Easy 1-Pot Rice Cooker Meal (Grain Salad)

OK so here's the thing: rice cookers can prepare all kinds of whole grains.  It almost seemed too good to be true, when I first got the impulse to try this.  Just toss a bunch of ingredients, push a button, then it's ready in under an hour?  This is fast food meets slow food, plus if you have even a halfway decent rice cooker, it's impossible to burn!

Serves 2-3
Suggested Ingredients:

• dried grain, 1 cup
• rice
• quinoa
• wheat
• bulgur
• farrow
• etc, mix-and-match
• TVP, 1/2 cup (optional)
• a couple tablespoons of soy sauce, to taste
• water, 2 cups
• 1 additional cup water per 1/2 cup TVP
• can also substitute veggie broth
• frozen veggie mix, 1-2 cups (a typical small bag)
• extra salt, to taste
• seasonings
• entire seasoning packet from meal starter (if any)
• a few teaspoons additional mix-and-match

Note that your typical boxed grain salad or meal starter will include 1 measured cup of dried grains (such as my favorite grain salads from Aldi, shown below), but you should measure your selection, just to be sure.  You're looking for around double the water to dried ingredient ratio, without overwhelming your rice cooker.  (Click here for more info on ratios.)  If you think it's turned out too wet or too dry, jot down a quick note and adjust next time around.

Some poorly-calibrated rice cookers will burn somewhat on the bottom, but most will automatically switch to low heat when they're finished cooking.  (Click here for more info on rice cooker tech.)  Just to be safe, I typically unplug it as soon as it is finished cooking.

After it's done cooking (not before, to avoid a mess), drizzle with oil.

Tofeta, Kale, Quinoa, and Chickpea Casserole

1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 tbsp water
4 tsp yellow miso paste
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Mix everything but the tofu, then mix in the tofu with your hands.  Completely forget to add nutritional yeast.


1 bunch kale
All that tofeta you made above
1 cup quinoa
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 plum tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 450.  Place aluminum foil on baking sheet, spray with oil, tear kale into large pieces on sheet.  Roast 6-8 minutes until slightly crispy. Try not to eat it all before adding it to the casserole dish.  Save foil.

Actually read through rest of directions.  Hollar at how wack they are.

Chop them maters.  Sprinkle that shit on your casserole.  Also sprinkle (drained) chickpeas and (rinsed) quinoa on top.  Stir.  Boil the water with the lemon juice.  Pour over the casserole, then add fetofu mixture.  Stir again if you feel like it, but probably not.

The oven is already at 450º, so I guess it should stay there.  Cover with saved foil and bake 25 minutes.  Realize you forgot to add nutritional yeast.   Rationalize to yourself that you'll just sprinkle it on when serving.

We have 19 minutes.  Let's do this.

Eat.  Realize it's too watery.

Spread it out and bake for 20 minutes more.  It's super effective!

Inspired by Vegan Feta Cheese on the Happy Herbivore and Baked Quinoa with Roasted Kale and Chickpeas on POPSUGAR.