White Turkey Chili in Rice Cooker

White Turkey Chili


1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon dried cilantro or 1-2 tablespoons fresh or to taste
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 13 ounce can of rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with chilis)
1 small can of corn or 2 cups frozen
1 cup pearl barley
1 12 ounce box low sodium chicken broth

Heat a skillet to medium high.  Add the canola oil and cumin seeds.  When the seeds start to brown add the turkey.  Using a potato masher, squish up the turkey and brown it in the skillet.  When the pink color has disappeared add the rest of the spices and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into a rice cooker.  Note:  If your rice cooker has a really good browning cycle, this can all be done in the rice cooker.

Add the remainder of the ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Turn rice cooker to the white rice cycle and close it.  It should be done in about 45 minutes. 

Beef and Pasta in Rice Cooker Today

Today in my rice cooker is another invention of mine.  I browned a pound of beef stew meat in bacon fat.  Then I placed the browned meat in the bottom of my rice cooker.  I added 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce, 3 tablespoons of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of hot Hungarian paprika, 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 box of orzo.  It is cooking on the "WHITE RICE" setting of my rice cooker and smells wonderful.  If I didn't have a picky husband I would have also added mushrooms.

Italian Sausage and Barley Stew

I have been trying to eat more whole grains.  So, today in my rice cooker is a new invention of mine.  Here is what I did.


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausage
2 red bell peppers, cut into once inch pieces
1 hot pepper, diced (all I had in the house was a jalapeno, but I think it would be best with a cherry pepper or some other Italian style chili)
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups liquid (I mixed beef broth with water, but all water would do)
1 tablespoon oregano
2 bay leaves
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
(salt to taste)

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the hot sausage.  I removed it from the casing and used a potato masher to separate it apart.  Add the peppers and onion and stir to combine.  When the vegetables are softening and the sausage is browning, add the garlic and stir to combine.  Remove from heat.

Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a rice cooker.  Add the pearl barley.  Stir to coat the barley.  Pour contents of skillet over the barley and stir to combine.  Add liquid, oregano, oregano, bay leaves and tomatoes.  Again stir to combine.

Cook on white rice setting or mixture setting if your rice cooker has one.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.