Category Archives: cooking

June 19, 2016 · 8:05 am

Bean Soup under Pressure

Who says you have to presoak beans and then slow cook them half a day to have delicious bean soup? That’s not the hasty tasty meals way. You can have bean soup in about an hour if you use your pressure cooker. Also, if you use a small bean (navy, Anasazi, pink, etc) there’s no need to soak first.

Here’s my recipe, inspired by my friend Beverly Summitt who first introduced me to navy bean soup years ago, for bean soup in a pressure cooker.

RECIPE

100_1376Bean Soup Under Pressure

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound navy beans, rinsed
  • ¼ pound smoked pork or ham
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 carrot, shredded or thinly sliced
  • 1 potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 Tbsp. salt (I use pink Himalayan)
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like a little heat)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Spray bottom of pressure cooker pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over burner set to medium heat.
  2. Saute onions, celery, carrot, and potato.
  3. Stir in garlic and pork.
  4. Add beans, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and water. Close lid.
  5. Bring to pressure. (It takes a while to bring ½ gallon of water to a boil, so be patient)
  6. Once indicator jiggles, time for 40 minutes for a 10 psi cooker or 35 minutes for a 15 psi cooker.*
  7. When time is up, remove pot from the burner and allow the pressure to drop on its own. This can take about 15 minutes.
  8. Carefully open pressure cooker, remove bay leave, and serve. For extra thick soup, blend or mash two cups of the soup mixture and stir it back in.

*Check your manufacturer’s information for pressure rating. Most cookers are 15 psi.

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April 23, 2016 · 8:28 am

Use Your Noodles!

I previously sang the praises of spiral vegetable slicers when I bought my SpiraLife. I upgraded to the fancier model but still love my trusty hand-held.

My latest experiment involves sweet potatoes. I peeled a Beauregard (grown locally) and combined its noodles with one zucchini, also spiral-cut, and steamed over low heat for about ten minutes.


I added salt and pepper, and then tossed the “noodles” with a dressing I made from 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, one clove garlic, and a pinch of Chinese Five Spice seasoning.  I topped it off with chopped fresh cilantro. Delicious!

You can change up your vegetables by mixing up the combinations and/or dressings or sauces. What a fun way to be sure you’re eating your vegetables. Enjoy!

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April 16, 2016 · 10:29 am

BBQ Beef & Beans

Here’s an easy, nutritious way to stretch a buck: BBQ Beef and Beans. I modified the recipe I got from my friend Chef Gary. If you take a little help from the grocery store (canned beans, rinsed and drained, and jarred barbecue sauce of your choice), you need only ten minutes to get this into the slow cooker. This is one of my favorites to take to a potluck dinner.

RECIPE

HASTY TASTY BBQ BEEF AND BEANS

I use the stainless steel Gourmet Slo-cooker by Americraft so everything is done in one pot. If you use a crockery slow cooker, you will need a skillet to brown your meat and onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chuck, cubed
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 4 cans beans (your choice of type. I like variety so I mix 4 kinds of beans)
  • 12 ounces prepared barbecue sauce (avoid varieties containing high fructose corn syrup)
  • nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Spray skillet or pan with nonstick cooking spray. Salt and pepper the cubed chuck, add it to the skillet, cover, and brown over low heat.
  2. Open canned beans and drain, rinsing with cold water. Set aside.
  3. Add chopped onion to the browned chuck. Adjust heat to medium. Do not cover. Cook until all liquid has evaporated (about two minutes).
  4. In slow cooker pan or Crock-pot, add meat and onions. Slowly stir in the rinsed beans.
  5. Add barbecue sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and cook over low heat for at least four hours. Use lowest possible setting because all the food is cooked. Your only concern is infusing flavor.
  6. Serve warm.

Yield: 5 pints

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Enjoy either as a side or main dish. Remember, beans are a great source of fiber and nutrition yet without the saturated fat of meat.

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December 28, 2015 · 8:19 am

Individual Pot Pies

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I look for ways to make my post-holiday dinner life easier, and one of those hasty tasty meals is individual turkey pot pies. These are great make-ahead dishes made easier by using a can of crescent rolls dough. It’s also a great use-up of leftover side dishes. Use whatever vegetables you have. Here is how I made mine:

 

Recipe

Individual Turkey Pot Pies
(makes 4-6, depending on the size of your oven proof dishes. I used Corningware)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups cubed cooked turkey
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup beans
  • 1 cup whole kernel corn
  • 1 cup mushrooms
  • 1 cup green beans
  • 1½ cups leftover gravy (or use cream of chicken soup)
  • 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls or similar prepared dough product
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a large skillet, saute the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for ten minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prep individual baking dishes with cooking spray, and roll out the crescent roll dough. Cut portions of dough to fit the tops of each dish. (Note: Dough shouldn’t completely cover the dish unless you cut several vent holes)
  4. To the skillet, add garlic and stir. Then stir in the turkey and all other vegetables. Cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender but don’t overcook.
  5. Stir the gravy into the skillet mixture. Add water if mixture is too tight or stiff. Cover and remove skillet from heat.
  6. Spoon pie filling in equal portions into each baking dish. Top with the dough. 
  7. Place all baking dishes on a baking sheet and place on the center rack of the oven. Time for 40 minutes.
  8. Check pot pies. If dough is browned, remove the baking sheet carefully from the oven and allow the pot pies to cool for ten minutes.
  9. Serve on a plate to protect your dining table and to allow guests to add sides such as leftover cranberry sauce or dressing. Enjoy!

 

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