Since I’m an avid pressure cooker user, and often have two cookers going at once, I’m always on the look-out for a good multi-timer.  I just got this dandy 4-way timer and am very happy with it.

I’m never good about reading the small print in instruction manuals, but found this timer very user friendly and easy to set up.  It times up and down, so that if I’m writing a recipe, I can start it counting up and then write into the recipe just how long it takes the onions to become limp.

Once the cooker has reached high pressure, I set it for the number of minutes I want it to cook at high pressure and then it lets me know loud and clear when it’s time to release the pressure.  You get the idea…

You’ll find many comments on and accolades for this timer on Amazon.com.  I can see why people like it–takes the pressure out of cooking under pressure.

The rich and hearty taste of this dish belies the ease of preparation. Part of the secret is enhancing good-quality storebought tomato sauce with fresh green bell pepper and mushrooms. The rest of the secret is hidden under the lid of the pressure cooker.

I often serve the cacciatore with parmesan mashed potatoes, but rice or polenta are also good choices.

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE

8 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE PLUS NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped onions or leeks

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

½ cup red wine

10 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced or quartered

3 pounds bone-in skinned chicken breast halves, thighs, or a combination

2 cups good-quality tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

One can (6 ounces) pitted  black olives, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil, plus more for garnish (optional)

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese, plus more to pass at the table

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a 4-quart or larger cooker. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and boil until about half evaporates. Scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the cooker.

Stir in the mushrooms. Set the chicken on top. Cover the chicken with tomato sauce. Do not stir. Plop the tomato paste on top.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Stir in the olives, parsley, red pepper flakes (if using), cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the cacciatore rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

To serve, lightly dust each portion with cheese and sprinkle with parsley. Pass extra cheese in a bowl.

Variations

Cook-Along Potatoes (6-quart or larger cooker): Arrange 2 to 3 pounds medium potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and quartered, on top of the tomato sauce.

Instead of adding ripe black olives at the end, cook cacciatore with one or more varieties of Mediterranean olive, such as Cerignola, niçoise, or picholines.

Stir in a bunch of chopped arugula along with olives.

Vary flavor by using tomato sauce with sausage or roasted garlic.

Transformations (Follow basic recipe except as noted)

Pasta and Chicken Cacciatore (6-quart or larger cooker): After adding mushrooms, stir in 1½ cups chicken broth and 12 ounces short pasta (preferably a variety with crevices, such as spirals or campanelle) that normally cooks within 9 to 12 minutes. Instead of bone-in chicken, use 2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks. Cook under pressure for 5 minutes, then quick-release. Stir well as you add remaining ingredients. Separate any pasta that is stuck together, and release any that is clinging to bottom of cooker. If pasta is not uniformly cooked, cover and steam in residual heat during resting period.

Turkey Cacciatore: Substitute skinned, boneless turkey thighs, 7 to 10 ounces each. Timing remains the same.

PRESSURE TIPS:

For electric and high-BTU stoves, set a heat diffuser under cooker before bringing up to pressure.

The ½ cup wine, supplemented by ample liquid given off by onions, mushrooms, and chicken, is sufficient to bring up the pressure and create plenty of sauce.

Adapted from PRESSURE PERFECT, copyright Lorna Sass, 2009

After much deliberation among the culinary hierarchy (Mama Ida, my brother in law and me) we decided to prepare duck for the second plate for our New Year’s day lunch.

Nonno was asked to perform the required ritual sacrifice and the freshly plucked duck was delivered to my kitchen on New Year’s morning.  Having a slight hangover resulting from too much raclette and red wine the previous evening I couldn’t look Mr. Duck in the eye until after a pot of coffee.  (A hangover requires a good old cup of joe, American style).

I then prepared the duck as planned and transported it to my brother in law’s house, the venue for our holiday spread.  When it was time to carve the duck…Oh my!  I should have brought along my Miracle Blades.  It was one tough duck.  It seems that not being content with his life as free range poultry, our duck had been doing some pretty serious body building out behind the chicken coop.  Giulio’s carving knife literally bounced off the breast.  What to do?  We already had our appetizers and first plate but the show just couldn’t go on without the second.  Not to be undone by the ghastly circumstances, Giulio whipped out a four pound roast beef that he had prepared just in case the duck wasn’t enough.  Collective sigh of relief.

