounder sacks. A 5-gallon pail will easily store 25 pound of rice, and you don't need anywhere that big if you eat alone.
posted by kschang at 2:01 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
This doesn't 100% answer your question but in case it offers additional inspiration, I also love using my rice cooker to make non-rice grains. Coarse cracked bulgar wheat & quinoa cook up really nicely in a rice cooker. I tend to use the white rice setting and look up the ideal ratio of liquid to grain online (bulgar turns out perfectly with a 2:1 water to grain ratio, for instance).
posted by terretu at 3:25 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by terretu at 3:25 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Throwing a little Tom Yum paste into the rice before cooking it is an easy way to make it a little fancier. The sugar in the part near the bottom will caramelize a bit. Then top with tofu, raw or pickled veggies, or a curry.
posted by Candleman at 3:32 AM on June 28, 2022
posted by Candleman at 3:32 AM on June 28, 2022
Nthing the idea to try different kinds of rice. There's this thing called "bamboo rice", which is rice grains which have been soaked in bamboo juice and then dried; it cooks up like regular rice, but it's got this herby flavor all on its own.
But there's a super-easy rice dish I've made for myself sometimes, which is so easy I've memorized it. This is in a "serves-one" size, so scale up if you need to. For one person, you need:
one cup of cooked rice, preferably fridge-cold
a couple big handfuls of baby spinach
a garlic clove, peeled and sliced
a little grated parmaesan
breadcrumbs
olive oil and butter
a small baking dish
a small frying pan
Preheat the oven to 350.
Heat the frying pan over medium heat and drizzle in like a tablespoon of olive oil. When it's hot, drop in the garlic slices and saute for about a minute until JUUUUUUUUST barely starting to turn color. Then drop in the spinach and saute another couple minutes until just wilted. Then, drop in the rice and a tablespoon of butter. Stir all that around in the pan until the butter is melted and the rice is warmed through, and mixed up good with the spinach. Remove from heat.
Tip all that into the baking dish. Sprinkle parmaesan and bread crumbs on the top (as little or as much as you like), and then dot the top with a couple more bits of butter.
Pop that into the oven for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
....I've also hit up the pan with a couple shakes of a different seasoning blend when I throw in the rice. Herbes de provence is my go-to, but it would probably take to other seasoning blends; if you use an Asian-based blend I'd leave out the parmaesan, maybe.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:22 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
But there's a super-easy rice dish I've made for myself sometimes, which is so easy I've memorized it. This is in a "serves-one" size, so scale up if you need to. For one person, you need:
one cup of cooked rice, preferably fridge-cold
a couple big handfuls of baby spinach
a garlic clove, peeled and sliced
a little grated parmaesan
breadcrumbs
olive oil and butter
a small baking dish
a small frying pan
Preheat the oven to 350.
Heat the frying pan over medium heat and drizzle in like a tablespoon of olive oil. When it's hot, drop in the garlic slices and saute for about a minute until JUUUUUUUUST barely starting to turn color. Then drop in the spinach and saute another couple minutes until just wilted. Then, drop in the rice and a tablespoon of butter. Stir all that around in the pan until the butter is melted and the rice is warmed through, and mixed up good with the spinach. Remove from heat.
Tip all that into the baking dish. Sprinkle parmaesan and bread crumbs on the top (as little or as much as you like), and then dot the top with a couple more bits of butter.
Pop that into the oven for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
....I've also hit up the pan with a couple shakes of a different seasoning blend when I throw in the rice. Herbes de provence is my go-to, but it would probably take to other seasoning blends; if you use an Asian-based blend I'd leave out the parmaesan, maybe.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:22 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Cold Rice salad is a good use.
Make a vinaigrette in a large bowl:
3 tbsp rice vinegar · 2 tbsp honey · 1 tbsp sesame oil · ½ tsp salt · Freshly ground pepper
Add cooked rice and mix with dressing.
Add cut up/diced vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, corn, etc.
Mix all up and either eat right away at room temp or after it's chilled.
