The Ultimate Rice Cooker (52 page)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with their juices
3 cups beef stock
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Three 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
GARNISH
Chopped red onion
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
1. Place the olive oil and onions in the rice cooker bowl. Set for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Cook, stirring a few times, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the marjoram and cumin and cook for another 1 minute. Add the turkey and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, bay leaf, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, and tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with the plastic rice paddle. Stir in the stock and tomato sauce. Close the cover, reset for the regular cycle, and set a timer for 1 hour.
2. When the timer sounds, add the beans and stir to evenly distribute, using a plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Close the cover and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Serve the chili in bowls with the accompaniments nearby for diners to garnish their own.
After trying scores of vegetarian chilis, in cluding those made with black-eyed peas, cracked wheat, or soybeans, we’ve decided that black bean chili is just the very best. Rich, dark, and flavorful, this recipe is easy to make and even more of a delight to devour. We were introduced to this version in the 1980s at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, where you can buy it to go at the bakery and sit outside on one of the docks to eat it with some fresh herb bread.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/of f
CYCLE: Regular
2 cups (1 pound) dried black turtle beans, picked over, rinsed, soaked in water to cover (overnight or quick-soak method), and drained
1 bay leaf
1½ tablespoons dried marjoram or savory
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon hot paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium-size yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juices
1½ teaspoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or champagne vinegar
GARNISH
Grated Muenster cheese
Sour cream or crème fraîche
6 to 8 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)
1. Place the beans in the rice cooker bowl with the bay leaf and cover with 3 inches of water. Close the cover, set for the regular cycle, and set a timer for 45 minutes.
2. Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy metal skillet. Add the marjoram and cumin seeds, shaking the pan to lightly toast them. Add the paprika, cayenne, and chili powder at the end and just warm them. Pour this mixture into a mortar to grind the herb into a coarse powder.
3. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the toasted spices, tomatoes, chipotles, and salt and stir to combine. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
4. When the timer sounds, add the tomato mixture to the beans and stir well with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Close the cover, reset for the regular cycle, and simmer until the beans are nice and soft, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Test for doneness; the beans should be tender. Stir in the cilantro and vinegar.
5. Serve the chili in bowls, layering the cheese on the bottom and the sour cream on top, with a sprig of cilantro, if you like.
THE BASICS : SOAKING BEANS
All beans except for lentils and split peas need to be presoaked before cooking, although if you’re using the lentils for a salad or side dish, soak them in cold water for 1 hour before cooking and they will retain their distinct shape. Presoaking will improve the taste and digestibility of beans, as well as decrease the cooking time; the technique was originally invented to conserve fuel. We find the quick-soak method to be the most efficient, but you can use the overnight method if you prefer. Buy beans that are smooth and whole, as lots of cracked, broken beans and shriveled skins mean the beans are old and will take a long time to soften and cook.
Before soaking, pour the beans into a shallow bowl and pick over by hand to remove any visible organic debris, small rocks, or damaged beans. Pour the beans into a colander and clean thoroughly by rinsing under cold running water.
Quick-Soak Method
For every 2 cups of beans (1 pound), use 6 to 8 cups of hot water. Place the beans and water in a medium-size or large stockpot and bring to a rapid boil over high heat (or use your rice cooker). Boil for 3 minutes and remove from the heat. Cover and let the beans soak for 1 to 1½ hours, depending on the size of the bean. Discard any damaged beans, drain well, and rinse. The beans are now ready to be cooked plain or added to a recipe.
Overnight-Soak Method
For every 2 cups of beans (1 pound), use 6 to 8 cups of cold water. Place the beans and water in a medium-size or large stockpot or bowl (or use your rice cooker). Cover and let the beans soak for 8 hours to overnight, depending on the size of the bean. Discard any damaged beans, drain well, and rinse. The beans are now ready to be cooked plain or added to a recipe.
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Steamed Vegetables with Port Beurre Rouge
Next to cooking rice, steaming vegetables is the best type of cooking done in the on/off rice cookers. And there are never enough new ways to serve vegetables. Well-cooked (and we don’t mean overcooked) vegetables are considered good eating no matter where you go. Steaming has long been acknowledged as the best method for cooking vegetables, as it preserves the natural color, texture, flavor, and nutrients in them. And there is no draining to contend with. The golden rule for most vegetables is not to overcook them, but also be sure not to undercook the harder ones such as winter squashes, and potatoes.