Fast forward to two days later.  We still have the duck.  I used it to weigh down the duck liver pate that I made.  I used it to prop open the garage door so I could unload the car.  Now it’s time to see if we can rescue it and make it edible.

I chopped it into pieces with my Miracle Blade “Chop and Scoop” and put it in the pressure cooker with a a cup or two of broth.  I told the kids to stay out of the kitchen in case the pot exploded (you never know) and I let that baby cook for one and a half hours. The result?  While not exactly mouth wateringly tender, it was definitely edible.

The duck was saved. My culinary reputation was saved. We can all sleep soundly at night.

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Yeah I’m tough…wanna make something of it?

What did that title say?

I was reading the February/March 2010 issue of Organic Gardening magazine, in the Letters section, and came across a note signed by Betty Gambill of Winston-Salem, North Carolina: (Emphasis and color are mine.)

Is this serious? What? Pressure canning is no longer recommended? That’s the first I have heard of this, whether just in North Carolina, the whole USA or anywhere else.

I am guessing that the magazine’s editors either didn’t do their homework on this letter, or that they edited it for length and left out some crucial wording, possibly about new flat glass stovetops.

What do you think? Have you heard anything about this? Would you stop pressure canning just because someone decided to tell you to stop?

Photo courtesy of Kent Cameron Photography

You’ll have fun telling your guests that this cheesecake was “baked” in a pressure cooker. They probably won’t believe you.

“Wow!” exclaimed one friend who tried the recipe. “Making cheesecake is reason enough to invest in a pressure cooker. You can be sure I’ll never make cheesecake in the oven again.”

“It must be the fastest cheesecake on earth,” said another.

You may enjoy eating the cheesecake warm, when its texture is reminiscent of a souffle. For the traditional dense version,allow an hour to cool to room temperature then at least 4 hours to chill.

Pressure-steam the cheesecake in a 7-inch springform pan. If you can’t find one locally, order it by mail from www.Zabars.com

Serves 6 to 8

15 minutes high pressure plus natural pressure release

Pan spray or butter for preparing a 7-inch springform pan

For the crust

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

For the filling

2 large eggs

16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (Avoid reduced fat products which will prevent the cake from setting properly.)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the optional garnish, choose one

Berries or sliced fresh fruit

Cherry Pie Filling (from a can)

Prepare a foil strip: Cut off a 1 1/2-foot-long piece of standard-width aluminum foil. Double it twice lengthwise to create a long strip. Set aside.

Use butter or pan spray to coat bottom and halfway up the sides of the 7-inch springform pan.

To make the crust, combine the melted butter and cookie crumbs. Press them onto the bottom and a little way up the sides of the springform pan.

Using an electric mixer or a food processor, blend the ingredients for the filling. Do not overwork the batter. Pour mixture into the prepared pan.

Pour 2 cups of water into a 6-quart or larger cooker. Set a trivet or rack in place that will raise the cheesecake above the water. Center the uncovered pan on the foil strip and lower it onto the trivet. Fold down the ends of the strip so that they don’t interfere with closing the cooker.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape. sLet the steam subside before lifting the pan from the cooker with the aid of the foil strip. Set on a rack. If there is a small pool of condensed water in the middle, blot it up with a paper towel.

If not eating warm, cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Before serving, release and remove the rim of the springform pan. Serve from the base of the pan, garnished as desired.

Tip: The cheesecake freezes very well. Defrost it at room temperature or in the microwave.

Many people contact me for advice on buying a new pressure cooker, and it can be a jungle out there with so many models available in price ranges from $39 and up to $180 for a 6-quart cooker.

Here are some important things to look for.  You’ll find more details in the introductions to my four pressure cooker cookbooks.

HEAVY BOTTOM

Opt for an 18/10 stainless steel cooker that has a 3-ply bottom with an aluminum or copper sandwich. A well constructed heavy bottom distributes heat evenly and prevents sticking and scorching during the time when the cooker is set over high heat to bring it up to pressure.

LID AND TYPE OF PRESSURE REGULATOR

Contrary to what they say about books, you should judge a pressure cooker in large part by its cover. The lid reveals how the cooker functions and what safety features are built into the design.

**First make sure that it’s simple to lock the lid into place and remove it after cooking.

**Then determine what kind of pressure regulator the cooker employs and how easy it is to determine when high pressure is reached.

There are three types of pressure regulators (so named because they regulate the amount of pressure in the cooker):

1) the spring-valve

2) the removable jiggle-top

3) the developed weight regulator (a jiggle-top in disguise).

