Blueberry Cake

Ingredients:

2 T canola oil
2 eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 C white whole wheat flour
1.5 C blueberries
2/3 C milk
shake of cinnamon

vanilla sugar

Directions:

Mix everything together in the pot, top with vanilla sugar and cook on 'cake' for 45 minutes.

Results:

This cake is moist and tasty. The blueberries are tangy and the cake is just barely sweet though not particularly flavorful. Some more spices or some lemon might brighten it up considerably.

We're in the middle of a heat wave and I have very few ingredients in my house. So, I decided to improvise another risotto-type thing in my rice cooker. Proportions are total guesses.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups chicken stock
Pinch of saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup sake
2 1/4 cups brown rice
4 big mushrooms, diced 
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Heat 1 cup of the stock and crush the saffron into it; let stand 15 minutes.

Set rice cooker for Quick Cook. Place olive oil in the rice cooker pot. Heat for a few minutes and then add onion. Cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sake and cook for 1 minute. Add rice and stir occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the saffron stock, remaining chicken stock, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Close cover and finish cycle.

When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle or the timer sounds, stir the rice. The risotto should be only a bit liquid. If needed, cook for a few minutes longer. Stir in the cheese. Serve immediately.

Results:
 

This was not as nice as the mushroom risotto. The texture from the brown rice was less creamy and the chicken stock that I used was quite salty.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken stock
Pinch of saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup sake
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons jasmine rice
4 big mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Heat 1 cup of the stock and crush the saffron into it; let stand 15 minutes.

Set rice cooker for Quick Cook. Place olive oil in the rice cooker pot. Heat for a few minutes and then add onion. Cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sake and cook for 1 minute. Add rice and stir occasionally until grains are transparent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the saffron stock, remaining 2 cups chicken stock, and mushrooms. Close cover and finish cycle.

When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle or the timer sounds, stir the rice. The risotto should be only a bit liquid. If needed, cook for a few minutes longer. Stir in the cheese. Serve immediately.

Adapted with ingredients that I had on hand from a recipe on foodgal.com

Results:

This recipe combined my favorite things: carbs, cheese, and saffron. The end product was delicious and creamy. Although it was intended to serve 4, my husband and I devoured the entire pot without taking a picture!