Rice Cooker Recipe- Basic Brown Rice Pilaf

I love my rice cooker. It's the appliance I use the most, partly because it's just so handy. When I first got it I was a bit underwhelmed. I mean, it's a machine that makes rice and a few other grains. it's not like it was hard to make those before right? The breakthrough for me was realizing how much easier it could make my life. I could make my grains ahead of time and they would stay warm and ready until dinner. I also learned that you can make more than just plain rice or quinoa. Beans, veggies and spices can all be tossed in with the uncooked rice for the perfect base to a meal.
Rice pilaf is a pretty straightforward dish. It's rice cooked in broth and seasoning, so it has more flavor than if it was cooked in water. With a rice cooker you can simply pour in broth with the uncooked rice and let it soak up all the yummy flavor. Here is one of my favorite versions-

Basic Brown Rice Pilaf-
2 cups uncooked brown rice
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp ground black pepper
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme

Take ingredients and pour into rice cooker, then flip the switch. The trick is two have 2 parts liquid to 1 part uncooked rice. How long this recipe takes to cook will depend on your rice cooker and how much rice you are trying to make.

I served mine with mushrooms and lentils, but this side works with a lot of different dishes.