Frosty Festivities: Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker Review & {GIVEAWAY!!}

I am a busy woman, like all of you. I work from home, I have a handful of a son, and I enjoy a clean home and having dinner prepared for my family each night. Just because I can't or don't want to spend my entire night cooking away in the kitchen, doesn't mean my family and I shouldn't have delicious homemade meals!

Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology allows you to make dinner and let it sit while becoming yummy all by itself (with the help of fuzzy logic, of course). Chef Hubert Keller, a top three finalist in Bravo's Top Chef, created a fabulous Brazilian soup recipe using Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker. We tried it, thought it was actually super easy, and unbelievably tasty. It is amazing what this rice cooker and steamer can do. Check out the recipe for yourself. You will definitely want to purchase the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker for your family.

Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup

A medley of aromatic spices, chicken and shrimp gives this hearty, Brazilian-inspired soup a burst of flavor; great as a one-pot meal.

Serves 8

5 chicken thighs, skinned

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small)

1 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped toasted peanuts

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cups coconut milk

8 ounces raw shrimp (medium size), peeled and de-veined

10 ounces frozen peas

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

4 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice for serving

1. Prepare rice using the long-grain directions on the cooking chart for Cuisinart’s Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. Rice can also be prepared the day before.
2. Place the chicken in a medium mixing bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and rub chicken with minced garlic. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. In the cooking pot of the Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker, add the olive oil. Set to Quick Cook and press start. Once the olive oil is hot, after about 3 minutes, add the onions and peppers and sauté for about 4 minutes until soft and fragrant.
4. Stir in the canned tomatoes including juice, peanuts, jalapeno, bay leaves, salt, pepper, broth, and coconut milk. (Note: be sure to stir the coconut milk prior to pouring from can). Add the chicken and marinade and stir until well combined. Turn the unit off. Close the lid and select the Soup function and set the timer for 5 hours.
5. 15 minutes before the timer is done, rinse the shrimp well and pat dry. Place in a mixing bowl with the remaining lime juice and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 5 to 8 minutes; no longer or the acid of the juice will begin to cook the shrimp.
6. Once there are 5 minutes remaining on the timer, open the lid and add the frozen peas and the shrimp, with the juices, and close again to finish cooking.
7. Once the timer tone sounds, open the lid. Discard the bay leaves. Take out the whole chicken pieces and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bone, cut into bite size pieces, and return to the pot. Stir in the cilantro to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
8. To serve, place some warm cooked rice (approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on portion size) in the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and/or chopped peanuts.

With the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology, you are able to easily prepare rice (including white rice, sushi rice, and brown rice), oatmeal, risotto, and soup. The Multi-Cooker also steams, quick cooks (used as a saute function), slow cooks, warms, and reheats. This is the best kitchen appliance I have ever owned, as it is so versatile and useful!! You can purchase your own to make your holiday cooking easy and delicious for $149.00.

Check out some of this Rice Plus Multi-Cooker's awesome features:

• Automatically switches to Keep Warm after cooking is complete, for up to 24 hours
• Programmable Finish Time allows user to set when dish will be ready
• Makes up to 15 cups of cooked rice
• Non-stick aluminum cooking pot
• Easy-to-use/easy-to-read control panel and backlit blue LCD display for easy use
• Removable steam release and inner lid for easy cleaning
• All removable parts are dishwasher safe
• Includes steaming rack, measuring cup, rice paddle and spoon
• Basic to gourmet recipes included
• Limited 3-year warranty

WIN IT!!

Cuisinart has generously offered one of our lucky readers their own Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology.

Mandatory entry:

Visit Cuisinart and then come back here and let us know another item you are dying to own.

You must complete the mandatory entry before doing any extra entries.

Extra Entries (Leave a comment for each entry):

1 Entry: Follow our blog publicly (found on right sidebar).

1 Entry: Subscribe to our blog via reader.

1 Entry: Become our friend on Facebook AND update your status with link to this giveaway.

3 Entries: Post about this contest with a link back to our blog AND a link to Cuisinart (Leave a link back to your post in your comment).

1 Entry: Follow us on twitter and tweet this contest. You may do this once daily (always leave the link in your comment).

2 Entries: Add our button to your blog.

5 Entries: If you added our 'Frosty Festivities' button early.

Good luck! Contest ends on December 20th at midnight. Winner will be announced December 21st.

Winner will be chosen through random.org.

Please be sure to include your e-mail or have it in your profile so I can contact you if you win. Thanks!

Open to U.S. only.