All are safe to use, but with the spring-valve it’s easiest to know for sure when high pressure is reached.

SAFETY BACK-UPS

Make sure the cooker has at least 3 different safety back-up mechanisms for releasing excess pressure.  These will be described in the Owner’s Manual or you can check with the company’s customer care department.

PSI

This refers to the pounds of pressure Per Square Inch. Look for a cooker that operates at 13 to 16 pounds of pressure per square inch at high pressure.  This will get the job done faster than cookers that operate at 9 pounds PSI.

SIZE

Get at least a 6-quart since you can only fill a cooker 2/3-full.  (You need to allow a few inches on top for the steam pressure to gather.)  Get an 8-quart if you’re cooking in large quantity or if storage isn’t an issue; an 8-quart will allow you to do triplex cooking, such as making layers of potatoes, meatloaf, and carrots and cooking them at the same time.

dueling dals---mung dal left, urad dal right

All dalled up and nowhere to go.  Nowhere I need to go right now anyway, and that’s great ’cause it’s cold and wet out and holidays—and rhinovirus round-robin– have done done me in.  Here are two different Indian-style dals to warm your hearth and belly.  The first, a mung dal based creamy chowder chunked with plenty of radishes (softened to mellowness), comes together straightforwardly.  Urad dal provides the base for the second soup, the small skinned and split beans swimming swimmingly with diced kohlrabi, caressed by silky slips of spinach.  Though requiring multiple steps, the assembly is not tricky, and the process yields a flavor and texture quite distinct from the mung dal potage, despite the a similar brassical and leafy constituency.

All that and dal is a cheap source of good nutrition, too.  I usually buy mine at Fiesta because I don’t make it up to MGM as often as I’d like.  The pressure cooker makes quick work of a pot of legumes, but you can simmer these soups the old-fashioned way if you’re not pressure-equipped.  Boil the dals 20 to 30 minutes before adding your vegetables, then continue to simmer until the base is cooked before finishing the recipe.

If you’ve got basmati rice on hand, enjoy it with these dals.  I always have a cooked pot of Texas-grown Lowell Farms organic jasmine rice in the fridge, so that’s my usual dal dais.

mung dal and rice

EASY MUNG DAL WITH RADISHES makes a potful

• ¾ cup mung dal, picked through for pebbles and the like, well-rinsed and drained
• 6 cups water
• 1 to several cloves organic garlic
• 1 bay leaf.  Grow your own if you can.  Bay needs little care.
  
• heaping ½ teaspoon turmeric
  
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt.  I like Real Salt.
• 1 Tablespoon ghee or butter, plus 2 Tablespoons ghee (not butter).  See my simple instructions for making ghee.
  
• 1 or 2 bunches of local radishes, sliced about 1/6 ” thick.  If the greens look sprightly, chop ‘em up, too.
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chile.  Crush it up for some heat or leave it whole to accommodate the kids.
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida powder.    This stinky spice, with its natural antiviral compounds, shows promise as an H1N1 fighter.
  
• ½ to a whole local onion, quartered and slice thin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• chopped fresh local cilantro to taste.  A cool weather treasure around here.
  

Combine the mung dal, water, garlic, bay leaf, turmeric, salt and 1 Tablespoon butter in a 6-quart pressure cooker.  Bring up to high pressure on high heat, lower the heat to maintain the pressure and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the pressure drop for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure with the quick-release mechanism.  Carefully remove the lid (watch out for the steam!), and add the radishes and greens, if using.  Replace the lid and bring to high pressure again over high heat.  Cook at high pressure for another 5 minutes, remove from heat and let the pressure drop for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure and removing the lid—be careful!

While the dal rests, heat the ghee and cumin seeds in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  If your stove top is electric, you can use the same burner to save energy.  Add the chile.  When the cumin smells as toasty as you like, add the asafetida, followed quickly by the onion slices.  Add the salt and stir it all around.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is well-browned.  When fully browned, stir the onion mixture into the dal, put the lid on the pot and let the dal sit for a couple minutes to infuse.

Stir in the cilantro and serve, ladled over rice if you wish, with a squeeze of lemon if desired.

This soup is seasoned with a wet masala .  (Masala means spice mixture.)  The technique is easy and results in a more mellow rendering of the spices’ essence.

