by Hui Leng Tay
Add salt and pepper, cooked pasta, and broccoli, and mix well. When the gravy gets mostly absorbed into the pasta, dish out and serve immediately. Garnish with sliced red chili.
Cooking Tip
Blanch the broccoli florets by plunging them into boiling water and cooking for 30 seconds or more, until the florets are slightly tender. Then remove the florets immediately and plunge them into an ice water bath (also called “shocking”). The process of shocking stops further cooking in the broccoli and helps to retain a nice green color.
Chicken Macaroni
Macaroni, a type of short, curved, hollow pasta, is also known as elbow pasta. Most commonly used in macaroni and cheese, macaroni is also perfect for soups, salads, and casseroles.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
6 cups water, or enough to immerse the chicken
3 to 4 stalks celery, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ pound chicken (thighs and breasts)
½ pound macaroni, cooked (see Pasta)
1 green onion, finely chopped
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Add the water to the pot, cover, and set to Cook.
When the water boils, lift up the rice cooker lid, add the celery and carrots, and completely immerse the chicken into the pot. Cover the rice cooker and bring the soup to a boil.
When the soup starts boiling, switch the rice cooker to Warm and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chicken cooks through.
Dish out the chicken and thinly shred it. Set aside.
Divide the macaroni among the serving bowls, top with shredded chicken, and ladle soup, celery, and carrots over the macaroni.
Top with green onions, salt, and a dash of white pepper to taste.
Cooking Tip
When not serving this dish immediately, remove the celery and carrots once they are cooked. If they are kept warm in the rice cooker for too long, they will turn limp and become discolored. When ready to serve, spoon the chicken, celery, and carrots on top of the macaroni in the serving bowls, and ladle warm soup over the macaroni.
Tomato and Shrimp Pasta
Serve this pasta on an open omelet. It makes an entirely new presentation.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
12 to 16 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced
1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
¼ teaspoon dried oregano, for garnish
Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry until shallots turn slightly soft.
Add the shrimp and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp cook through (turn pink), covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the tomatoes, mix well, cover the rice cooker, and allow to come to a slight simmer.
Once simmering, lift up the rice cooker lid, add salt and black pepper to taste, and simmer until sauce reduces slightly.
Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Garnish with oregano before serving.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
They are many types of pasta shapes, such as shell, tubular, and strand. Choosing the correct pasta shape for the sauce is important since different pasta shapes carry light or heavy sauces in different ways. The spiral shape of fusilli is perfect for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon butter
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced white or brown mushrooms
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
¼ cup grated Cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Add the oil and butter to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry for about 5 minutes until shallots turn slightly soft.
Add the mushrooms and fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until mushrooms become soft and moist, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
Add the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Slowly stir the milk into the pot, cover the rice cooker, and bring to a slight simmer. When simmering, lift the rice cooker lid and stir the milk sauce constantly for about 5 minutes until it reduces slightly.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until the sauce reduces further.
Top with Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tip
To make a thicker sauce, use 1 cup heavy cream instead of milk, or ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup milk.
Pasta and Leek Stir-Fry
Replace the leeks with thinly sliced onions as a variation.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound leeks, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen corn, or canned corn kernels, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly black pepper, to taste
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the leeks and corn and fry for about 5 minutes or more, until leeks turn slightly soft, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Add the green onions and continue to fry for about 1 minute.
Add the salt and pepper to taste, followed by the cooked pasta, switching to Warm when moisture starts to dry off from the pasta, stirring occasionally in the process of frying, with the rice cooker uncovered.
Stir the mixture well before serving.
Pasta Arrabiata
Arrabiata is traditionally a sauce made from garlic, tomatoes, basil, and red chili cooked in olive oil. The dish is usually served with pasta and chopped fresh parsley.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
1 tablespoon butter
12 shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups Marinara Sauce
4 whole red dried chili peppers
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
½ teaspoon dried oregano, for garnish
Add the butter to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shrimp and fry 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp cook through (turn pink), covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Dish out and set aside.
Stir the marinara sauce into the pot and cover. When the mixture starts to boil, lift up the rice cooker lid, add the red chili, stir well, and allow to simmer until sauce slightly reduces, stirring occasionally.
Switch to Warm, add the cooked pasta, and mix well.
Before serving, dish out the pasta onto serving plates and top it with cooked shrimp. Garnish with oregano.
Easy Shrimp and Celery Pasta Salad
Fresh large tomatoes can be substituted for the cherry tomatoes in this recipe. Slice large tomatoes into smaller wedges so they can be tossed easily in the salad.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
12 to 16 shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons grated ginger
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
1 stalk celery, finely shredded
4 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
½ teaspoon sesame oil Ground black and white pepper, to taste 1 green onion, finely chopped, for garnish
Season the shrimp with ginger and set aside on a plate that will fit into the steamer insert or basket.
Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook.
When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket that holds the plat
e of shrimp into the cooker and steam, with the rice cooker covered, for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and cook through. Remove and set aside.
Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Using the rice cooker pot as the mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, shrimp, celery, tomatoes, sesame oil, and pepper. Mix well. Garnish with green onions before serving.
Lentil Soup with Pasta
If using dried lentils, separately cook the lentils in stock for about 1 hour or more until they become tender. Canned lentils are more convenient when you want to whip up this dish in less than 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
8 cups water, for cooking pasta
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
½ pound pasta, preferably shell or bowtie pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped bacon
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 cup canned lentils, drained
6 cups water or stock
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Add the water to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the water comes to a boil, lift up the rice cooker lid and add the salt and pasta. Stir the pasta gently to prevent it from sticking to the base of the pot. Cover the rice cooker and allow pasta to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes. The pasta should be slightly undercooked. Dish out, drain, and set aside.
Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the bacon, onions, garlic, and celery and fry for about 5 minutes until onions turn soft and bacon begins to brown, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the partially cooked pasta and stir to coat it with the bacon mixture.
Add the lentils and stock and cover the rice cooker. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, switch the rice cooker to Warm and continue to simmer for about 8 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle pasta with soup into serving bowls.
Cooking Tip
When is pasta al dente? The only way to tell if the pasta is correctly cooked to the texture you prefer is to sample it while cooking. Al dente means the pasta is firm, yet tender. For strand-shaped pasta, for example, al dente means a tiny uncooked core in the middle of the strand.
Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
Spicy chorizo sausage also has a lot of flavor. Use that as a variation in this dish.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 spicy Italian sausages, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ (14½-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, with juice
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
3 cups fresh baby spinach
Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the onions and garlic and fry for about 3 minutes or more, until onions turn slightly soft, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
Add sausage and fry for about 3 minutes. Stir and cover the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
Stir in the tomatoes and continue to cook for about 2 minutes, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the cooked pasta and mix well.
Switch rice cooker to Warm and add the spinach. Mix well with pasta and sauce. Serve warm.
Lemon Pasta
This dish can be served warm or cold. It is light and refreshing and makes a wonderful summer dish.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound thin-strand pasta, cooked (see Pasta)
Zest of half a lemon, for garnish
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes and fry about 5 minutes until fragrant, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying. Dish out and set aside in deep mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice and water to the garlic and oil mixture as dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pasta and toss well with the dressing. Garnish with lemon zest and cilantro.
Mushroom Pasta
This dish is full of earthy flavors due to the variety of mushrooms. Choose a Chinese vegetable such as bok choy or choy sum, blanch it, and toss it into the final pasta dish.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
4 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
1 cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup water
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
¼ teaspoon dried oregano, for garnish
Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry until shallots turn slightly soft.
Add the mushrooms, followed by the tomatoes and water. Mix well. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. When the sauce mixture starts to simmer, switch the rice cooker to Warm and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mushrooms become tender.
Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Garnish with oregano before serving.
Macaroni with Chinese Meat Sauce
Due to its shape and size, macaroni can also be a good pasta choice for stir-fries.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
2 tablespoons oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen edamame (green soybeans), thawed
½ pound ground beef
½ teaspoon oyster sauce
1 cup hot water
½ pound macaroni, cooked (see Pasta)
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
1 green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish
Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and beans and fry about 5 minutes until shallots are slightly caramelized.
Add the ground beef (breaking up into smaller bits) and fry briskly for about 8 minutes, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying, until beef cooks through.
Add the oyster sauce and water to the pot, cover the rice cooker, and cook for about 1 minute; then switch to Warm and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the beef completely cooks through.
Add the cooked macaroni and mix well with the beef mixture. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Garnish with green onions before serving.
Benefits of Edamame
Edamame (green soybeans) are high in proteins and vitamins A, B, and C. They are sometimes known as “Protein of the Mountains,” as soybeans offer a complete protein profile containing all essential amino acids.
Spinach and Pine Nut Pasta
As a variation, you can add 1 tablespoon raisins to complement the savory taste of the bacon.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped bacon
3 shallots, finely sliced
6 cups tightly packed fresh baby spinach
½ pound fusilli, cooked (see Pasta)
1 cup pine nuts
Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the bacon and shallots and fry for about 5 minutes until shallots turn soft and bacon begins to brown, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
Add the spinach and fry briskly until spinach just cooks, stirring and covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying. Dish out in a deep mixing bowl and toss with cooked pasta and pine nuts.
Pasta and Tuna Salad
Bowtie or ribbon pasta work well in this pasta salad recipe.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
1 tablespoon finely chopped bacon
1 cup finely diced green beans
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
½ pound bowtie pasta, cooked (see Pasta)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup canned tuna flakes
