This is a good recipe to use up those extra vegetables you have in your fridge at the end of a long week. It's super fast and always gives good results. The long way is better (isn't it always?), but this method will work in a pinch. One word of caution: I have tried being super lazy and putting raw veggies in the cooker with the rice initially but the results are pretty mushy. It's definitely worth the extra effort to steam the veggies in the microwave or steamer and add them when the rice is done.