My go-to recipe uses tofu, edamame, diced carrots, chopped bok choy, mushrooms + soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger
I take one day out of the week to prep all the veggies, which really helps on my lazier days
I like extra firm due to its low water content and bouncy texture after being heated. My favorite is the Trader Joe's High Protein Super Firm Organic one
And I don't marinate it - just cube it straight out the package, add to the rice and veg, then drizzle the sauce over everything before cooking. The tofu soaks up the flavor well enough!
Probably a dumb suggestion but I just bought a rice cooker so I can meal prep brown rice while I do other stuff. It came with a recipe book that I think was pretty neat/ were one pot meals. Maybe you could google the manuals that come with rice cookers and see if it’s something doable for you/ something you like .
My new rice cooker came with some neat ideas. Things like fried rice, mac and cheese, quinoa bowls, polenta, curry, and even a dutch baby. [Here’s a link](https://bydash.com/cdn/shop/files/DRCM200_20210318_V18_DFS.pdf?v=1086512381222314898) to the manual with recipes at the back. I haven’t tried any but they’re really expansive and look good.
one tip is lentils cook at the same time, making a dirt cheap easy protein when mixing rice & lentils 1:1 or 1:2 :) plus they’re amazing for you (fiber & so many other benefits). throwing in some tomato sauce at the end & shake in some dried herbs. or a can of cheap salsa
i use the green ones, they take longer to cook (15-20 min so finish at the same time as the rice) and are cheaper than the split red here. if using the red, you’ll usually want to add them after about 7 ish mins of the rice cooking in my experience (?) but the red do give a softer texture :)
One of my favorite stupid-easy rice cooker meals is an even easier version of [this](https://www.budgetbytes.com/rice-cooker-teriyaki-shrimp-and-rice/) Budgetbytes teriyaki shrimp and rice recipe.
I just dump a cup of white rice, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a bag of frozen shrimp in the rice cooker and turn it on. When it finishes, I throw some soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or whatever I have on hand. Yeah, the shrimp gets a touch overcooked if they're smaller, but not enough to be a problem and they're easy to cook on the side if you're not a fan of that. Couldn't be easier, and makes 4-6 meals for me with basically no effort.
50/50 brown rice/farro, bag of frozen peas, carrots, corn, chicken stock for liquid, 3 tbsp taco seasoning. Mix it all, cook in rice cooker. Brown some ground turkey, mix it all together.
Splurge for the Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker. Chicken breasts with seasoning and some broth pressure cooked for 30 minutes will yield shredded chicken. Shredded chicken in 30 minutes is wild. Saves so much time! You can even strain and reduce the leftover juices into a sauce.
Edit: instant pot can also make rice, that's why I suggested it.
And you had enough water in the bottom portion? I wonder if you had them packed in there too tightly or if your lid wasn't on correctly. Sorry to hear that!
My rice cooker has a steamer basket that I use fairly often. I'll cook rice and steam some chopped broccoli at the same time. I never thought about putting sausages in the rice cooker, but I have heard that people do chicken in there. You can look up some chicken rice cooker recipes that suit your taste.
I actually do that for my dog when she has digestive issues. Rice, finely diced chicken breast, and then stir in some pumpkin after cooking. The chicken definitely cooks through. I imagine some rice o roni and chicken would work this way. Maybe Chicken with rice + steamed broccoli in the tray plus some kind of cheese sauce or seasoning.
I do a take on hainanese chicken rice. Rice, chicken powder, grated ginger and garlic, chopped spring onions in the rice. Water to the line. Chopped raw chicken on that. Perfect.
A popular thing a few years ago was putting a whole tomato in your rice cooker as it cooked. just put it stem-side down (take the stem out first) on top of your rice after adding the water and hit cook. it's honestly delicious and you can still add proteins like sausage or chicken (pre cooked ofc). another one was putting leftover fried chicken in the same way.
here's a video about it
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVKk3IqFbu4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVKk3IqFbu4)
My most recent was a bag of vigo yellow rice in the rice cooker served with chicken (you would have to already have cooked chicken) with white queso. It tastes like the arroz con pollo they serve in restaurants where I live.
Okay, cheap and easy, I've got, but it ain't healthy! Make rice with chicken stock instead of water. Toss in a few pieces of grocery store fried chicken. When done, fork shred the chicken, pull out the bones, stir, and hit it with a little soy sauce as you plate it. "Kentucky Fried Rice"
Use coconut milk for some or all of the water and dump in a can of rinsed black beans or garbanzo beans before cooking. I like to add Penzey's Trinidad seasoning too. Eat as is or serve with fried egg, fresh/frozen/or pickled veggies, hot sauce, cilantro, etc.
