I bought what I used to think was a useless appliance.....a rice cooker.

[QMPMom]

OK, I succumbed to Wolfgang Puck's charms on The Shopping Channel and bought one of his Rice Cookers. I am sold. It is fabulous. Absolutely and wonderfully fabulous. I have used it every day - sometimes 2 or three times a day - since I got it 9 days ago and I don't know how I ever did without one!

I have only cooked rice in it once. The other uses are extremely varied and I keep finding new ways to use it.

Our favorite use is for pasta and today at lunch I experimented and made scrambled eggs. They were the fluffiest, most light scrambled eggs I have ever had. I made up the recipe as I went along and my husband raved about them.

Does anyone else use a rice cooker? Any recipes to share?

[spinbaby]

1. How do you make scrambled eggs in a rice cooker?

I must admit I'm mystified.

[QMPMom]

3. They are quite easy:

This is for the family:

8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1. Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer.
2. Lightly grease bottom of rice cooker bowl and about 1 inch up side.
3. Pour egg mixture into bowl.
4. Close lid and switch to cook. Cook until it switches to warm.
5. Open lid and stir. Close and switch to cook again (about 5 mopre minutes). Total cooking time is less than 15 minutes.
6. Open lid and remove to plates. Serve.

You may add any meat, vegetables, etc., that you like. The bowl empties perfectly clean and there is almost no clean up. And no bits of egg stuck to a frying pan.

These puffed up and were delicious.

[spinbaby]

9. I'm going to have to try that

The only thing besides rice I've ever tried in my rice cooker is oatmeal. Oatmeal doesn't work--it boils up and clogs the vent.

[QMPMom]

10. We've made oatmeal every day since the Cooker arrived.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups water

Mix and switch to cook. Takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Open, stir and serve.

If you add dried fruit, add 1/2 cup more water.

[spinbaby]

13. Didn't work for me

Plain steel-cut oats (the only kind we eat) and water bubbled up and clogged the vent. Didn't have it more than half full, either.

:shrug:

[philosophie_en_rose]

2. You make stuff in the rice cooker?

Wow. I only make rice and mochi.

[QMPMom]

6. Yup, I can't wait to try Puck's Macaroni and Cheese

recipe. And there is an Orzo and Sundried Tomato Pesto recipe that is on the list for supper on Friday night.

[Dulcinea]

4. I have a combination rice cooker/steamer.

I LOVE IT!!

I'm not much of a cook & it's the only way I can cook rice & have it come out right. But I use the steamer all the time! My 6-year-old loves her steamed veggies!

[QMPMom]

11. I can't wait to get my hands on some asparagus and steam them! Yum!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. So you are using your rice cooker the way college students forty years ago

used popcorn poppers. :-)

Seriously, though, no modern Japanese kitchen would be without a rice cooker. They actually use it to make...rice!

[QMPMom]

8. LOL! I suppose so, but I can only dream that I was a student again!

My daughter sits beside the stove waiting for the pasta to be done. She and I developed a pasta dish that even has my husband eating red sauce - okay, so it's mixed with Alfredo Sauce, but still! I've known him 26 years now and red sauce would never cross his lips!

[geardaddy]

7. Rice cookers are awesome.

[QMPMom]

12. Yes they are!