Whoever figured out that you could make cake in a rice cooker—absolutely genius. Cake without all the usual fuss and mess? Bring it. And, not only cake, but rice cookers can actually make a lot of the regular stuff we eat as well. All with the simple press of a button. Conclusion: if you don’t have a rice cooker, you better buy one.
Moist Chocolate Cake:
Photo courtesy of Karen Neoh/Flickr
This is the simplest, messy-free way to make chocolate cake. No need to preheat the oven or bring out the baking trays. No need to rotate the baking pan halfway through or watch for any burning. All you have to do is mix up all the ingredients, dump it into the rice-cooker-bowl and press “Cook”. Then, forget about it. Thirty minutes later, and a delicious, moist chocolate cake you will have. Take care not to devour it all in one sitting. That’s just a tad bit unhealthy.
Jalapeño Cheesy Bread:
Photo courtesy of insunee.blogspot.nl
The easiest way to ‘bake’ bread. Just like the chocolate cake, you do all the mixing and kneading and rising in the rice-cooker bowl. So, it’s essentially a one-dish bread. And, since rice cookers trap moisture and essentially steams, you are rewarded with a deliciously moist and slightly spongy bread. Plus, the bread ends up in the adorable shape of a cheese-wheel.
Risotto:
hoto courtesy of Luca Nebuloni/Flickr
Don’t want to stand at the stove, watching and continually stirring the rice-y goop? Just follow this Rice Cooker Risotto recipe, and you won’t have to.
Chili:
Photo courtesy of cookingwithmykid.com
Want some nice hearty chili, but don’t have the time to make it, since you’ve got class in half an hour? That’s what your rice cooker is for. Just a simple press of a button before you leave, and by the time you get back, you have a rice-cooker bowl of mouth-watering Black Bean Chili.
Mac and Cheese:
Photo by Annie Madole
Tired of instant Mac and Cheese? Craving the homemade kind, but don’t like the long, tedious process? Good thing you have a rice cooker, then. With this recipe, as with all the other rice-cooker recipes, you won’t ever have to worry about burning or the tedious process of standing and stirring. Pop in. Push a button. Pop open. Serve. Enjoy.