rice

Cooking rice can be a harrowing endeavor. But it shouldn't be.

We’ve definitely all been there. You plan to make a really delicious hearty beef stew or whip up a quick stir-fry chicken dinner, only to realize it’s missing something. No, you don’t think it needs an extra pinch of salt or drizzle of sriracha.

So, Pokémon still seems to be taking over the world. You can't look at social media, the news, or out your own window without seeing someone scurrying around face down to their phone playing Pokémon Go. So why not embrace the insanity nostalgia and pack yourself (or, ya know, your child) a Pokémon bento?

Boil-in-bag rice is a wonderful weeknight option because you don't have to measure anything, and it cooks twice as fast as regular long-grain rice. One (3 1/2 ounce) bag of rice will yield 2 cups of cooked rice, which equals 4 (1/2-cup) servings.

Try this Kitchen Shortcut with Cajun Shrimp and Rice.

Instant rice, also called pre-cooked rice, is rice that has been partially or completely cooked and dried; it takes only a few minutes to prepare. For instant rice, the ratio of rice to liquid is 1 to 1. One cup instant rice plus 1 cup liquid yields 2 cups cooked rice. For regular rice, 1 cup uncooked rice will yield about 3 cups cooked rice. As a general rule of thumb when cooking regular rice, use 2 cups of water per 1 cup of uncooked rice.