Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker Recipes

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 1/2 package frozen Italian meatballs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 8 0z cans tomato sauce
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 large sweet onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1. Pour olive oil into pressure cooker, and bring to medium heat
2. Sauté diced onions until they soften and start to become translucent
3. Then add garlic and continue to sauté for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Add the Tomatoes, paste, sauces, wine, spices, and brown sugar to the cooker.
5. Pour the meatballs right in the pressure cooker.
6. Turn the heat up, uncovered, and stir until the sauce begins to bubble vigorously
7. Place the top on the pressure cooker and seal, still on high heat.
8. Leave on high until it begins to steam continuously, then immediately turn to medium low, just enough to have a constant gentle flow of steam escaping for the cooker.
9. Begin timing for 10 minutes once you turn the heat down as explained above. When the time has elapsed, quick cool the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
10. Uncover and turn down to a gentle low heat, and let the sauce bubble gently.
11. While the sauce is bubbling prepare the pasta and whatever accompaniments you having with the spaghetti and meatballs.
12. When you are ready to serve ladle spaghetti sauce and meatballs over freshly cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Beef Chili

Serves: 8 – 10
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 5 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 3 lb. beef chuck, ground for chili
• 3 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 2 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 Tbs. ground oregano
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 cup lager-style beer
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 Tbs. masa harina
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Set an electric pressure cooker to “brown” according to the manufacturer’s instructions and warm 1 Tbs. of the oil until nearly smoking.
2. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes
3. Transfer to a colander placed over a bowl to drain off the fat
4. Repeat with 1 Tbs. of the oil and the remaining beef then also drain and set this aside.
5. Warm the remaining 3 Tbs. oil in the pressure cooker and add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute then add the jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, oregano and coriander, stir until well combined and cook for 1 minute more
7. Add the reserved beef, the beer, stock and tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer.
8. Cover, set the pressure cooker to “high” and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions
9. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
10. Add the kidney and pinto beans and the masa harina
11. Simmer until the chili is slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes
12. Season with salt and pepper and serve in large bowls.

Safety First with Pressure Cookers

IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDERS

The modern day pressure cooker has a lot of safety features than in the past history of pressure cookers. It was usually inexperienced owners overfilling or adding too much water then creating an internal pressure that was beyond the capacity of the cooker to contain. While you may have heard horror stories of pressure cookers exploding, multiple safety features have made this a thing of the past.

Some important safety tips:

• A simple one but one that is usually neglected. READ YOUR INSTRUCTION MANUAL FROM COVER TO COVER and understand how to use your pressure cooker.

• Remember NEVER open the pressure cooker while it is still under pressure.

• Never leave your pressure cooker unattended

• Never fill your pressure cooker over 2/3rds full – it can clog the steam vent.

• Make sure you have enough water to start.

• I always find this one amazing but people do try and do it – Do not use your pressure cooker as a deep fryer (i.e. fill it full of cooking oil) unless it is specifically marketed as a fryer!!

You should make sure you have the following inbuilt safety features in your pressure cooker –
• Pressure indicators.
• Double-locking lids.
• Pressure valves.
• Over-pressure safety systems.
• Steam release valves.

How does a Pressure Cooker work?

Pressure-cooking is a cooking method that uses steam sealed in a pressure cooker, which is a special airtight cooking pot. When water (or any liquid) boils, it produces steam. A tightly-sealed pressure cooker traps the vapour that rises from the liquid. This in turn raises the pressure inside the pressure cooker, which then builds pressure inside the cooker. Under pressure, cooking temperatures can be raised significantly higher than possible under normal conditions. The super-heated steam created by these higher temperatures cooks foods quickly, evenly, deliciously. It’s that simple!
Did you know that pressure-cooking can cook foods in 1/3 the ordinary time on average and often over 10 times faster. Compared to a microwave, the food tastes considerably better and compared to slow cooker, only takes a fraction of the time.

Here are some examples of approximate cooking times using a pressure cooker (calculated on using 15psi)

*Asparagus – 1 to 2 minutes
* Green or Yellow Beans – 2 to 3 minutes
* Broccoli Flowerets – 1 minute
* Broccoli Stalks, small – 3 to 4 minutes
* Cabbage – 3 to 4 minutes
* Carrots, small – 1 minute
* Carrots, large – 4 minutes
* Corn- 1 minute
* Corn on the cob – 3 minutes
* Potatoes, whole, large – 5 to 7 minutes (WOW! Think of the time it takes to bake or even boil a potato.)
* Zucchini – 2 minutes
* Pinto Beans, soaked, using natural release-1 to 3 minutes
* Beef pot roast, 1-1/2 lb to 2 lbs. – 35 to 40 minutes
* Chicken breast, frozen, boneless, skinless – 7 to 10 minutes
* Chicken, whole 3 to 4 lb. – 18 to 25 minutes

So you can see that pressure cookers not only save you time, money and nutrients but they are also energy efficient.

Advantages of a Pressure Cooker

* Pressure cookers are environmentally friendly as most foods cook 70% faster with 50% less fuel.
* You can use the pressure cooker as an all purpose cooking pot if you leave the valve open.
* You keep your kitchen cool by not generating heat while you are cooking your meal.
* Cook fast, easy, delicious and healthy meals in one-third the ordinary time (can be shorter than one-tenth the time depending on the food type.
* Many pressure cookers are stainless steel rather than the old fashioned aluminium.
* If you are still worried about explosions and other accidents in the kitchen with a pressure cooker ~ read on. You will be pleased to know that all high-quality models have multiple safety systems, including at least two pressure-release devices to guard against explosion and a safety lock in the lid that makes it impossible to open the pot while pressure exists inside.
* Meals cooked in a pressure cooker retain most of its nutrients hardly any escaping as steam. The nutrients are not boiled out of the food as in steaming or boiling and you do not need expensive cuts of meat.
* Approximately you need one quart per person is the average serving size so a 4 quart pressure cooker would ideally cook meals for 4 people.

Discover the many benefits of owning and cooking with a pressure cooker.

Learn how the Modern day pressure cookers reduce cooking time for beans, grains, vegetables, soup, stews, and it turns dishes that once called for advance planning and long simmering into spur-of-the-moment meals. During your busy day, gives you the time to prepare nutritious homemade meals fast and is perfect for the busy household, larger family groups, couples and the single person.
You can make ultra tender roasts, mouth watering corned beef, pinto beans, basically anything that you would normally cook in a few hours, you can make in less than an hour. Cooking times are reduced by nearly 70%, so you can spend more time with your family. Pressure cooking retains important water-soluble vitamins and minerals while cooking so meals are healthy and delicious. All you need to do is place ingredients inside, lock the lid in place, select the pressure and start cooking.

The modern pressure cooker has many new features that were not available on the older models, and now there are some pressure Cookers available where the cooking cycle can be safely interrupted to add additional ingredients, or stopped at anytime. Depending on usage and care, the gasket will need replacing every now and then, and occasionally some new manufacturers will come and go, leaving the consumer with no options. The old style hissing models of the past are gone and today’s new, modern pressure cookers are very quiet.

Yes it is great for people who don’t have lots of time for fussing around cooking.

Modern day pressure cookers reduce cooking time for beans, grains, vegetables, soup, stews, and it turns dishes that once called for advance planning and long simmering into spur-of-the-moment meals. During your busy day, gives you the time to prepare nutritious homemade meals fast and is perfect for the busy household, larger family groups, couples and the single person.

Pressure Cooker Recipes

Safety First with Pressure Cookers

How does a Pressure Cooker work?

Advantages of a Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker

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