Rice Cooker not just for rice

I use my little rice cooker alot for veggies and have also steamed salmon in it, but I've always arranged the food in the basket that fits in the upper portion and then put the prescribed amout of water in the cooker itself. Is this the type of rice cooker that you used, Alaina, and, if so, did you just eliminate the basket entirely? I adore brussel sprouts and would like to cook them this way, but I didn't know you could put the food directly into the cooker itself, without the basket..?

There is not a day that goes by that I don't use my rice cooker but since mine have always been covered in teflon
I hesitate to be quasi frying anything in there.

I use it for bulgur, kamut, quinoa, and all types of rice
and I will steam vegetables on top. If I'm adding anything
that has to be sauteed. I do that in a pan first and then add it when the grain and water are cooking or at the end.

Mind you I got rid of all my Teflon. I just couldn't bear
to part with my rice cooker.
------------
Susie

Well Dupont has voluntarily promised the EPA that they would phaseout the PFOA in teflon by 2015 as did 7 other companys
Here is a little info
I tried to just link to it but my computer would not let me copy link to the PDF properly

© 2006 Breast cancer Network (NZ) Inc 1
Insidious
Oestrogens
By Sue Claridge
Oestrogen. None of us would exist without it.
Probably more than anything else, this hormone
defines us as women. It is the primary female sex
hormone and is responsible for the normal,
healthy growth of the female reproductive organs
and for normal, healthy menstruation. Without it
there would be no conception and there would be
no pregnancy.
However, oestrogen has a dark side. Too much of
it can lead to health problems. Some of these
health problems are subtle or annoying rather than
life threatening – weight gain, fatigue, fluid
retention, loss of libido, headaches. But there is
nothing subtle about breast cancer!
It is now widely accepted that life-time exposure
to oestrogen influences the risk of breast cancer.
Some treatments for breast cancer – Letrozole and
Arimidex – specifically target and reduce postmenopausal
oestrogen production.
According to State of the Evidence "the [US]
National Toxicology Program now lists steroidal
oestrogens (the natural chemical form of
oestrogen) as known human carcinogens" and
"The International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) has listed both steroidal and nonsteroidal
oestrogens as known human carcinogens
since 1987."
Unfortunately, not all oestrogen comes from
within. In today's environment much of the
oestrogen that girls and women are exposed to
comes from everyday modern life.
There are a plethora of compounds and chemicals
that can either mimic or block the action of
oestrogen. We don't ingest them deliberately or
with the intention of altering our internal
chemistry, but these xenoestrogens are having an
important and dangerous effect on our health.
They are insidious, entering our bodies without
our knowledge; they are all around us, in our
food, our personal products and cosmetics, in the
plastics that wrap our food, the bottles we drink
from. And they contribute to or cause infertility
and other reproductive problems, thyroid
dysfunction, weight gain, breast and prostate
cancer and a host of other symptoms and illnesses.
Dr Theo Colburn, from the Endocrine Disruptor
Exchange in the US, says that "because total
oestrogen exposure is the single most important
risk factor for breast cancer, oestrogenic
chemicals, which would add to lifelong exposure,
are an obvious suspect when searching for the
cause of rising rates (of breast cancer) over the
past half century."
The literature and research to date indicates that
this issue is as big, if not bigger than, active
smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco
smoke. What are these xenoestrogens, where are
they found, and how can you avoid them in your
daily life?
Xenoestrogens –all around us
The table below lists some of the common
xenoestrogens and the products in which they may
be found.
Three of the most ubiquitous oestrogenic
chemicals are bisphenol A, phthalates and
parabens. We are exposed to these chemicals
everyday, particularly through food packaging and
storage, and cosmetics.
Stop Cancer Where It Starts Insidious Oestrogens
© 2006 Breast cancer Network (NZ) Inc 2
Xenoestrogen Where it is found
bisphenol-A plastic, food (as a preservative)
parabens cosmetics and personal products
phthalates vinyl flooring, detergents, automotive plastics, soap,
shampoo, deodorants, fragrances, hair spray, nail polish,
plastic bags, food packaging, garden hoses, inflatable toys,
blood-storage bags, and intravenous medical tubing.
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
(e.g. Teflon, goretex)
grease and water resistent coatings, e.g. non-stick
cookware
dieldrin, endosulfan and DDT insecticides
methoxychlor pesticide
Polychlorinated biphenyls lubricants, adhesives, paints
atrazine weedkiller
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Bisphenol A forms the polycarbonate plastic used
in a wide variety of everyday items including
baby bottles and sippy cups, food can linings,
dental sealants and sports water bottles as well as
many food containers and clear polycarbonate
"glasses". Recent studies show that bisphenol A
leaches from intact polycarbonate products as well
as from worn or damaged plastic.
The impact starts as early as in the womb: the
authors of research published in the journal
Endocrinology (2005) wrote that their studies
"suggest that perinatal exposure to BPA in
particular, and to oestrogens in general, may
increase susceptibility to breast cancer."
Phthalates
Phthalates are used as plasticizers to make rigid
plastics pliable, as solvents and in adhesives,
waxes, inks, cosmetics, insecticides and drugs.
They are found in vinyl flooring, detergents,
automotive plastics, soap, shampoo, deodorants,
fragrances, hair spray, nail polish, plastic bags,
food packaging, garden hoses, inflatable toys,
blood-storage bags, and intravenous medical
tubing. Phthalates are even used to coat pills to
make them easier to swallow or to control how
they dissolve.
Parabens
Parabens are widely used as preservatives in food
and pharmaceutical preparations and in an
estimated 13,200 cosmetic formulations. Dr
Philippa Darbre has conducted a considerable
amount of research into the effects of parabens
and has shown that they are absorbed through the
skin (see BC or BO? The latest big stink in
Upfront 53, pg 4). Dr Darbre has found parabens
in breast tumour tissue, and in 2003 Dr Kris
McGrath found a link between the use of
deodorants and antiperspirants and the incidence
of breast cancer.
Sunscreens
Sunscreen also presents a significant peril. A team
of Swiss researchers from the Institute of
Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University
of Zurich, led by Dr Margret Schlumpf, found that
five out of six commonly used UVB and UVA
radiation screens showed oestrogenic activity (see
table on next page). These are found in
concentrations of up to 10% in sunscreen products
and are also added to other cosmetics for product
stability and durability.
Our bodies have an inherent ability to break down
and excrete excess oestrogen that we manufacture
in our bodies. However, as Dr Colburn points out
"many of the man-made compounds resist normal
breakdown and accumulate in the body, exposing
humans and animals to low-level but long-term
exposure. This pattern of chronic hormone
exposure is unprecedented in our evolutionary
experience."
Stop Cancer Where It Starts Insidious Oestrogens
© 2006 Breast cancer Network (NZ) Inc 3
Chemical sunscreen Other names
Bp-3 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone; oxybenzone, Eusolex 4360
homosalate HMS; 2-hydroxybenzoic acid-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl ester;
Eusolex HMS
3-(4-methylbenzylidene) camphor 4-MBC; Eusolex 6300
octyl-dimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid OD-PABA; Eusolex 6007
octyl-methoxycinnamate OMC; Octinoxate; Eusolex 2292
Typically, despite the volume of scientific evidence, both the plastics and cosmetics industries deny any
harm from these substances. However, both the European Union and Japan have banned the use of these
substances in certain items, in items like toys and baby bottles.
Reduce Your Risk!
Because oestrogenic chemicals leach out of plastic and into our food, especially when heated, the way in
which we store and cook our food is of particular importance. Cosmetics and personal care products that we
put onto our skin are also another important source of xenoestrogens. Making some simple changes to the
products you use and the way you store your food could make a big difference to the oestrogen load in your
body.
Reduce Your Oestrogen Load By Making Simple Changes
7 Replace plastic food and beverage containers and kitchen utensils with glass, ceramic or metal
where possible.
7 Don't reheat your food in plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap.
7 Use greaseproof or waxed paper instead of plastic wrap to cover and wrap your food, or wrap
with paper before the plastic.
7 Don't buy food in plastic or resin lined tins.
7 Look for phthalate-free plastic toys and containers.
7 Choose natural, chemical-free personal care items.
7 Use glass baby bottles. If this is not possible use bottles and baby cups made from polyethylene
plastic (1, 2 and 4 recycling symbols) or polypropylene (5) (Non-polycarbonate plastic bottles
and cups are usually coloured, not clear.)
7 Don't use non-stick and coated cooking utensils, bakeware and pans. Switch to stainless steel,
glass and ceramic for the stove and oven.
7 If you use polycarbonate plastics for food or drink, don't expose them to heat or harsh
detergents. Don't put them in the microwave or dishwasher.
7 Avoid polystyrene where possible. Its non-inflated form is used in some disposable plastic cups
and bowls and in most opaque plastic cutlery.
7 Buy food fresh and loose (meat, fruit, vegetables) as much as possible and even if it is placed
in plastic for the trip home, transfer it to safe containers as quickly as possible.
7 Buy natural or organic cosmetics and personal care products, including sunscreen. If this is not
affordable or practical, use problem products sparingly, or make your own.
7 Switch to organic and natural deodorants such as rock crystal.

