I Love My Rice Cooker

Kitchen appliances often clutter the kitchen, and most of them are unnecessary. Do you really need a sandwich press, waffle iron, George Foreman grill, and three types of blenders? I try to keep my kitchen appliances to a minimum ( I don't even own a microwave), but one thing I love is my rice cooker.  I have had this rice cooker for over ten years.  I bought it when I was living in the college dorms at Hunter College, and since then it has moved with me about ten times, across the country twice, through grad school, rested in storage, and is still going strong. One of my favorite things to eat is a big plate of warm white rice, topped with plantains and fresh vegetables. I like to drizzle it all with olive oil and add lemon juice or vinegar.

For this plate I used:
1 1/2 cups of rice
1 tbsp of sofrito, I used Goya
1 chopped serrano chile
1 persian cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 of an orange bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp of spanish green olives
1 egg
4 slices of Tropical Queso de Frier (Frying Cheese)
2 tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
vegetable oil
olive oil
fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

The great part about a rice cooker is that you can do other things, like take a shower or walk the dog, without worrying about ruining your rice.  The rice comes out perfect each time.  Drop the rice in the rice cooker and stir with enough olive oil to coat the rice, then add the sofrito and the serrano and 3 cups of water and stir.  While the rice cooker is doing its magic, chop up your vegetables and fry your plantains in enough vegetable oil to cover one side. 

When the rice is almost done, fry an egg to your liking and then the cheese until is is just brown and soft.  Top the rice with all of the vegetables, egg, cheese, and plantains.  Drizzle wth olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add either lemon juice or red wine vinegar.

This type of dish is so easy and versatile.  Sometimes I add avocado instead of the egg.  You can also add other vegetables or use other types of cheese, such as feta.