Fish Congee

Cooking congee in the rice cooker frees you up for other chores, making this the perfect breakfast option for those busy mornings. 

Serves 2 to 3
Prep Time 10 minutes,
      plus marinating time
Cooking Time 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

For the marinade  

1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

white pepper, to taste

300 grams white fish fillet, sliced into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup jasmine rice, washed
1/4 cup glutinous rice (malagkit), washed
4 cups water 
      (vegetable or chicken stock can also be used)
1 (1/2-cm) piece ginger, grated
salt, to taste

chopped green onions, fried wanton strips, 

      fried sliced shallots, and ginger strips, for topping

soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1  Make the marinade: mix together all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

2  Add fish and marinate for 10 minutes.

3  Place rice, water or stock, ginger, and salt in the rice cooker. Set to cook. Stir it once or twice.

4  After 10 minutes, add fish fillets. Let it cook until the rice cooker switches to the warm setting.

5  Divide congee among bowls. Sprinkle green onions, fried wonton strips, fried shallots, and ginger strips on top. Adjust seasoning by adding soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Seafood Pizza

For hearty slices, take your favorite seafood and place them right smack on top of the dough.

Ingredients:

100 grams clams, 

      in their shells

100 grams mussels, 

     in their shells

50 grams squid, 

     cut into thin strips

1 1/4 cups water, for cooking

1 pizza dough recipe

3/4 cup whole canned tomatoes,

    crushed by hand and 

    drained thoroughly in a colander

1/2 teaspoon ground chili pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

a handful of chopped fresh flat parsley

50 grams peeled and cooked prawns, 

      preferably with the shell left on the tails 

      if you wish to eat with your hands

6 to 7 pieces unpeeled cooked prawns

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1  Rinse the clams and mussels carefully under running water to remove any sand. Remove any clams or mussels with broken shells and check that they are all closed. Tap gently on the sink any clams or mussels that are not closed—if they close up, they can be used. Scrape the shells of the mussels clean with a small knife and remove any beards.

2  Quickly boil the clams, mussels, and squid in water, with a pinch of salt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Throw away any clams, mussels, and squid that do not open. Drain.

3  Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle or any desired shape. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the dough, leaving the edge (about 3/4-inch) free of toppings. Sprinkle the chili pepper, chopped garlic, and half the parsley over the tomatoes. Then spread the clams, mussels, squid, and both the peeled and unpeeled prawns. Sprinkle over the rest of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

4  Bake in the center of the oven (preheated at 5ooºF for 30 minutes before baking) for 10 to 15 minutes, or just until crispy.

Chicken and Seafood Paella

Cooking paella may seem intimidating, but with our simplified version, it's as easy as turning on your rice cooker!  

Serves 4 

Prep Time 10 minutes 

Cooking Time 25 minutes

Ingredients:

4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 piece Spanish chorizo, sliced

1/2 cup sliced chicken fillets,

      seasoned  with salt and smoked paprika

6 pieces mussels, cleaned and beards  removed

1 1/2 cups water

salt, to season

pinch of saffron

1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika  (pimenton dulce)

2 cups uncooked Japanese rice

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup green peas

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

5 pieces large shrimp, peeled

1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Instructions:

1  Heat oil on a large wok. Stir-fry chorizo until golden brown; set aside.  In the same pan, fry chicken until golden brown; set aside. 

2  In the same wok, add mussels and 1 cups water; cover and simmer. Once mussels open, remove from the cooking liquid and set aside.

3  Pour cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup. Add enough water to reach 3 cups. Season with salt, saffron, and paprika.

4  In the rice cooker, mix together chorizo, chicken, rice, cooking liquid, diced tomatoes, peas and bell peppers. Turn the rice cooker on.

5  After 15 minutes, add shrimp. Once the rice cooker switches to the warm setting, it's done. Top with cooked mussels and serve with lemon wedges.

Thai Seafood Noodles with Basil

The wide, flat rice noodle is the perfect match for chunky shrimp, shellfish, and squid. Flavored with basil and chili, this Thai stir-fry is tasty with just the right amount of kick.

Serves 4  

Prep Time 30 minutes 

Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

250 grams flat rice noodles 

4 tablespoons corn oil, divided

2 pieces Thai or Taiwanese red chili, chopped 

1 tablespoon chopped garlic 

2 tablespoons chopped onions 

12 pieces mussels, 

      blanched and upper 

      shells removed 

8 pieces shrimp, shells left intact 

      with backs sliced open

2 pieces medium squid, 

      sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce 

salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup basil leaves

Instructions:

1  Soak noodles in cold water for 30 minutes then blanch in boiling water. Heat a pan, add 2 tablespoons oil and pan-fry noodles for a few seconds. Transfer to a serving plate.

