Steamers aren't just for rice...

I recently purchased a rice steamer, and I have to admit that while I love what it does for my rice, I absolutely adore what it does for quinoa. I figured out that using the same water to grain proportion for brown rice yields quinoa that is still tasty in left overs. Rice cookers come in multiple brands, sizes and configurations. I purchased a $20 14 cup Aroma rice steamer from Target, and I have been pretty happy with it. It does brown the bottom of whatever you're cooking, though, so you have to keep an eye on it. My friends who own the more expensive and musical Zojirushi promise that is not an issue. Well, I may have to upgrade, but I wanted to see if I was sold on the concept first. I am. :) I really like the steamer basket that sits on top of the steamer, this is great for steaming tough veggies like kale when I don't feel like roasting them with coconut aminos and sesame seeds at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The only complaint I have is that the kale may obstruct the steam and impact the cooking time for the grain beneath, so I typically put the veggies on in the begging of the cooking cycle and take out the basket after about ten minutes so that the rice or quinoa can finish cooking.