The Ultimate Rice Cooker (56 page)
⅓ cup sour cream (lowfat or Imo imitation sour cream acceptable)
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the asparagus in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender, 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks.
3. While the asparagus steams, make the sauce. Place the yolks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process to combine. With the motor running, add the butter in a slow, steady stream, drop by drop at first, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified. Add the sour cream and pulse to incorporate. Pour the sauce into a heat-resistant deep container. Stand the container in a deep saucepan half-full of hot water over low heat until ready to serve, for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with the hollandaise.
asparagus with raspberry vinaigrette
Raspberries should not be relegated to desserts or cereal toppings. They can be used as a tart flavor accent for savory dishes as well. This raspberry-based vinaigrette is so good you might be tempted to drink it!
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 5 to 6
2 pounds fresh asparagus, bottoms snapped off
VINAIGRETTE
One 10-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed
3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup canola oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the asparagus in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender, 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks.
3. While the asparagus steams, make the vinaigrette. Puree the raspberries in a food processor. Press through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Return the raspberries to the food processor and add the vinegar, lemon juice, canola oil, and salt. Process until creamy and emulsified. The vinaigrette can be made a day ahead and stored, refrigerated, in a covered container.
4. Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette.
This lemon sauce is really a mayonnaise and a favorite one at that. It is the perfect sauce for fresh broccoli. Once you make homemade mayo, you will understand why this sauce is one of the most beloved in the kitchen. You can substitute orange juice for the lemon. Because the lemon sauce contains raw egg, make sure you use the freshest egg possible, that you keep it refrigerated until ready to serve, and that you eat this the day you make it. Also, because of the possibility of salmonella, it’s best not to serve this to small children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6
2 pounds broccoli, cut into equal-size florets and stems peeled and cut into pieces the size of the florets
SAUCE
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the broccoli in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until crisp-tender, 12 to 18 minutes.
3. While the broccoli steams, make the sauce. In a food processor with the motor running, drop the garlic in through the feed tube to chop. Stop the machine and add the egg, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne; pulse a few times to combine. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oils through the feed tube; the mixture will thicken and be smooth. If you are not using the sauce right away, transfer it to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Serve small spoonfuls of the lemon sauce on the warm broccoli.
Carrots are extremely versatile and popular. They can be served with a pistachio butter (just grind up some nuts in the food processor with some softened butter), our Balsamic
Vegetable Marinade
, or a vinaigrette with some fresh chives added, and every version will be as delightful. Here they are tossed with orange marmalade, one of the finest jams for cooking.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4 to 5
1½ pounds baby carrots
GLAZE
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup orange marmalade
2½ tablespoons dry sherry or Grand Marnier
Pinch of salt
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the carrots in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. While the carrots steam, make the glaze. Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the marmalade and sherry and stir until the marmalade is melted. Keep warm.
4. Remove the carrots from the steamer and add to the skillet. Toss the carrots with the glaze and add the salt. Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve immediately.
Pureed vegetables are a joy to eat. You can certainly make one vegetable, such as peas or beets, and puree it, serving the puree on the side of the dinner plate with perhaps another steamed vegetable. Purees are brightly colored and incredibly tasty because of the intensity of the vegetable flavor. They are simple to prepare; just steam, then process in the food processor until smooth. Beth’s mom introduced her to this melange of two root vegetables, along with another favorite, mashed carrots and potatoes, which is made in the same manner as this one, proportions of half and half. The rutabaga, like the turnip, is a strong root, so it needs another flavor to mute it. This is a vegetable dish you will not be able to stop eating.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6 to 8
1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pound rutabagas, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the carrots and rutabagas in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender enough for mashing, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl Mash them with the butter using a potato masher or an electric mixer or process until smooth in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
There is fresh, white, and very young (oh Silver Queen) corn or corn picked a bit later, yellow and less juicy. Early season, mid-season, or late season, corn on the cob is summer incarnate. On a summer visit to Wisconsin, Beth had a corn feast: an old flatbed truck, filled with local men and boys, drove out to the fields in the early afternoon for picking. Others set up 50-gallon drums, with wood fires built inside and metal bowls that fit on top, filled with water and ready to heat. The fresh-picked corn was boiled in its husks, then put in old insulated coolers to keep until eating. Large coffee cans were filled with melted butter. You got your ear, pulled down the husks, and, holding it like a lollipop, dipped it upside down into the melted butter. Dripping with butter, it was hard to stop eating at four ears. The best ever and Beth grew up in Jersey! Shuck the ears by holding the stem end over the garbage can and discard the messy silks and husk before this simple steaming.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
Corn on the cob bought at a farmer’s market or roadside stand, 1 to 2 ears for each diner, husked
Unsalted butter
Salt or salt-free herb blend, such as Mrs. Dash
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer baskets with nonstick cooking spray or line with a layer of corn husks. Arrange the whole ears of corn in the steamer baskets, side by side, with a bit of room in between and broken in half to fill the ends, if desired. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size and age of the corn.
3. Remove the corn from the steamer and serve immediately with butter and a shaker of salt.
cauliflower with a puree of peas
If a cauliflower is not perfectly fresh, it can be pretty unappetizing after cooking. So look for a pure creamy head of cauliflower with no spots, which are a sign that it has been around for a while. Sauced with this puree, it is, by our standards, one of the tastiest ways to serve the beautiful flower of the cabbage family. Adapted from one of the best Junior League cookbooks,
San Francisco à la Carte
(Doubleday, 1979).
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6 to 8
1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower, broken into large florets with 2 inches of stem
PUREE
Two 10-ounce packages frozen petite peas
2 small carrots, halved lengthwise
2 green onions
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup water
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
⅓ cup half-and-half
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the cauliflower in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender, 14 to 18 minutes.
3. While the cauliflower steams, make the puree. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the peas, carrots, onions, sugar, thyme, and water. Cook over medium-high heat, partially covered, for 3 minutes (This can also be done in the top steamer basket, lined with lettuce leaves.) Discard one of the carrots and the onions. Place the peas, the carrots, and the remaining pan juices in a food processor. Add the butter and half-and-half, and process until the mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use the puree immediately or transfer to a deep container that can stand in a water bath until serving.
4. Arrange the hot cauliflower on a shallow serving platter, drizzle with the puree, and serve.