URAD DAL WITH KOHLRABI makes a potful

• ¾ cup urad dal, picked through for pebbles and such, well-rinsed and drained
• 6 cups water
• 1 to several cloves organic garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt.  I like Real Salt.
  
• heaping ½ teaspoon turmeric
• dab of ghee or butter, plus 3 or 4 Tablespoons ghee (not butter).  See my simple instructions for making ghee.
• 3 medium-sized local kohlrabi, trimmed and very well peeled, diced
• 1 bag Cora Lamar’s Texas-grown savoy spinach (10 ounces).  Triple washed and ready to cook, you needn’t prep it further.  Available at Central Market, today it’s on sale for $2.50 a bag.
  
• 1 local onion, quartered and sliced thin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 6 black peppercorns
• medium pecan shell-sized lobe of ginger root, minced
  
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida powder
• 1 medium-sized mild whole green chile, if available, halved, seeded and sliced.  You probably won’t be finding any more local peppers at our markets right now.  If you’ve got one leftover, use it.  If not, just leave it out.
  

Combine dal, water, garlic, bay leaf, salt, turmeric and dab of ghee in a 6-quart pressure cooker.  Bring up to high pressure over high heat, lower the heat to maintain the pressure and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the pressure drop for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure with the quick-release mechanism.  Carefully remove the lid (watch out for the steam!), and add the kohlrabi and spinach.  Replace the lid and bring to high pressure again over high heat.  Cook at high pressure for another 5 minutes, remove from the heat and let the pressure drop for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure and removing the lid, carefully!

While the dal is cooking, heat up a couple tablespoons of ghee with the onion slices and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small to medium skillet.  Stir and cook, regulating the heat as necessary to thoroughly brown the onion.  This will take a while, don’t try to rush it.  Meanwhile, grind the whole spices (cumin through peppercorns) in a spice grinder.  Combine with the ginger and a few tablespoons of water.

While the dal pot enjoys its second 10 minute rest, use the hot burner to heat up another couple of tablespoons or so of ghee in a medium skillet (you can use a small one if you’re out of peppers).  When the ghee is hot, dump in the asafetida, followed quickly by the chile slices.  Saute the peppers until they pick up some brown spots, then add the wet ground spice mixture.  Stir and fry until the masala dries but hasn’t scorched.  Stir the spices and onions into the cooked dal and let the soup rest for a couple minutes before correcting the salt, if needed, and serving with rice, if desired.

sak it to me!

About the only food I won’t reuse around here is a dead guppy (What’s up with that, Santa?).  Actually the kindergartner is saving the carcass to take to the Austin Nature and Science Center’s trade counter.  I hope he doesn’t forget, cause I’m not cookin’ it!

Come to think of it, I don’t make a salad out of banana peels either (like they do in Laos).  And I eat far too much citrus to freeze or candy all that zest and peel.  But I will not throwaway greens unless unfortunate circumstances have allowed them to languish beyond flaccidity.  Smoothly combined with the ever-versatile broccoli stems I accumulate, assorted winter vegetable tops yield a nutritious and nummy Indian-spiced puree to stir into rice or scoop at with pappadams, tortilla chips (we love El Milagro unsalted) or crostini.

Get out your 6-quart pressure cooker for this dish.  Pressurized steaming produces a more evenly cooked potful more quickly than conventional steaming.

SAK-LESS NARIYAL SAK

• lots of assorted greens.  My last batch included the tops of kohlrabi, carrots, beets and turnips.  Wash them very well (nobody likes gritty greens) and trim the leaves off the stems.  You need enough to nearly pack up your pressure cooker (with a steamer insert).
• 2 large or 3 or 4 smaller broccoli stems, peeled ruthlessly and diced
• a couple small to medium potatoes, organic and/or local (very hard to find local right now, but you might get lucky), diced.  I don’t peel spuds for this dish (or almost any other).
• a couple of thin slices—”coins” as Barbara Tropp would say—fresh ginger root.  I almost never peel ginger.  You decide.  If you’re out of the fresh stuff (it happens), you can use a ½ teaspoon or so of dried ground ginger.
• a couple cloves of garlic, peeled
  
• heaping ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt.  I like Diamond Crystal.
• 2 or 3 Tablespoons ghee.  See my simple instructions.
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• onion slices from ½ or more of a medium or larger local onion—still available at our farmers markets!
  
• local hot chiles, 1 to 4, to taste, whole or chopped, as desired
  
• 1 teapsoon garam masala.  Click for a recipe.
  
