Rice Steamed in a Hot Pot

Another successful dormitory work-around!  Rice, steamed in the lowly hot pot.

We usually simmer rice in water, but in Asia, people sometimes soak the rice first, then steam it above boiling water.  It was worth a try!

Soak one and a half cups of medium grain white rice in 2 cups of water for 4 hours or more.  Drain, rinse, and drain again.

Set a steamer basket into the hot pot over a cup of water.  We lined the basket, bottom only, loosely with foil. (I suspect large leaves, such as cabbage leaves, would give better results as the steam could rise through the rice but haven't yet tried it.)

Distribute soaked rice around the steamer basket.

Steam with lid tightly shut until rice has softened - half an hour or more, adding water to the bottom of the pot in trickles as needed.

Hot Pot with fluffed white rice

Unplug the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and close the lid.  Let the rice sit for awhile before serving, to steam and soften some more.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Meatballs with Pasta Cooked in a Hot Pot

That little hot pot, meant for warming up canned soup,  can do so much more with some planning.  Here we've made Italian dinner for two!  Just add salad, some crusty bread with olive oil, two candles and a bottle of wine.

Meatballs and Pasta cooked in a hot pot

In a mixing bowl, mix together by hand:

2/3 pound lean ground beef
1 small can tomato paste
1 egg
[breadcrumbs, optional]
Italian seasoning blend, to taste
1 tsp salt

Other ingredients will be needed:

1 bell pepper
1 small can tomato paste
1//4 lb pasta - spirals, bowties, or similar small shape

Form meat mixture into walnut-size meatballs

Insert a steamer basket into the hot pot, and add about 1 - 1/2 cups water under it.

Cut a bell pepper into 1-inch strips, and line the bottom of the basket with half the strips. Cover the pepper strips with half of the meatballs.  Then another layer of bell pepper and the remainder of the meatballs.

Plug in the hot pot and bring it to a boil.  Because the meatballs are not down in the water but are above it, steaming, they won't cook except when the water is boiling.  Turn the dial down a bit when the water boils, then back up when it stops boiling.  Trickle water down the spout when you can hear it boiling but can't see water in the spout.  You want to keep the water level about the same as it was at the start.

Meatballs on a steamer basket in the hot pot

Half an hour or so later the meatballs will be done.   Gently lift the meatballs out of the pot with tongs. Slice the cooked peppers into small pieces and set them aside for the sauce.

Liquid from under the steamer basket is brothy and flavorful, a good base for the sauce.  Pour it into a small bowl and add to it one can of tomato paste. Salt and season to taste.

Clean the pot and the steamer basket, then fill with water to about 2 inches from the top.  Salt, and bring the water to a boil.  Pour in about 1/4 lb. of pasta.   Leave the lid ajar, or open!  Otherwise it will boil over.  Boil until the pasta is cooked but still firm "al dente", stirring occasionally.  Water must be added as it rapidly boils away!

Unplug the pot, close the lid, and pour out the hot water.  Add an ounce or two of cold water to cool the bottom of the pot and then let it stand for a few minutes to drain.  Pour out the water again and dump the pasta, steamer basket and all,  into a bowl, then lift the basket off of the pasta.

Boiling pasta in a hot pot, with steamer basket

Return sauce with cooked pepper pieces and meatballs to the pot.  Heat gently to a simmer.  Spread the cooked pasta over the meatballs and continue to heat on "low" for a few minutes. Turn off the pot and serve.

Serves two generously.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Gluten-free Penne Boiled in a Hot Pot

Heat 5 cups water to boiling in a hot pot with steamer insert in place. Pour in 2 cups dry penne, stir it around, and leave the cover ajar (not fully open).

Gluten-free Penne boiling in a Hot Pot

With the heat at about 2/3, the boiling comes and goes but the pasta cooks nicely.

Pasta is held off the heating pad by the strainer. There is nothing 
close to as much water as is recommended for cooking pasta; it must be 
gently stirred a few times, and water added as cooking progresses.

When fully cooked, the pasta is tender and very acceptable.

Drain water, add a cup of cold to cool the pot and to stop starch from drying in the bottom, and allow the pasta to drain for a few minutes. Then pour the water out again and invert the contents into a shallow bowl.

Pasta, cooked, is about double the volume of what it was raw.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Boiled Eggs

Eggs in a hot pot

The one thing I know a hot pot can do well: boil eggs.

Put eggs in a single layer in your hot pot.  Cover with water and a little more.  The eggs will float to a standing position, and you can probably fit in another one.  They should be floating loosely.

Heat at maximum until water is boiling, then turn down to medium.  The heat will come and go.  After 8 minutes unplug the pot.

Wait 5 minutes, then pour out the hot water and pour in some cold. Allow it to sit for a bit, cooling, then drain and move the eggs to a dish.

To see a full set of photographs showing boiled eggs, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).