2  Pound chilies and garlic together; set aside. Heat remaining oil and sauté onions until fragrant. Add garlic and chili. Stir until garlic is golden brown then add seafood. 

3  Season with oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar, then pour in chicken stock. Simmer until seafood is cooked. Add basil leaves and stir. Pour seafood mixture on top of the pan-fried noodles. Serve immediately.

(Click to see How to Stir-fry here) 

Salmon and Tomato Baguette Sandwich

How to prep a fancy, deli-style sandwich in minutes? Easy! (And we promise you'll never have to leave home for it again!) 

Serves 1   

Prep Time 5 to 7 minutes

Ingredients:

2 baguette slices, lightly toasted

melted butter

cream cheese

garlic powder

3 to 5 smoked salmon slices

onion rings

tomato slices

arugula or basil leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1   Lightly brush baguette slices with melted butter; toast lightly.

2  Spread a baguette slice with cream cheese then sprinkle with garlic powder.

3  Top with smoked salmon slices, onion rings, and tomato slices, and fresh arugula or basil leaves, if desired. Top with the other baguette slice. 

Fusilli with Watercress Pesto and Grilled Rosemary Prawns

Inspired by a trip to Baguio last year, this pasta dish is a good example of why Roddy likes experimenting with local ingredients—it always results in a why-didn't-I-think-of-that? recipe.

Serves 6  

Prep Time 20 minutes  

Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the pasta

300 grams fusilli pasta, cooked 

       according to package directions

400 grams watercress leaves, 

       stripped from stems

1 3/4 cups olive oil

2/3 cup macadamia nuts

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

For the grilled prawns

1 kilo prawns, 

      deveined and shelled with tails left on

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper for seasoning

Instructions:

1  Make the pesto: Put watercress leaves in a food processor. Pulse while simultaneously pouring in the olive oil in a thin stream. Open the lid and add macadamia nuts, cheese, and salt and pepper. Pulse again to crush the nuts to tiny, not pasty, bits.

2  Make the grilled rosemary prawns: Toss prawns gently in olive oil and rosemary leaves. Spread out prawns on a tray and season with salt and pepper. Grill each prawn on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, on a stovetop grill or barbecue grill.

3  Toss cooked pasta in pesto. Arrange prawns on top of pasta. Serve.

Shrimp with Asparagus

A homemaker is passionate about all things food. In fact, she even has a food-trip buddy—her four-year-old daughter! Her little girl's absolute faves? Shrimp and asparagus. So the devoted mom created this delicious and healthy dish for her junior foodie.

Serves 3 to 4  

Prep Time 10 minutes  

Cooking Time 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

12 pieces medium to large shrimps

1 bundle fresh asparagus, 

      cut into 2-inch strips 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons less sodium oyster sauce

2 tablespoons cream of asparagus soup mix,

      dissolved in 3/4 cup water

pistachio nuts, shelled

Instructions:

1  Peel shrimps, leaving tail intact, and devein. Set aside. 

2  In a hot pan or work, saute garlic in olive oil and butter.

3  Stir in shrimps. When they turn pink, add the asparagus and oyster sauce. 

4  Pour in the soup mix and water mixture. Mix well.

5  Sprinkle with pistachio nuts before serving. Best served with steamed rice.

Substitution tip:  Can’t find pistachio nuts? Use cashew nuts instead!

Shrimp Roll with Sweet Chili Sauce

This dish is a true crowd pleaser, and you can make it ahead of time and freeze into little bags. Just pop out anytime you want some restaurant-quality but easy-prep appetizers or even main course.

Serves 6  

Prep Time 10 minutes 

Cooking Time 6 minutes

Ingredients:

30 pieces lumpia wrapper,

      cut into five-inch squares

30 cilantro leaves, picked

30 basil leaves, picked

30 pieces prawns,

      peeled and deveined but with tail left on

Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping

Instructions:

1  Place the lumpia squares flat on the counter. Line each one with cilantro leaves, basil leaves, and top with shrimp. Wrap tightly into rolls with the tail of the prawns sticking out.

2  Deep-fry on preheated fryer until crispy and tails have turned pink around 2 minutes. Do not overcook to keep prawns from turning rubbery.

3  Serve with sweet chili sauce.