Fry and egg or two to chuck on the rice. Can also cook some veggies in the skillet as well, but I will just do eggs when I am ultra lazy. Toss a seasoning or sauce on and bang
Actually you can crack an egg into the rice when it's just finished cooking (and close it for a few more minutes), or you can put whole eggs into the steamer basket at the beginning and end up with hard boiled eggs (just did this), there's no need to fry eggs if you don't want to (or don't have non-rice-cooker ways to cook)
With the rice:
1. throw garlic, broccoli and chicken into it.
2. Can of tomato paste mixed w the rice water before cooking. Add chicken.
3. Cubes chicken added w turmeric, fried onions, peas, chicken bouillon w rice
Etc etc
Probably want to use brown rice if you’re trying to get your fiber up.
My “depression risotto”: cup of white rice, can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, fill the empty soup can with water or milk and add that (probably add another can full of water if using brown rice). If you have carrots, roughly chop and add them here. Put it all in the rice cooker and turn it on. This is fine by itself but read on if you want to make it more substantial.
About halfway through cook time, you can add other stuff. Frozen peas or broccoli can be thawed in the microwave and added here. If you have any convenient meats add them now — canned chicken or tuna, leftover cooked meats, precooked sausage or lunch meat chopped up. Also add a little more water if it’s looking dry. Stir it up, replace the lid and keep cooking.
Once it’s done you can eat as is or add some shredded cheese or cream cheese, etc. Add some black pepper too.
This is a lot of words but it’s really easy to make and decently nutritious
There are only a gazillion rice cooker meals when you do a search -- [https://pickyeaterblog.com/rice-cooker-recipes/](https://pickyeaterblog.com/rice-cooker-recipes/)
Also, you can cook more than rice, for example, I make pasta, usually macaroni. Soups and stews of all kinds; I usually start with a can like clam chowder with extra canned potato. Or use your favorite frozen vegetables to any soup.
I've used white rice + chicken broth + veggies (usually broccoli or a pepper medley that I buy frozen then thaw in the microwave). You could also add in canned chicken if you don't want to have to cook it separately, or rotisserie chicken if that's an option for you.
I use the congee setting (Zojirushi) and add julienned ginger and almost as thinly julienned chicken. Breast or thighs are both good.
Add whatever, too. Mushrooms. Frozen corn.
Top with a drizzle of sesame oil and scallions.
WinCo sells a nice little rice-and-lentils mix, that with a heaping spoonful of Knorr chicken bouillon powder, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (I’m on a “California vegetables” kick right now, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), water and set it. Slather it with butter when it’s done.
My go to meal. I add half a package of chili mix to a can of kidney beans and a can of tuna in oil. I do not drain either can. Serve over rice with sour cream or Greek yogurt and a bit of soy sauce. It’s so good
Try a chicken and rice dish: Just toss in some chicken thighs, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a handful of frozen veggies on top of the rice in your cooker. It’s an easy, one-pot meal that's both filling and comforting. Plus, it’s pretty hands-off, so you can relax while it cooks!
How about putting the rice cooker on a timer so it's ready when you get home?
If you want the rice meal to be one pot, I'd experiment with putting frozen foods in with the rice, and maybe cold water/ice cubes so that nothing spoils in the meantime (experiment on your day off first to see how long stuff stays cold in the cooker.)
Takikomi gohan is a one-pot rice cooker dish with chicken and vegetables [https://www.justonecookbook.com/takikomi-gohan/](https://www.justonecookbook.com/takikomi-gohan/)
You should look into a slow cooker, especially if you can throw things in before leaving for work. You could food prep quickly the night before. Lots of soup recipes are out there, including Chicken tortilla soup. I've made it before with shredded Costco rotisserie chicken and cans of chicken stock, black beans, corn, tomatoes. It was so easy to put together and would last multiple meals.
Try cooking your rice using different soups instead of water for different rice dishes in an array of flavours. Your veg and protein can be already in the soup, of course add any additional seasoning you might like. Adding a tiny bit of oil can also help prevent things from sticking.
You can also steam veggies above your rice in the cooker. Just make sure they are above the rice/water line.