It's a refreshing summer option.
posted by mightshould at 4:34 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Make a vinaigrette in a large bowl:
3 tbsp rice vinegar · 2 tbsp honey · 1 tbsp sesame oil · ½ tsp salt · Freshly ground pepper
Add cooked rice and mix with dressing.
Add cut up/diced vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, corn, etc.
Mix all up and either eat right away at room temp or after it's chilled.
It's a refreshing summer option.
posted by mightshould at 4:34 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Rice is a great accompaniment to sauted shrimp for a summery meal.
I like having rice and green peas on the plate at the same time. The combination makes a tasty forkful.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:43 AM on June 28, 2022
I like having rice and green peas on the plate at the same time. The combination makes a tasty forkful.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:43 AM on June 28, 2022
Heavy in many ways is a function of ingredients and ratios. Typically, heavy is a function of a lot of fat/oil and a lot of carbohydrates compared to lower carb veg.
So if you don't want heavy reduce the ingredients that make it so and increase things that make it feel lighter for you.
One of the benefits of a rice cooker is indeed that you can add spices to the cooking process as opposed to afterwards. You then don't rely on frying your rice in spicy oils or whatever, you have the spiced rice when you open the rice cooker. If your recipe calls for specific proportions of food categories and you want a lighter version reduce the heavy ingredients and increase the lighter feeling ones.
And if you don't want to eat something for several days in a row then don't cook enough of it to do that. One of the traps people fall into is not wanting to waste food and using up their produce or other ingredients. That's great. But figure out how to buy less or wash and prep your ingredients so they are ready to be used and store them that way. You can just add what you need for a specific dish then and use the rest in other meals.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:45 AM on June 28, 2022
So if you don't want heavy reduce the ingredients that make it so and increase things that make it feel lighter for you.
One of the benefits of a rice cooker is indeed that you can add spices to the cooking process as opposed to afterwards. You then don't rely on frying your rice in spicy oils or whatever, you have the spiced rice when you open the rice cooker. If your recipe calls for specific proportions of food categories and you want a lighter version reduce the heavy ingredients and increase the lighter feeling ones.
And if you don't want to eat something for several days in a row then don't cook enough of it to do that. One of the traps people fall into is not wanting to waste food and using up their produce or other ingredients. That's great. But figure out how to buy less or wash and prep your ingredients so they are ready to be used and store them that way. You can just add what you need for a specific dish then and use the rest in other meals.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:45 AM on June 28, 2022
Heidi Swanson at 101cookbooks.com, author of 3 or 4 cookbooks, is so great at this type of cooking—veggie and herb forward dishes that eat light but are super flavorful. This rice salad is sometimes the only thing I want for dinner when it’s 90 degrees and 90% humidity at 9pm in Durham NC. Thanks for the opportunity to remember how much I love it and for all the great ideas in this thread!
posted by kickingthecrap at 4:58 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by kickingthecrap at 4:58 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is the easiest and fastest thing to eat and make from day old rice. Kenji also has a video on YouTube showing how to make tamago kake Gohan egg rice. I've been eating this a lot as a fast lunch.
posted by ellerhodes at 5:08 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ellerhodes at 5:08 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Most rice dishes (and plain rice) freeze well and with much better texture than keeping leftovers in the fridge. And then you can throw it in the microwave with some water, maybe drop an egg in it once it's hot, and your food is ready with barely any time in the kitchen.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 7:01 AM on June 28, 2022
posted by I claim sanctuary at 7:01 AM on June 28, 2022
Japanese cuisine has a TON of rice "recipies" that are rice + veg of some sort, cooked together. Very few are heavy. You can also add in a pickled vegetable of some kind; vegetable + umi and shiso is definitely not heavy in the slightest. Also, onigiri. All the onigiri. You can flavor the rice, add something to the middle, dip into flavorings... so easy and as light as you want it to be.
posted by daikaisho at 7:34 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by daikaisho at 7:34 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Hunger Pangs have a great video for fried rice. In spite of having cooked fried rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner (but not all on one day) for decades, I learnt from it. As they say in the video, it's more of a method than a recipe, there is no need to put meat or seafood in it.
I don't like rice from the fridge, so they stay in the rice cooker overnight. But yeah, I cook enough that I can have plain rice with something one day and make fried rice the next day, but not more than that.
