Before the Microwave: Rice Edition

Awhile back, my Mom and I had a conversation about cooking with leftovers before the microwave came along. Nowadays, we reheat dishes in the microwave pretty easily. Before the microwave, it was a little different. Pretty much everything was reheated in the oven, wrapped in foil. Once in awhile, my Mom would have something that needed to be reheated in the "gentle method" of placing the food on a plate over simmering water. As a kid, my favorite were the things that just didn't take well to being reheated in the oven or over simmering water: pasta, rice, potatoes, sometimes meat. In my Mom's hands, these leftover ingredients got new life as they transformed into dishes that were always better the second time around. With a happy heart, I was reminded of how much fun we used to have creating dishes from leftovers instead of just zapping something in a microwave. So with a blast from the past, I'm featuring recipes Before the Microwave. This is the Rice Edition.

You wander into the kitchen and open up the refrigerator for the tenth time today. For some reason, you are expecting to find something new in there. After all, there's got to be something in there you can eat. Just as you're beginning to think that nothing sounds good, you spot that leftover rice. Hmmmmmm...your mind wanders with possibilities and then you remember your Mom's Rice Cakes, the 1980's version, and you decide to put your own spin on it.

Mom's Rice Cakes
A Stirring the Pot Original
Recipe makes about 4 small rice cakes and can be doubled
3/4 - 1 cup leftover rice (white or brown rice, either is fine)
1 egg, whisked
1 teaspoon butter or oil
*A non-stick skillet helps
Optional: This recipe is wide open to any flavorings or toppings of your choice

Begin with a medium-sized bowl (big enough to hold the egg and the rice together). Whisk one egg. Add in any flavorings. I added salt, pepper, and sriracha.



Add in about 3/4 cup rice and mix together.


In a nonstick skillet, over medium heat, melt one teaspoon of butter or one teaspoon oil. The mixture will be too wet to form cakes. Instead, use a spoon to form a rice cake in the pan. The cakes are ready to flip when they begin to set and turn golden brown on the bottom. NOTE: You don't want the heat to be too high or cook them too fast because the rice is cold and you want it to warm through.


The rice cake is cooked through when it is golden brown on both sides, as shown in picture below.


You can top these rice cakes with anything. I topped my rice cakes with an edamame mix and some more sriracha. The possibilities are endless.

If you ask me, I would rather eat these fabulous rice cakes than plain old reheated rice any day of the week! I love the crispness of the rice cake with the veggies. I was in the mood for a light vegetarian meal and this really delivered! I've never made the rice cakes with sriracha before and I was really impressed with the flavor it added. A fun blast from the past, delicious, quick, easy and pretty healthy too! Next time you have leftover rice, give them a try. I guarantee you'll have fun thinking of ways to spice them up!

This is the third edition in the Before the Microwave Series. Click HERE for the Pasta Edition. Click HERE for the Potato Edition.