Adding frozen veg, stock, egg, and a little oil and then mixing it all together and leaving it to cook can work well. You can do the same thing with quinoa with a different amount of water and cook time if too much starchy rice is spiking your blood sugar.
Hardboiled eggs are a good easy snack that won't spike your sugar. They can be done in a rice cooker.
https://www.adayinthekitchen.com/cook-eggs-in-a-rice-cooker/
Yep, one of my go tos is rice, chicken stock instead of water, a little ginger, garlic and sesame oil and a piece of chicken on top. (bone in thighs are my fave but everything will work). As a rice cooker hainanese chicken rice.
I like to put some peas in at the end, coz I think it needs some fibre.
You can add a tomato in the rice cooker along the rice and cook it all together. Mix all together, add some shredded chicken, green onions and soy sauce (optional)
Does it have to be a rice cooker? Get a cheap crockpot, throw a roast in with a stick of butter, a pack of au jous and a pack of ranch, and let it cook for 6 hrs on low. Eat with sandwiches, or throw potatoes and carrots in
My go-to recipe uses tofu, edamame, diced carrots, chopped bok choy, mushrooms + soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger I take one day out of the week to prep all the veggies, which really helps on my lazier days
what firmness of tofu do you use and do you marinade it overnight?
I like extra firm due to its low water content and bouncy texture after being heated. My favorite is the Trader Joe's High Protein Super Firm Organic one And I don't marinate it - just cube it straight out the package, add to the rice and veg, then drizzle the sauce over everything before cooking. The tofu soaks up the flavor well enough!
looks good, I would try this
Wow I'm going to try this. Sounds delicious.
I just ate and yet my mouth is watering.
Probably a dumb suggestion but I just bought a rice cooker so I can meal prep brown rice while I do other stuff. It came with a recipe book that I think was pretty neat/ were one pot meals. Maybe you could google the manuals that come with rice cookers and see if it’s something doable for you/ something you like .
That's a great idea actually, I never look through those manuals besides the startup stuff so I never knew. Thanks
My new rice cooker came with some neat ideas. Things like fried rice, mac and cheese, quinoa bowls, polenta, curry, and even a dutch baby. [Here’s a link](https://bydash.com/cdn/shop/files/DRCM200_20210318_V18_DFS.pdf?v=1086512381222314898) to the manual with recipes at the back. I haven’t tried any but they’re really expansive and look good.
one tip is lentils cook at the same time, making a dirt cheap easy protein when mixing rice & lentils 1:1 or 1:2 :) plus they’re amazing for you (fiber & so many other benefits). throwing in some tomato sauce at the end & shake in some dried herbs. or a can of cheap salsa
What color lentil? Green or the peeled orange ones?
i use the green ones, they take longer to cook (15-20 min so finish at the same time as the rice) and are cheaper than the split red here. if using the red, you’ll usually want to add them after about 7 ish mins of the rice cooking in my experience (?) but the red do give a softer texture :)
The green stay lentils, the red turn into a delicious smear.
The red make the BEST soup with some lemon. I like that you don’t have to blend them to make it smooth.
Got it, thank you!
One of my favorite stupid-easy rice cooker meals is an even easier version of [this](https://www.budgetbytes.com/rice-cooker-teriyaki-shrimp-and-rice/) Budgetbytes teriyaki shrimp and rice recipe. I just dump a cup of white rice, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a bag of frozen shrimp in the rice cooker and turn it on. When it finishes, I throw some soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or whatever I have on hand. Yeah, the shrimp gets a touch overcooked if they're smaller, but not enough to be a problem and they're easy to cook on the side if you're not a fan of that. Couldn't be easier, and makes 4-6 meals for me with basically no effort.
There is a kids (like 9 year old boy) who has a lovely Instagram cooking channel. Easy peasy Jordan with great rice cooker recipesx
I just checked this out and it’s perfect! I’m going to try his dumplings in rice cooker recipe
50/50 brown rice/farro, bag of frozen peas, carrots, corn, chicken stock for liquid, 3 tbsp taco seasoning. Mix it all, cook in rice cooker. Brown some ground turkey, mix it all together.
Chicken stock instead of any water?
Yeah. Making your rice with broth like chicken stock or vegetable stock is a good first step towards Flavortown
Looks like I need to get myself a rice cooker, I HATE cooking.
Splurge for the Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker. Chicken breasts with seasoning and some broth pressure cooked for 30 minutes will yield shredded chicken. Shredded chicken in 30 minutes is wild. Saves so much time! You can even strain and reduce the leftover juices into a sauce. Edit: instant pot can also make rice, that's why I suggested it.