• 3 Tablespoons organic or local (Promised Land) heavy cream.  Organic Valley is great.  Click for a coupon.
  
• lemon wedges—local backyard lemons are readily available at the farmers markets, and maybe even your own neighborhood, right now.
  

Pour about ½ cup water into your cooker and place a steamer basket inside.  Pack in the greens, leaving some room for the broccoli and potato.  On top of that lay your ginger slices and garlic, then sprinkle with the ground spices and salt.  Bring to high pressure over high heat, then lower the heat to just maintain the pressure and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the pressure go down for 10 minutes before releasing the quick-release pressure mechanism before lifting off the lid.  Stand back from the steam!

In 2 batches, puree the greens in a food processor with the cooking water.

Heat up your ghee in a large (12″) skillet and add the cumin seeds.  Toast the cumin to your taste, then toss in the onion slices and whole chiles.  Stir and cook until the onion is well-browned, adding chopped chiles about halfway through, if using, then add the pureed greens.  Stir and cook, scraping the pan frequently, until the puree thickens and dries to the point of pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Stir in the garam masala and cream, correct the salt if necessary, and serve.  Squeeze a little lemon juice over your helping if you wanna.

BONUS:

“SAK-ISH” PANIR

• 6 ounces paneer, cubed.  You can also use extra-firm tofu–not the least bit traditional in India, but increasing in popularity there as elsewhere.

Brown the paneer or tofu cubes on all sides in ghee.  Cook the pureed sak just enough to heat through before blending in the garam masala and cream—you want a little looser texture.  Gently fold your cubes into the Sak and adjust the salt.

Photo copyright Lorna Sass, 2009

I’m often surprised at just how delicious pressure-cooked potatoes are, and they are so flexible in the timing department.

You can throw some potatoes in with a pot roast and cook them for an hour, or steam a few on their own for 10 or 15 minutes.  To keep the potatoes intact, it’s best to cook them whole, leaving their skins on, then peel after cooking, if you wish.  (I usually eat them peel and all.)  It’s also best to use the natural pressure release; quick release is likely to burst them open.

This Sunday we had some nice people over for brunch and served these gorgeous purple-fleshed potatoes in slices alongside eggs scrambled with browned onions and smoked salmon.  The Sweetie found these potatoes in a Korean grocery. According to Elizabeth Schneider’s magnum opus, VEGETABLES FROM AMARANTH TO ZUCCHINI,  this variety is called All-Blue.

They looked gorgeous on the plate and tasted very sweet and good. I believe their creaminess was due to steam-cooking them under pressure, which I did for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 cups of water, then used the natural pressure release.  Hope you get to try them soon.

Originally posted at Well Fed on December 2, 2009.

1682, 12th April: I went this afternoon with several of the Royal Society to a supper which was all dressed, both fish and flesh, in Monsieur Papin’s digesters, by which the hardest bones of beef itself, and mutton, were made as soft as cheese, without water or other liquor, and with less than eight ounces of coals, producing an incredible quantity of gravy; and for close of all, a jelly made of the bones of beef, the best for clearness and good relish, and the most delicious that I had ever seen, or tasted. We eat pike and other fish bones, and all without impediment; but nothing exceeded the pigeons, which tasted just as if bak’d in a pie, all these being stewed in their own juice without any addition of water save what swam about in the Digester. . .

Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn, F.R.S.

The meal to which Evelyn is referring was cooked by Denis Papin.  Papin prepared it for England’s King Charles II and members of the Royal Society, the British national academy of science, to demonstrate his new cooking apparatus the Digester.  And thus began the nefarious history of the Pressure Cooker.

Fast forward two and a half centuries, America has just emerged from the First Great Depression and the Second World War.  It is the era of the working mother which means there is a need for dinner to hit the table faster but the microwave oven is still more than a decade away.  What’s the modern mom to do?  Enter Monsieur Papin’s Pressure Cooker.  The problem is that those early cookers were a bit on the dangerous side.

Today the same cannot be said.  The Pressure Cooker is superior to the microwave oven for speedy cooking because it does not adversely effect the quality of food.  But just how does one use the Digester?  Enter Pamela Rice Hahn.

Hahn, the author of more than 20 books, has just released The Everything Pressure Cookbook (Adams Media) and it is your entrance to the world of pressure cookery.  The author takes you on a quick trip through the history of the device as well as tips and safety measures.  Oh yeah, and 300 recipes for everything from jams and preserves to entrées and even desserts.

