Category Archives: cooking

November 11, 2016 · 2:39 pm

Green Beans and Mushrooms

For a quick side dish, snap and string green beans while the water heats in your pressure cooker. Better yet, buy a package of ready-to-cook green beans. Toss them in with a package of cleaned, sliced mushrooms, and you’re minutes away from a delicious vegetable dish.

RECIPE

Green beans and mushrooms under pressure

Serves 4 — 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed. 
  • 1 pound fresh sliced and cleaned white mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
  • ½ tsp. Kosher salt or pink Himalayan salt
  • ¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup water
  • (optional: ¼ cup chopped onion and ¼ cup chopped sweet pepper)

Directions:

  1. Add water to the pressure cooker and preheat.
  2. Add beans and mushrooms to the pot.
  3. Cover the beans and mushrooms with the garlic, salt, and pepper. (Add chopped onion and pepper if desired)
  4. Secure lid to pressure cooker. Bring to pressure.
  5. Cook two minutes, remove from heat, and immediately quick-release pressure (Be careful! The steam can burn).
  6. Using a slotted spoon, move the beans and mushrooms dish to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

For more tender beans, allow the pressure to drop on its own five minutes before releasing.

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October 3, 2016 · 3:54 pm

Weeknight Roast Chicken

I previously posted an oven chicken recipe to make your own rotisserie chicken without a rotisserie. I’ll show you an alternative to that recipe using the pressure cooker.

Note: If you eat the skin of a chicken, you’ll want to brown it first using either the broiler or a large skillet. I skin chicken before eating it because skin is loaded with saturated fat, so browning isn’t an issue for us.

RECIPE

Hasty Tasty Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole fryer, approx. 3 lbs.
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • 3 cups liquid (water, stock, broth)

Directions:

  1. Rub whole chicken with the olive oil.
  2. Combine all spices and rub into the chicken. If possible, loosen the skin and rub the seasonings directly onto the meat.
  3. Add liquid to bottom of a pressure cooker pot. Place a rack in the bottom to prevent the chicken from resting directly on the pot.
  4. Secure lid to pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. If using an electric pressure cooker, select the Poultry setting for 20 minutes. (If chicken is frozen, you’ll need to add 10 minutes)
  5. Remove from heat (or hit “cancel” on the Keep Warm button) and allow pressure to drop on its own (about 10-15 minutes).
  6. Carefully open cooker. Use a meat thermometer inserted at the thigh to check for doneness. The chicken’s internal temperature should be at least 160°F (residual cooking will bring it to about 170°F).
  7. Using tongs or meat forks, move the chicken to a carving platter or large bowl or platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Carve and serve.

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BONUS: Don’t discard the cooking liquid. It’s rich in flavor. Strain and use to make a quick gravy. Save in the refrigerator or freezer for later use. Or strain, return liquid to the pressure cooker, and cook vegetables in it. 

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September 26, 2016 · 3:21 pm

Easy Ratatouille

Ratatouille, or a veggie stew of Provence, is versatile and delicious. Originally French, it gets its flavors from Herbes de Provence, a distinctive blend of dried herbs that typically include savory, lavender, marjoram, fennel or tarragon, oregano, thyme, and rosemary .

I’m still playing around with pressure cooker recipes, and this dish is ideal for HASTY TASTY MEALS UNDER PRESSURE (my work-in-progress). It’s also great for meat-free Mondays (or whatever day you want to go vegetarian). When I make ratatouille early in the week, I divide it into batches for weeknight meals. I add chicken and noodles for a chicken veggie stew, or broth and cannellini beans for a quick pasta fazool. I serve it as a stew over rice or puree it as a sauce and serve over pasta with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese. 100_1418

Note: For my readers who live in higher elevations, keep in mind my elevation here in Florida is about 100 feet. You will need to add cooking time if you live above 2000 feet.

RECIPE

Easy Ratatouille

Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced in ½” pieces
  • 1 cup crimini or white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 28-oz. can tomato puree
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 6-oz can tomato paste 
  • 1 Tbsp. dried Herbes de Provence
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • (optional) fresh basil

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in pressure cooker pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onions, peppers, and celery. Saute 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and Herbes de Provence. Stir until fragrant.
  4. Add eggplant, carrots, and zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add all other ingredients except optional fresh basil. Close cooker lid and bring to pressure.
  6. When pressure is reached, lower heat but maintain pressure. Cook for five minutes (electric models set for eight minutes).
  7. Remove from heat. Allow pressure to drop on its own. (May take up to 25 minutes)
  8. Carefully open cooker and ladle contents over bowls of rice or pasta, if desired. Garnish with a fresh sprig of basil.

Ratatouille stores well up to three days in the refrigerator. It freezes well and keeps for 4-6 months in the freezer. 

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July 10, 2016 · 7:35 am

More on Brussels Sprouts

BS

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Washed & Ready to eat

In my previous post, I sang the praises of shaved Brussels Sprouts. This week I picked up a free recipe card at the grocery store and tried it. It paired Brussels Sprouts with carrots, adding a sweetness to balance the sulfur-like taste of veggies in the cabbage family. Yum! So with apologies to Publix for a couple of modifications, here it is. 

RECIPE

Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 package shaved Brussels sprouts
  • 5 oz. carrots cut into matchsticks
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • ¼ tsp. Kosher or pink Himalayan salt
  • ¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Spray skillet with cooking spray and preheat on medium 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add Brussels sprouts and carrot matchsticks, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes or until sprouts and carrots are tender but not overcooked.
  3. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter, salt, and pepper and toss.
  4. Serve immediately.

Note: This dish also works in the microwave oven. Use a microwave-safe dish, rinse sprouts and carrots, and then cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave on High 2-3 minutes, stir, and add butter. Cover and let stand for five minutes. Season, toss, and serve.

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