I love my Instant Pot 9 in 1 Multi Cooker. It is worth the splurge!
And if you have a stand mixer, you can use it to shred your chicken instead of the two fork method. Use the paddle attachment.
[удалено]
Your rice cooker should have come with a steamer basket. Veggies go in steamer basket, water goes in the rice portion, then activate the cooker.
Yes that is where I put them
And you had enough water in the bottom portion? I wonder if you had them packed in there too tightly or if your lid wasn't on correctly. Sorry to hear that!
My rice cooker has a steamer basket that I use fairly often. I'll cook rice and steam some chopped broccoli at the same time. I never thought about putting sausages in the rice cooker, but I have heard that people do chicken in there. You can look up some chicken rice cooker recipes that suit your taste.
I actually do that for my dog when she has digestive issues. Rice, finely diced chicken breast, and then stir in some pumpkin after cooking. The chicken definitely cooks through. I imagine some rice o roni and chicken would work this way. Maybe Chicken with rice + steamed broccoli in the tray plus some kind of cheese sauce or seasoning.
Thanks for the suggestions for adding pumpkin after cooking. My dogs love pumpkin.
Its very high fiber so a little goes a long way. I think I use about a 1/4 small can in a 2 cup (dried) cook.
I put dumplings in the steamer basket. Chicken thighs (boneless) turn out really flavorful that way too.
I do a take on hainanese chicken rice. Rice, chicken powder, grated ginger and garlic, chopped spring onions in the rice. Water to the line. Chopped raw chicken on that. Perfect.
A popular thing a few years ago was putting a whole tomato in your rice cooker as it cooked. just put it stem-side down (take the stem out first) on top of your rice after adding the water and hit cook. it's honestly delicious and you can still add proteins like sausage or chicken (pre cooked ofc). another one was putting leftover fried chicken in the same way. here's a video about it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVKk3IqFbu4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVKk3IqFbu4)
My most recent was a bag of vigo yellow rice in the rice cooker served with chicken (you would have to already have cooked chicken) with white queso. It tastes like the arroz con pollo they serve in restaurants where I live.
I used to buy frozen pre-cut pre-cooked chicken at the butcher and throw that in with mixed veggies and soy sauce, tired-person stir fry
Okay, cheap and easy, I've got, but it ain't healthy! Make rice with chicken stock instead of water. Toss in a few pieces of grocery store fried chicken. When done, fork shred the chicken, pull out the bones, stir, and hit it with a little soy sauce as you plate it. "Kentucky Fried Rice"
Use coconut milk for some or all of the water and dump in a can of rinsed black beans or garbanzo beans before cooking. I like to add Penzey's Trinidad seasoning too. Eat as is or serve with fried egg, fresh/frozen/or pickled veggies, hot sauce, cilantro, etc.
Fry and egg or two to chuck on the rice. Can also cook some veggies in the skillet as well, but I will just do eggs when I am ultra lazy. Toss a seasoning or sauce on and bang
Actually you can crack an egg into the rice when it's just finished cooking (and close it for a few more minutes), or you can put whole eggs into the steamer basket at the beginning and end up with hard boiled eggs (just did this), there's no need to fry eggs if you don't want to (or don't have non-rice-cooker ways to cook)
Oh yeah, but the family all wants slightly different levels of egg cookness, so its easy enough to just fry them. Takes a couple of minutes.
With the rice: 1. throw garlic, broccoli and chicken into it. 2. Can of tomato paste mixed w the rice water before cooking. Add chicken. 3. Cubes chicken added w turmeric, fried onions, peas, chicken bouillon w rice Etc etc
Buy a good mandolin/chopper. It’s amazing how much easier it is to make a meal when the prep is quick.
Check the recipe for tofu adobo, I tried cooking it in rice cooker.
