Pressure Cooker

[arieltoo]

My DM gave me a pressure cooker for Christmas. This is not something I asked for, so I do not know much about them. What do you use your pressure cooker for? Favorite recipes. Any hints on best use? It is one of the counter top cookers (electric) verses stove top.

Thank you for all the advice.

 

[sdzman]

I dont have exact recipes but you can google:

Boiled Peanuts
Beef Short Ribs w/ root vegetables
Black beans

 

[janey99]

I got one from DH too. I'll use it to can tomatoes and other vegetables after vegetable gardening this summer!

Jane

 

[walkdmc]

Do yourself a favor and purchase Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker cookbook. It's great...by far the best book I've used for my pressure cooker.

 

[swissfamilyrobinson]

I don't have an electric pressure cooker - only a stove top one. That being said, I've had one for years. I grew up using one, and wouldn't want to be without it! I just used it yesterday for my black eyed peas (with Conecuh sausage). And a few days ago, we had big limas in the pressure cooker - both of these were dried beans that I soaked beforehand.

I also use it for beef stew, homemade soup, chicken, roast - all kinds of things. I love it!

 

[faithtrustpixie]

Here's a recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto. It was a big hit on Christmas! This recipe is from The Meal Makeover Moms.

Butternut Squash Risotto
Makes Four 1 cup Servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
2 cups diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice)
2 cups all-natural chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In the pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onions and sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice and stir for two minutes until coated with the oil and slightly toasted. Add the squash and chicken stock and stir well.
Lock the lid in place and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat until you achieve high pressure. Reduce the heat to maintain pressure for 10 minutes.
Release the pressure and open the lid, tilting it away from you. Stir in the cheese and serve.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 340 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated), 500mg sodium, 49g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 10g protein, 140% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, 15% calcium

 

[3boymthr]

I don't make recipes in mine, but do cook all kinds of vegetables. It's a very fast and easy way to cook potatoes, corn on the cob, carrots, squash, etc. I can cook potatoes for soup in a minute once it comes up to pressure.

 

[uromac]

Here's a recipe I got from allrecipes.com for "Perfect Pressure Cooker Pot Roast" that's surprisingly good and easy considering the combo of ingredients!

"Perfect Pressure Cooker Pot Roast"

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast 1 large onion, diced 1 (1 ounce) package dry Italian salad dressing mix 1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix 1 (1.2 ounce) package brown gravy mix 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth - (low sodium is best I found) and I also added some veggies- e.g., carrots, potatoes, celery, mushrooms with the onions - you can add whatever you would like.

Directions
Heat oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat with the lid open. Brown the roast on all sides in the hot oil.
In a small cup or bowl, mix together the Italian salad dressing mix, Ranch dressing mix, and gravy mix. Sprinkle them evenly over the roast. Pour in the beef broth and add the chopped onion. and veggies
Seal and lock pressure cooker, and cook over high heat to build pressure until it is ready. Turn heat down to medium, and cook for 45 minutes - when done and let pressure go down until safe. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes - slice and serve - good over egg noodles too!

Enjoy!! !!

 

[SalandJeff]

Beef stew, pot roast, corned beef, boneless ribs...any meats that normally take a long time to cook, will come out so tender in a fraction of the time. Same with veggies.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

Wow I remember my grandmother using a pressure cooker on the stove. I had no idea that they were still something people used or that there were electric models no less. That is very interesting. Sounds like people like them!

 

[arieltoo]

Thanks! I knew I could count on some great responses. I will look into the cookbook. Glad to hear you can use it for so many things. I did hear you can use it to cook rice too--that will be a definite plus. The risotto recipe looks yummy--thank you for taking the time to post the entire thing.

A question about the roast recipe, do you put the vegetables in the same time as the beef?

Thanks again. Guess I will be cooking quickly for a while, might be a hint that DM was tired of the crockpot--my "go to" for an easy meal.

 

[mikehn]

Im not a big fan of pressure cookers. The pressurized steam that builds up inside the cooker is what allows cooking to take place in a fraction of the time. The down side is, after the cooking is done, that vast amount of steam has to be released. And if it's released inside your home, you might have some unwanted smells for a few days.

 

[smokeyblue]

Here's a recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto. It was a big hit on Christmas! This recipe is from The Meal Makeover Moms.

Butternut Squash Risotto
Makes Four 1 cup Servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
2 cups diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice)
2 cups all-natural chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In the pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onions and sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice and stir for two minutes until coated with the oil and slightly toasted. Add the squash and chicken stock and stir well.
Lock the lid in place and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat until you achieve high pressure. Reduce the heat to maintain pressure for 10 minutes.
Release the pressure and open the lid, tilting it away from you. Stir in the cheese and serve.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 340 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated), 500mg sodium, 49g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 10g protein, 140% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, 15% calcium

This sounds wonderful! I think I might suprise my boyfriend with this one tomorrow.

I bought my boyfriend an electric pressure cooker a few Christmases ago and it works so well. I love that you can brown meat or onions before you cook them. We don't use it all too often, but it is so great for big cuts of meats.

My dad just loves his, he just throws some frozen chicken and whatever happens to be around and makes a meal out of it.