If you're looking for a new side dish that is inexpensive and able to use up those canned soup pantry items hanging on your shelf, than give this one a try.  Simple and easy, yet loaded with flavor, your family will love this one.  Plus it allows diversity from that ever nagging need to open up a boxed wheat product to serve during dinner time.

1 medium chopped onion
1 tab. oil
1 tab. curry
1 tab. dried parsy
1 tab. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cans of vegetable soup drained keeping only liquid
2 cups of rice according to manufacturer's rice cup
Water to fill

Add all ingredients to rice cooker except water.  Top with water to the "level 2" water line.  Set it and forget it!  Solids from vegetable soup can be incorporated into your pets dinner!

I have just found the most wonderful, thrifty recipe - that turned out just perfectly with little ingredients.  This one has to be one of the cheapest recipes I've ever entered here and will be completely from your food pantry bag.  The sheer fact that it was delicious amazes me still as I seek to find new recipes through trial and error. 

You just ladle everything into your rice cooker, and in 40 min. you have a delicious side to your dinner meal.  So, if those canned soups are piling up again, give this a try to rid yourself a few.

2 cups premeasured rice (from rice cooker amounts)
3 cans chicken soup (from food pantry)
2 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper

Drain chicken soup.  Set noodles aside, or give to your pets mixed with dry food.  This helps the budget on pet food, too.  Place rice in rice cooker.  Add broth from cans of soup.  Fill the cooker to the two cup line with additional water.  Add parsley and pepper.  Close lid and allow to cook.

You know those dog-days of summer; just wants you out of the kitchen. I'm finding this to be true as I improvise recipes without the stove top. I've dug out and have been using my rice cooker more. It makes perfect rice, a great accompaniment to grilled fare. I've been inundated with soups from the food bank, and trying to find recipes for these varieties has been trying. My kids just don't seem to appreciate those store brand cheap varieties
of soup. I've tried to doctor them up, but they still are void of the essential tastes of my home cooked types.

Here is a recipe I've tried with great results to use up those vegetable beef brands.  It makes a flavorable rice that is delicious with some grilled pork.  You just set that timer and grill those chops, and all will come together when the meat is cooked.

3 cups of rice (using your measuring device from rice cooker)
3 cans of vegetable beef soup drained (beef broth set aside)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
1 tab. oil
water

Add rice to rice cooker.  Take drained soup from cans and add to rice.  Discard soup contents to pets mixed with dry food (got to keep those pets fed too during this recession, too!).  Add the rest of the ingredients and fill with water to the third water line.  Finally, cook according to rice cooker instructions.

Well, the inevitable has happened. My stove is on the fritz, and being unemployed, makes the flexibility of ordering a new one near to impossible at the moment. But, keeping my spirits up, I realized I have several gadgets in
the kitchen that can come to my rescue while I am on pursuit of a used model. 


Needless to say, dinner was actually quite good last night consisting of toaster ready chicken, rice cooker Yellow Rice, and microwave corn. What you can do when you keep optimistic outlook is encouraging! This is one component of my disposition I rely on often these days; I do try to keep on the positive side. I encourage a new adventure, and due to this, you'll be getting more recipes for grilling and other quick sides that will enhance your summer fun.

This turned out quite good, and I am anxious to share it with you.  If you don't have a rice cooker, use a conventional stove top pot.  Both work well for this recipe.

3 cups rice (use measuring cup provided by rice cooker if you're using one)
3 cans of chicken soup (cheap kind provided by food bank)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 small chopped onion
1/2 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. turmeric
water
1 tab. oil

Place rice in rice cooker or stove top pan.  Drain chicken soup and place noodles aside or give them to your beloved pets.  Mixes great with dry food and a little water for an added treat.  Place broth in rice cooker or measuring cup if you are using the stove top.  Add the rest of the indgredients to cooker or pan.  In the rice cooker, fill to the desired 3-cup line after all ingredients are placed.  If using regular pan, fill your measuring cup, that already has broth in it to make three cups.  Cook according to directions from manual if using rice cooker.  If you are cooking on stove top, stir mixutre after adding water/broth and cook on low/medium for 20 minutes with lid.