Dorm Rat Cooking: More Rice and Veggies

The old induction hot plate died, and while I was really irritated, I cannot say that ultimately, I was totally sorry. I was in a small town with a small-town Target and just had to buy something for cooking. I bought an Oster 12″ Titanium Infused Electric Skillet. I don’t ordinarily recommend products on this blog, but this one has been a good one for the past couple of weeks. It heats evenly, the non-stick coating is the real thing, and doesn’t take up an inordinate amount of space. I would say the one disadvantage is that unlike a burner, you can’t heat water for tea in it, nor would it really be good if you wanted a meal in a pot rather than a pan. I use a kettle to heat water for my pour-overs and for tea, so this isn’t a big deal to me.

That said, it is deep and is large enough to cook ample meals even for people with hearty appetites.

This meal is based more on memories of rice pilaf. Honestly, it was more about trying to use up what was in the fridge than being all special with the cooking. I was using up some small peppers I’d intended as easy veggies for lunches but really needed eating up and weren’t going to withstand being in a bento in a backpack for a morning. It is also a good one if you like rice, but don’t have a separate pot or rice cooker

Sorta Pilaf

  • 1 c. Rice
  • 1 lb chicken, diced
  • ½ c. broccoli crowns
  • 1 c. sliced red peppers (look, I like red pepper and broccoli. It’s a thing. One firmer veggie and another more delicate veggie would work here)
  • ½ c. diced celery
  • ½ c. diced onions
  • 3 T. Olive oil
  • 2 T. Minced Garlic
  • 1 ½ c stock (I used chicken, but anything flavorful should do)
  • 2 t. ground sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté chicken and oil on medium for a few minutes until it starts turning white with a few pink spots still showing (I am sure there is a real culinary term for this. I just don’t know it). Add the onions and celery and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the uncooked rice, sage, and garlic, sautéing until the rice starts to brown a bit. Add chicken stock and cook on low for about ten minutes. Cover and stir occasionally. Add broccoli and cook another five minutes, then add red peppers and cook for another three.

Serve.

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