rice cooker breakfast for one (or, sweet almond rice)

Have I ever complained to you about my incompetence when it comes to making rice? Seriously. I burn it. I turn it into mush. Sometimes crunchy mush - yes, that is possible. If you lined up all the people in the world who suck at making rice, I'd be at the bottom of the pile. The least skilled person in the entire world. When do I receive my medal?

Up until recently, I got Adam to make the rice, unless he wasn't home. He is less incompetent at rice-making than I am, but he's also pretty bad.

But guess what I got for Christmas everybody... a rice cooker!! The kitchen appliance of my dreams! If you think I'm dreaming small, you don't understand how much of our very own brand of horrid rice we eat. We're big rice consumers here. We eat lots of curries and stir-fries. Practice does not make perfect. Lots and lots of crunchy, soupy, mushy, sloppy rice that we attempt to hide with delectable fragrant curries.

I've been using the dickens out of my rice cooker since I got it. I'm so enthralled with my new found "ability" to make rice that about a week ago, I started making breakfast with it. Using a rice cooker for breakfast is sheer genius. You can set it up to cook, go have a shower, and by the time you've blowdried your hair, it's ready. Rice for breakfast is awesome because you can dress it up however you want. You can load it with nuts and honey and cinnamon and raisins and whatever else you want. Using almond milk adds sweetness and flavour to the rice, while also amping up the protein a bit. I also have found that this breakfast keeps me full for a while, which is a big deal. When I was working in an office, I used to overeat at breakfast just to make it to lunchtime without eating my coworkers.

rice cooker breakfast for one (or, sweet almond rice)

Of course, I've already lost the little measuring cup that comes with it, but I measure with a little half-cup ramekin. I fill this ramekin about 2/3 full with jasmine rice and put it in the rice cooker. I add a half cup of almond milk (I use Almond Fresh original) and a small handful of raisins. Then you set it and forget it. When it's done, I sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with honey and scatter some pistachios over the top. I also add another splash of almond milk. So good!

Some other ideas - blueberry cardamom almond, mango and fresh mint (added after cooking of course), plum and walnut with maple syrup - you could really do anything you want!

I always end up with a little bit more than I can eat. It's really easy.