And one more vote for onigiri! They are delicious, and also good for a packed lunch.
But that said, we mostly use our rice cooker for plain rice, and then have different quick and easy dishes to serve with them. If I'm home alone, it'll almost always be Kung Pao Mushrooms. Different variations on Thai curries get a lot of traction here, too, they can be put together in 15 minutes, less if one buys frozen veg mixes and remade curry paste like I did when I was a stressed out single mum (or you can prep and freeze your own preferred veggies and your own curry paste, like my chef-daughter does).
posted by mumimor at 8:51 AM on June 28, 2022
I don't like rice from the fridge, so they stay in the rice cooker overnight. But yeah, I cook enough that I can have plain rice with something one day and make fried rice the next day, but not more than that.
And one more vote for onigiri! They are delicious, and also good for a packed lunch.
But that said, we mostly use our rice cooker for plain rice, and then have different quick and easy dishes to serve with them. If I'm home alone, it'll almost always be Kung Pao Mushrooms. Different variations on Thai curries get a lot of traction here, too, they can be put together in 15 minutes, less if one buys frozen veg mixes and remade curry paste like I did when I was a stressed out single mum (or you can prep and freeze your own preferred veggies and your own curry paste, like my chef-daughter does).
posted by mumimor at 8:51 AM on June 28, 2022
Caldo de Pollo. It's basically Mexican/Tex-Mex chicken soup in the same general vein as tortilla soup, with a brothy base and rice. I can't give you an exact recipe, because I make it up as I go along, based on memories of a Tex-Mex restaurant I used to frequent and what's in the fridge. You can either search Google for the recipe that most appeals to you, and there are lots of variants from simple to complex, or attempt to follow my steps, for the most basic form:
--Make or buy a good chicken broth or stock. If I'm making it, I usually float dried Thai red chiles in it until they impart just enough heat to make my lips tingle, then take them out. The quality of the broth/stock is key, as it's the star.
--If you have leftover chicken, shred it into big chunks and add. Or poach chicken in the stock until it's just done and shred into big chunks and add back in. White or dark meat, your choice.
--Add a good handful of sliced scallions, same of diced tomato
--Add a cup or so of leftover cooked rice for every 2 servings. You don't want this to be a Rice Soup, you want it to be a soup with rice in it. I usually fail on the too-much-rice side, so maybe start with less than a cup and work from there
--Simmer until the rice grains have burst and they've swelled a bit. At a guess, 10 min?
--Ladle into bowls and float cilantro and sliced avocado in it, squeeze a lime over it. You might like crumbled taco chips on top.
If you like chipotle in adobo, add that. If you want more veg, add that and simmer until they're softer, before you add the chicken chunks back in. You could sautee onion and garlic in a bit of butter or olive oil before putting the broth in. You could add slices of jalapeno or pickled jalapeno. You could brown the chicken before poaching, then sautee onion and garlic in the fond. You could add shredded cheese on top.
You could also just make the soup without the rice and ladle it over rice--some variants are served that way.
posted by telophase at 9:02 AM on June 28, 2022
--Make or buy a good chicken broth or stock. If I'm making it, I usually float dried Thai red chiles in it until they impart just enough heat to make my lips tingle, then take them out. The quality of the broth/stock is key, as it's the star.
--If you have leftover chicken, shred it into big chunks and add. Or poach chicken in the stock until it's just done and shred into big chunks and add back in. White or dark meat, your choice.
--Add a good handful of sliced scallions, same of diced tomato
--Add a cup or so of leftover cooked rice for every 2 servings. You don't want this to be a Rice Soup, you want it to be a soup with rice in it. I usually fail on the too-much-rice side, so maybe start with less than a cup and work from there
--Simmer until the rice grains have burst and they've swelled a bit. At a guess, 10 min?
--Ladle into bowls and float cilantro and sliced avocado in it, squeeze a lime over it. You might like crumbled taco chips on top.
