The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook (19 page)

Cooking Tip

When clams are cooked (shells open up), use tongs to remove them and set them aside in a bowl. Overcooked clams are rubbery! If the other ingredients, including the broth, need further cooking, continue to simmer them without the cooked clams. Before serving, ladle the broth over the clams.

Using the steaming method to cook poultry is healthy, but the meat may taste rather bland. Marinate with Chinese seasonings to flavor up the cooked dish. You will be surprised by the result!

1. Combine the chicken with oyster sauce, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine, and corn flour and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
   

2. Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover and set to Cook.
   

3. While the water is coming to a boil, place half the mushrooms, half the ginger, and half the green onions on a plate that will fit in the steamer insert or basket. Place the chicken on this layer. Then top the chicken with the remaining mushrooms, ginger, and green onions. Cover the top of the plate with plastic wrap, to prevent excess condensation during steaming.
   

4. When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket with the plate of chicken into the rice cooker and steam for 20 to 25 minutes, until chicken cooks through.
   

The natural sweetness of the carrots and onions that is released during the steaming process complements the savory Chinese seasonings very well. This is another easy, tasty, and healthy recipe.

1. Combine the chicken with the oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, and brown sugar. Marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
   

2. Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover and set to Cook.
   

3. While the water is coming to a boil, place the marinated chicken, carrots, and onions evenly on a plate that will fit in the steamer insert or basket. Cover the top of the plate with plastic wrap, to prevent excess condensation during steaming.
   

4. When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket with the plate of chicken into the rice cooker and steam for 20 to 25 minutes, until chicken cooks through.
   

Cooking Tip

Steam this dish in tightly wrapped foil, to save time washing dishes after a meal.

As a variation, canned button mushrooms also work well in this recipe. Look for canned button mushrooms in Asian supermarkets or the ethnic sections in big supermarkets.

1. Combine the chicken with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, and Chinese cooking wine. Marinate for 15 minutes in the fridge.
   

2. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the garlic and ginger, and fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
   

3. Add the marinated chicken and the mushrooms and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Switch off rice cooker, dish out chicken, and set aside on a plate that will fit in the steamer insert or basket. Cover the top of plate with plastic wrap to prevent excess condensation during steaming.
   

4. Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Fill the pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook.
   

5. When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket with the plate of chicken into the rice cooker and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken cooks through.
   

6. Garnish with green onions and serve with steamed rice or plain
   Rice Congee
   .
   

Cooking Tip

Leftovers of this dish taste as good as the freshly prepared recipe and can be reheated the next day while you cook rice to serve with them. Just make sure you know the time required to cook rice in your rice cooker. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, place the leftovers (on a plate or wrapped in foil) on the steamer insert or basket and place it into the rice cooker to reheat while the rice finishes cooking.

The liquid used for boiling the barley can be reserved for cooking and even drinking. Stir some honey and lemon juice into the barley water for a refreshing drink, warm or chilled.

1. Fill the rice cooker pot with 4 cups water. Cover the rice cooker, set to Cook, and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the presoaked barley, cover, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until barley softens. Strain barley and place in a bowl. Reserve the barley liquid separately for later use.
   

2. Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
   

3. Add the chicken and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
   

4. Add the barley and 2 cups reserved barley liquid. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a simmer.
   

5. Add the mushrooms, corn, salt, and pepper. Cover the rice cooker and allow to return to a simmer. When bubbling vigorously, lift rice cooker lid, stir for 1 to 2 minutes, then switch to Warm. Cover rice cooker and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken cooks through. Garnish with cilantro.
   

Benefits of Barley

Barley is high in dietary fiber — both soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber help to regulate the bowels and protect the body's intestinal systems.

Medium-starch potatoes work well in most potato dishes, including this recipe. Yukon Gold is a common and readily available all-purpose potato.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add onions and fry for about 5 minutes until onions become soft.
   

2. Add chicken, carrots, and potatoes, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Sprinkle the corn flour over this mixture and mix well.
   

3. Add spiced cider, water, white pepper, and black pepper to the 4-cup mark on the rice cooker or enough to immerse the chicken. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a boil. Once boiling, switch to Warm, add salt, cover rice cooker, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours until chicken cooks through.
   

Cooking Tip

It is tricky to figure out how to cut or slice chicken to the desired size. Smaller chicken pieces will cook faster than larger pieces, but tend to dry out faster. Thus, for cooking methods such as stir-frying, chicken is usually sliced into thin strips or bite-sized chunks so that they cook quickly before they can dry out. Larger pieces of chicken work well in cooking methods such as steaming, braising, and stewing, since such methods are able to lock in the moisture in the chicken.

Brewed tea can be used as a braising liquid, as in this recipe, or as a seasoning for marinades. The addition of tea helps this dish gain depth of flavor.

1. Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Stir in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and set to Cook.
   

2. When the mixture starts to boil, add the brown sugar and tea bags, stir well, switch to Warm, and simmer for 10 minutes to brew the tea in the sauce mixture. Remove the tea bags.
   

3. Immerse the chicken into the mixture, cover the rice cooker, set to Cook, and allow it to come to a simmer. Once simmering, switch to Warm and continue to simmer for 2 hours until chicken cooks through. Chop chicken into smaller pieces before serving.
   

For a healthier version of curry that does not use potatoes (since potato is considered a high-carbohydrate food), substitute carrots or apples or a mixture of these.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the onions and fry until onions are slightly soft.
   

2. Add the chicken, potato, curry powder, red chili flakes, salt, and water; stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a boil.
   

3. Once boiling, switch to Warm and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken cooks through. About 5 minutes before end of cooking, stir in coconut milk and simmer at Warm for the remaining 5 minutes.
   

If you prefer not to blend the spice paste, you can thinly slice the shallots, finely mince the garlic, use grated ginger and red chili pepper flakes, and fry them in hot oil until fragrant, before adding the chicken.

1. Combine chilies, shallots, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and blend into a paste. Set aside.
   

2. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the chicken and fry about 8 to 10 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface. Dish out and set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the rice cooker.
   

3. Add to the pot the spice paste, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, star anise, clove, salt, and pepper. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
   

4. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, stir to coat the chicken with the spices mixture, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
   

5. Add the tomatoes and water and stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow it to come to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, switch the rice cooker to Warm and continue to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken cooks through.