By: Eva Ford | August 05 2010
Posted in Rogue Valley - Cook It - Rogue Valley

When the thermometer still reads 90 degrees at dinnertime and firing up the stove is unthinkable, plugging in a rice cooker can cool down dinner preparations. If rice doesn’t tempt your summer palate, try other dry goods like beans, quinoa, and lentils. Keeping these on hand reduces grocery bills and allows for lots of creativity when combined with vegetables and herbs from the garden. Try out these three rice cooker recipes as a way to spice up your meals without overheating your kitchen!
 
Enjoy and appetizer of herbed hummus while you chop vegetables for the main dish, which features an intriguing blend of grains and legumes. A Middle Eastern-influenced salad rounds out the meal with its refreshing citrus tang.

Photo: Eva Ford

The Appetizer:
Right now, I have a surplus of basil, dill, and volunteer parsley from last year’s garden. Here’s one of my favorite summer treats which I serve with slices of home-grown radishes and my favorite gluten-free crackers. I find hummus a “to taste” food, so I’ve left some measurements as approximations. I tend to go heavy on the dill and basil.

Herbed Hummus
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked garbanzo beans (about 5 cups cooked)
1/3 -2/3 cup olive oil
2-3 large lemons, juiced
1/3 cup tahini
2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
Fresh dill, basil, and parsley (roughly 1 cup whole)
Salt and pepper

Directions
To cook garbanzos: Pre-soak 4-8 hours, drain, rinse, and add 3 cups water to 1 cup beans. Place in rice cooker with a splash of olive oil, cover, turn on. Cook 2 to 3 hours. If your rice cooker has an automatic shut-off, start the process with less water and check periodically to add water and turn the cooker back on. When beans soften (about an hour in), add a sprinkle of sea salt. Beans are done when tender and most of the liquid absorbed.
 
Blend all ingredients together until you achieve the desired creaminess. I like mine a little chunky. Word to the wise: food processor works better for this if you like thicker hummus.  

The Main Dish:
Here’s a fun combination that allows for versatility in seasoning. This is a basic recipe, but adding curry powder, cumin and turmeric lends a spicier note! You can also substitute some light coconut milk for a portion of the water and obtain a creamier base. Be creative! What favorite spices do you feel like adding?

Summer Colors Steamer
1 cup quinoa (white or red)
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
1 yam, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
3 medium yellow squash
1 onion
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
Broccoli and small broccoli leaves (about 1 cup)
Fresh basil (about 1/2 cup, chopped)

Place the seed, bean and grain mixture in your rice cooker, cover with 1 inch of water, a splash of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. This becomes a great “base” to pair with a variety of sauces and toppings.
 
Place yams in the rice cooker’s steamer basket, sprinkle with salt, place the steamer basket above the grain mixture, cover and turn on. While that begins to cook, chop up the squash and onions and mince the garlic, broccoli leaves and herbs.

Once these are chopped, it’s usually time to add the onions, garlic, squash and rosemary to the basket. Do this quickly to prevent loosing steam. Add the broccoli leaves and basil when everything else is just about done. Steam leaves for 2-4 minutes or they loose color and flavor.

Serve the steamed vegetables over the base with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A slice or two of local chevre doesn’t hurt, either.

The Salad and Side Dish:
Tabbouleh (sometimes spelled “tabouli”) comes from the Middle East and is traditionally made with bulgar wheat. Full of herbs, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and lemon juice, it defines the word “refreshing.”

Red Quinoa Tabbouleh with a side of Steamed Squash
2 cups red quinoa
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cups large lemons, juiced
2-4 gloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumbers
Fresh basil and parsley (roughly 2 cups whole)
Salt and pepper
Garden-fresh squash: yellow, patty-pan, or zuccinni, sliced or diced

Put quinoa, water (1 1/2 cups of water per cup of quinoa), a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt into rice cooker. Cover and turn on. Ten minutes later, put squash in the steaming basket, sprinkle with salt and cover.  Check squash periodically for desired tenderness. Quinoa is done when water is absorbed.

Combine minced garlic, lemon juice and remaining olive oil in large bowl. Add chopped herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers. When quinoa has cooled, add it, too. Salt and pepper to taste, chill and enjoy with your steamed squash.

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