Most models of on/off rice cookers, no matter what size, come equipped with a perforated metal steamer tray that fits into the top of the rice cooker bowl. Other models, usually large 10-cup machines, can come with a double set of plastic steamer baskets that look just like the bamboo steamer baskets that fit over a wok. This means you can either start your rice, then fill the steamer tray with vegetables and let them cook while the rice finishes its cycle, or fill the rice bowl with a few inches of water and just steam the vegetables over boiling water. Vegetables can be served hot from the cooker, or chilled and served cold later in the day, perfect for summer dining. Vegetables cook most evenly in a large cooker; if they are piled up, the steam cannot reach the center. Unfortunately, the fuzzy logic rice cookers are
not
designed for steaming.
CLICK TO SEE STEAMING IN THE RICE COOKER
CLICK TO SEE THE BASICS : STEAMING KNOW- HOW
Here is a guide on how to prepare vegetables for the steamer basket and some recipes to help you get inspired. Remember that produce is seasonal, so your daily melange of vegetables will vary. Cooks usually choose a variety of vegetables from different groupings to balance color, taste, nutrition, and texture. Try a new vegetable once in a while, like steamed fresh water chestnuts with butter or white eggplant drizzled with a spicy oil. You can steam only one vegetable at a time, or two or more at the same time, mixing and matching with what you have.
HOW TO STEAM VEGETABLES
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full with tap water (use less water if steaming only soft vegetables that cook quickly, and a bit more water if a longer steaming time is required, as for winter squash). If you start with hot water, it will come to a boil faster. Carefully place the bowl in the machine body, taking care that the bowl is set in properly and level. Position the cooker on the counter away from low cupboards and walls.
2. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle. The water will boil in 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the steamer tray or baskets by coating with nonstick cooking spray or lining with a single layer of cooking parchment, cheesecloth, whole cabbage or chard leaves, or corn husks to prevent the food from sticking or dripping. Arrange the vegetables in the perforated metal steamer tray that sets into the top of the cooker, or in the single or double tier of the plastic steamer basket set. Distribute the vegetables in a single layer and leave a bit of room in various places for the steam to circulate. If steaming two or more vegetables at one time, place the harder vegetables, such as carrots, around the outside, and the more tender, such as green beans, in the center. Or place the tender vegetables in the top basket and the harder vegetables in the bottom basket.
4. When the water comes to a boil, remove the cover and place the tray or baskets on top of the cooker. Quickly replace the cover. Consult the timing guide in the next section and set a manual timer for the appropriate time. The rice cooker will stay at a rolling boil throughout the cooking time. The unit will automatically switch to the Keep Warm cycle or Off should the water evaporate entirely. The water evaporates 1 to 1½ inches every 25 to 30 minutes if covered for the entire cooking time.
5.When the timer sounds, remove the cover (away from yourself and keeping your arms away from the top of the cooker to prevent burns) and check the vegetables for doneness by piercing them with the tip of a small knife. Rearrange, if necessary, re-cover, and steam until done. Carefully remove the cover and unplug the unit to completely turn it off. The unit can also be switched to Keep Warm if the vegetables need to sit a while until serving. (They will continue to cook, however, and there
must
be some water in the bowl.)
6. Using tongs, remove the vegetables from the steamer tray or remove the baskets by their handles. Place the vegetables on a serving platter or dinner plates. Remove the tray from the unit, if necessary. Let the water cool in the bowl before carefully lifting and pouring it down the drain or in the garden.
GUIDE TO THE VEGETABLE FAMILIES AND COOKING TIMES
The following list of vegetables is grouped by like characteristics, giving simple instructions for preparation and a timing guide for steaming. Cooking times are approximate, varying with quantity, size of pieces, and how much you fill the baskets. Be adventurous: rinse, pare, and trim as needed, then cut into wedges, quarters, julienne, diagonal or straight slices, thick or thin, dice—just keep the pieces uniform in size for even steaming. If you are cutting a lot of vegetables, the food processor or a mandoline can help with slicing, fat dice, and julienne. Remember, denser vegetables, such as roots and tubers, and winter squash, will take longer to cook than, say, beans and pods. Mix and match your vegetable combinations, then serve plain, or with a flavored oil, compound butter, or sauce (
see for some ideas
). If you are serving the vegetables with a dip, you will steam them for only a few minutes, just until the raw flavor disappears, so the vegetable is still crispy. One to one and a half pounds of a vegetable like zucchini or green beans will serve four people as a side dish; if you need to trim the vegetable, like broccoli or asparagus, you will need two to three pounds for the same number of people. A bunch of greens will feed two to four people.