badboob67

The Hitachi ones with the metal rack you can put water on the bottom then the rack on top and they steam that way. I would absolutely never ever use oil in mine. Use it for rice too much and it would definitely burn. I steam everything with one of the collapsable collanders and a dutch oven. You get the same effect.

How do you like to serve quinoa? Do you use herbs, butter, soy sauce, grated cheese? I'm looking for new ideas to serve it since it's so nutritious!

This is the one I've been making over the years and adapting to the rice cooker. I double up on the parsley since I leave out the coriander. I'm allergic to it. And Sometimes I do lemons and sometimes lime. Milliken and Feniger put out a good book decades ago called City Cuisine.

FoodFit Chef's Recipe

Aztecan Quinoa Salad
Recipe by: Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Border Grill, Santa Monica, CA
This recipe serves: 8

Preparation time : 40 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes


Ingredients
12 cups water
1 1/2 cups quinoa,rinsed
5 pickling cucumbers,peeled, ends trimmed and cut into 1/4" cubes
1 small red onion,cut into 1/4" cubes
1 medium tomato,cored, seeded and diced
1 bunch (1/2 cup) Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1 bunch (1/2 cup) cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 romaine lettuce leaves


Cooking Instructions
1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir once, and return to boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve well to remove all moisture.

2. When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss well.

3. Top each romaine leaf with about 3/4 cup of the salad and serve on chilled plates.


Nutrition Facts


Serving Size about 3/4 cup salad

Amount Per Serving


Calories 276

Protein 6 g

Total Carbohydrate 29 g

Dietary Fiber 4 g

Soluble Fiber 0 g

Insoluble Fiber g

Sugar 4 g

Total Fat 15 g

Saturated Fat 2 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0 g