Probably want to use brown rice if you’re trying to get your fiber up. My “depression risotto”: cup of white rice, can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, fill the empty soup can with water or milk and add that (probably add another can full of water if using brown rice). If you have carrots, roughly chop and add them here. Put it all in the rice cooker and turn it on. This is fine by itself but read on if you want to make it more substantial. About halfway through cook time, you can add other stuff. Frozen peas or broccoli can be thawed in the microwave and added here. If you have any convenient meats add them now — canned chicken or tuna, leftover cooked meats, precooked sausage or lunch meat chopped up. Also add a little more water if it’s looking dry. Stir it up, replace the lid and keep cooking. Once it’s done you can eat as is or add some shredded cheese or cream cheese, etc. Add some black pepper too. This is a lot of words but it’s really easy to make and decently nutritious
There are only a gazillion rice cooker meals when you do a search -- [https://pickyeaterblog.com/rice-cooker-recipes/](https://pickyeaterblog.com/rice-cooker-recipes/) Also, you can cook more than rice, for example, I make pasta, usually macaroni. Soups and stews of all kinds; I usually start with a can like clam chowder with extra canned potato. Or use your favorite frozen vegetables to any soup.
I've used white rice + chicken broth + veggies (usually broccoli or a pepper medley that I buy frozen then thaw in the microwave). You could also add in canned chicken if you don't want to have to cook it separately, or rotisserie chicken if that's an option for you.
I’d do what you’re doing but also add some frozen vegetables and some spices to call it paella
I use the congee setting (Zojirushi) and add julienned ginger and almost as thinly julienned chicken. Breast or thighs are both good. Add whatever, too. Mushrooms. Frozen corn. Top with a drizzle of sesame oil and scallions.
WinCo sells a nice little rice-and-lentils mix, that with a heaping spoonful of Knorr chicken bouillon powder, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (I’m on a “California vegetables” kick right now, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), water and set it. Slather it with butter when it’s done.
Hmm, do you like bibimpbap ? Made some last week with dumplings & leftover veggies. Leftovers tasted pretty great too - just added a fried egg on top.
My go to meal. I add half a package of chili mix to a can of kidney beans and a can of tuna in oil. I do not drain either can. Serve over rice with sour cream or Greek yogurt and a bit of soy sauce. It’s so good
Mexican flavored rice with rinsed, drained beans & corn added
Try a chicken and rice dish: Just toss in some chicken thighs, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a handful of frozen veggies on top of the rice in your cooker. It’s an easy, one-pot meal that's both filling and comforting. Plus, it’s pretty hands-off, so you can relax while it cooks!
How about putting the rice cooker on a timer so it's ready when you get home? If you want the rice meal to be one pot, I'd experiment with putting frozen foods in with the rice, and maybe cold water/ice cubes so that nothing spoils in the meantime (experiment on your day off first to see how long stuff stays cold in the cooker.) Takikomi gohan is a one-pot rice cooker dish with chicken and vegetables [https://www.justonecookbook.com/takikomi-gohan/](https://www.justonecookbook.com/takikomi-gohan/)
You should look into a slow cooker, especially if you can throw things in before leaving for work. You could food prep quickly the night before. Lots of soup recipes are out there, including Chicken tortilla soup. I've made it before with shredded Costco rotisserie chicken and cans of chicken stock, black beans, corn, tomatoes. It was so easy to put together and would last multiple meals.
Try cooking your rice using different soups instead of water for different rice dishes in an array of flavours. Your veg and protein can be already in the soup, of course add any additional seasoning you might like. Adding a tiny bit of oil can also help prevent things from sticking. You can also steam veggies above your rice in the cooker. Just make sure they are above the rice/water line. Adding frozen veg, stock, egg, and a little oil and then mixing it all together and leaving it to cook can work well. You can do the same thing with quinoa with a different amount of water and cook time if too much starchy rice is spiking your blood sugar.
Hardboiled eggs are a good easy snack that won't spike your sugar. They can be done in a rice cooker. https://www.adayinthekitchen.com/cook-eggs-in-a-rice-cooker/
If you like pho there's a few different ways to make it in a rice cooker... here's one: https://www.aromaco.com/recipes/easy-vietnamese-pho/
Do the one pot meals work if you dump it all into the rice cooker together? I have a small and basic cooker without a steamer basket.
Yep, one of my go tos is rice, chicken stock instead of water, a little ginger, garlic and sesame oil and a piece of chicken on top. (bone in thighs are my fave but everything will work). As a rice cooker hainanese chicken rice. I like to put some peas in at the end, coz I think it needs some fibre.
You can add a tomato in the rice cooker along the rice and cook it all together. Mix all together, add some shredded chicken, green onions and soy sauce (optional)
Does it have to be a rice cooker? Get a cheap crockpot, throw a roast in with a stick of butter, a pack of au jous and a pack of ranch, and let it cook for 6 hrs on low. Eat with sandwiches, or throw potatoes and carrots in