If you like chipotle in adobo, add that. If you want more veg, add that and simmer until they're softer, before you add the chicken chunks back in. You could sautee onion and garlic in a bit of butter or olive oil before putting the broth in. You could add slices of jalapeno or pickled jalapeno. You could brown the chicken before poaching, then sautee onion and garlic in the fond. You could add shredded cheese on top.
You could also just make the soup without the rice and ladle it over rice--some variants are served that way.
posted by telophase at 9:02 AM on June 28, 2022
In addition to Japanese cuisine, Korean cuisine also has a bunch of dishes I think you'd be interested in. Meals commonly include multiple sides with rice and usually a main dish and/or soup. I think the formula would work well with your salad-liking.
I got really into Japanese "soupy rice" as a comfort food this winter. For one serving, boil 1/3 c. short grain rice (I like pearl rice) in 2 c. dashi or stock with a ~2 tsp. knob of peeled ginger. Boil 20 min, or until rice is soft and porridge-y. Beat an egg and slowly pour it in while stirring the soup to get ribbons. Stir in a small amount of chopped greens (spinach, mache, etc.) to wilt and put a microplaned carrot on top. This is also a good way to use leftover cooked rice.
posted by momus_window at 9:11 AM on June 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
I got really into Japanese "soupy rice" as a comfort food this winter. For one serving, boil 1/3 c. short grain rice (I like pearl rice) in 2 c. dashi or stock with a ~2 tsp. knob of peeled ginger. Boil 20 min, or until rice is soft and porridge-y. Beat an egg and slowly pour it in while stirring the soup to get ribbons. Stir in a small amount of chopped greens (spinach, mache, etc.) to wilt and put a microplaned carrot on top. This is also a good way to use leftover cooked rice.
posted by momus_window at 9:11 AM on June 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
On the Japanese front, a useful search term is "donburi" - that'll get you recipes for rice bowl meals, i.e. a bowl of rice topped with something delicious. For instance, here's a soy-glazed eggplant donburi recipe, and here's a mixed mushroom donburi recipe.
I often just fry an egg and put it on a bowl of Japanese rice, with soy sauce drizzled over. Or take a bowl of rice, mix in a bit of rice vinegar, and stir through some honey roast salmon flakes, shredded iceberg lettuce and a spoonful of beni shoga (red pickled ginger).
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:13 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
I often just fry an egg and put it on a bowl of Japanese rice, with soy sauce drizzled over. Or take a bowl of rice, mix in a bit of rice vinegar, and stir through some honey roast salmon flakes, shredded iceberg lettuce and a spoonful of beni shoga (red pickled ginger).
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:13 AM on June 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't love rice, generally, but warm rice with a little vegan butter and a generous amount of cold kimchi is delicious and absurdly easy.
posted by theora55 at 11:07 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 11:07 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
I really like the cookbook The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook: 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings, and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker. It has a wide range of recipes, many of which are on the lighter, fresher end of things.
posted by Lexica at 1:02 PM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Lexica at 1:02 PM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Takikomi gohan recipes, like this sweet onion one, are pretty much all "put rice in rice cooker and ingredients on top, go away, come back when it's done and mix it." Though the more traditional recipes might require more prep, like soaking mushrooms or doing additional cooking of ingredients first.
Corn & salmon rice with butter
Pork & kimchi
The other rice thing that might work is something like a salad heavy chirashi zushi. Artificial crab and precooked shrimp would be easier than actual sashimi. Fried tofu and edamame for vegan substitutes.
Tuna mayo deopbap is kind of similar, making use of canned tuna and eggs to go quickly with the rice.
posted by automatic cabinet at 2:50 PM on June 28, 2022
Corn & salmon rice with butter
Pork & kimchi
The other rice thing that might work is something like a salad heavy chirashi zushi. Artificial crab and precooked shrimp would be easier than actual sashimi. Fried tofu and edamame for vegan substitutes.
Tuna mayo deopbap is kind of similar, making use of canned tuna and eggs to go quickly with the rice.
posted by automatic cabinet at 2:50 PM on June 28, 2022
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Vegan Rice Loaf - looks heavy but it's actually rice with a bunch of veggies mixed in.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 8:57 PM on June 27, 2022 [2 favorites]