Rice Cooker Risotto for dinner today

For those that follow my blog, you know I am madly in love with my rice cookers.  Today, I invented a new recipe and it is so good that I want to eat it every day!

Bacon and Marscapone Risotto

1/2 pound bacon, diced  (Pancetta would work, but I had regular breakfast bacon today.)
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups arborio rice
5 cups chicken broth

1 container (8 ounce)  of marscarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas
1 full teaspoon freshly ground pepper (more or less to taste)

Turn rice cooker on.  (If you have a browning feature, use it.  If you have a steam feature, use it.)
Put diced bacon into cooker.  Stir it around as it browns and cooks.  Once it is browned, but not crispy, turn rice cooker to white rice or porridge setting.  Add shallots and garlic.  Stir around and when softened, add 1/2 cup of dry white wine.  Stir around until the wine is nearly all evaporated.  Add the rice and stir to coat with what is left of the bacon fat.  When the rice is translucent, add broth.  Close rice cooker.  When cooker stops, add the cheese and peas.  Stir around and close again,.  Wait 5 minutes and the cheese and peas will be hot and ready to eat.  YUMMY!!!

Corn on the Cob in a rice cooker?

Yes you can!

Husk corn and place in rice cooker.  The ears might have to be broken in half to fit.

Put one cup of water in the rice cooker.  If you have a steam function, turn it to 10 minutes.  If it's just an on/off rice cooker, choose white rice and set your own timer for 12 minutes.

Perfect corn every time!!

REALLY FAST PASTA SALAD!

I love a good pasta salad.  I love when the pasta salad is a meal in itself.  Here is one that I love to make all the time and it is so easy and healthy too.

Ingredients:

1 pound whole grain macaroni or rotelli pasta, cooked to al dente and tossed in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Mix with the following:

1/2 cup each chopped celery, red and green sweet peppers.
1 jalapeno diced
1 pint cherry/grape tomatoes sliced in half
1 red onion, diced
1 cup corn kernels, fresh from the cob or canned is fine
1 13 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed so the black doesn't discolor the salad
1 1/2  cups frozen small peas
2 cups plain yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar or splenda
1/2 cup white wine vinegar

Easy and Exotic Breakfast

I sliced up two fresh figs and tossed them with a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.  They I roasted them in a toaster oven set at 300F   When the figs were hot all the way through and the sauce was bubbling, I took it out of the toaster oven. (About 10 minutes)  I put a cup of ricotta cheese in a bowl and poured the fig mixture over it.  YUM!!  So exotic and so tasty.