So just how fast is pressure cooking?  Remember grandma cooking her pot roast for hours?  Hahn’s takes 45 minutes.  Fall-off-the-bones pork ribs – 55 minutes.  Cheesecake cooks in just eight.  And the quality is just as good if not better than traditional methods.  Professionals have rediscovered this cooking method to handle the extreme time constraints of cooking contests like Iron Chef and Top Chef, too.  If it’s good enough for an Iron Chef then it’s good enough for you.

There is a lively group on Facebook discussing pressure cooking.  I am honored by the name they’ve given it:

Lorna Sass is my Homegirl–Pressure Cooker Users Unite.

Years ago, after I did a “pc” demo in Seattle, a man came up and told me that he’d named his pressure cooker Lorna.  He said that he’d come home at night and say to his partner:  “What’s Lorna going to cook for us tonight?”  I was delighted!

Cumin, cinnamon, and tart-sweet prunes give this exotic stew North African flavor.

Depending upon how much lamb you include, you can make either a lentil stew with lamb or a lamb stew with lentils. The eggplant dissolves into a puree that naps the lentils and thickens the sauce. Serve the stew on its own or accompanied by couscous or rice.

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE

12 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE PLUS NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ cups coarsely chopped onions

1½ teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 cups water

1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

12 pitted prunes

1 to 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks

1½ pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to taste

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

FOR THE MINTED YOGURT

½ cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint (you can empty a teabag.)

Heat the oil in a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker. Add the onions and cumin seeds and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Stir in the water, lentils, prunes, and lamb. Set the eggplant on top. Sprinkle with the salt and cinnamon.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to come down naturally, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Skim off any fat that rises to the top. Stir well to blend in the eggplant. Add more cinnamon and salt, if needed. Stir in the lemon zest and enough of the lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the prunes.

To prepare the Minted Yogurt, stir the yogurt and mint together. Serve each portion of stew with a generous dollop of Minted Yogurt on top.

Variations

Vegetarian Version: Decrease cumin to 1 teaspoon. Increase water to 3 cups and lentils to 1½ cups. Omit lamb. After cooking, stir in 1 teaspoon harissa (Moroccan chile paste) or a generous pinch of cayenne. Use fresh cilantro instead of mint in yogurt topping.

Transformation (Follow basic recipe except as noted)

Moroccan Chicken and Lentil Stew: Instead of lamb, use 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skinned chicken parts. Cook for 8 minutes high pressure plus natural pressure release.

Here is a low-fat, nutrition-packed, hearty chili that’s quick to assemble and a feast for the eyes. Because it uses already cooked beans, it’s ready in a flash, but the addition of beer gives it a deep, long-cooked flavor.

Serve the chili in bowls, over rice or polenta, or offer cornbread on the side.

SERVES 6 AS A MAIN COURSE

4 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

2 to 4 tablespoons chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup beer or water

1 to 1½ pounds turkey sausage (sweet or hot; casings removed)

1 pound boneless turkey thigh or breast, skinned and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 cups pressure-cooked kidney beans or 1 can (15 to 20 ounces), rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups pressure-cooked black beans, or 1 can (15 to 20 ounces), rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups pressure-cooked chickpeas, or 1 can (15 to 20 ounces), rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies (including liquid)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Heat the oil in a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker. Stir in the onions, cumin seeds, 2 tablespoons of the chili powder, and the cinnamon and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Stir in the beer. Taste the mixture, and if the chili flavor is not pronounced, add more chili powder to taste.

Stir in the turkey sausage, turkey, bell pepper, beans, and chickpeas. Break up any large pieces of sausage. Pour the tomatoes and their liquid on top. Do not stir after adding the tomatoes.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Add the cilantro plus salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with a generous sprinkling of the pumpkin seeds and cilantro on top.

Variations

Stir in 1 cup frozen corn after pressure release. Simmer until corn is defrosted, about 1 minute.

After cooking, add 1 large roasted red pepper that’s been seeded and chopped.

Transformations (Follow basic recipe except as noted)

Cajun Three-Bean Turkey Stew: Instead of turkey sausage, use andouille sausage. Instead of chili powder and cinnamon, use 2 tablespoons sweet paprika. After pressure release, stir in 1 teaspoon dried oregano and simmer until you can taste it, about 1 minute. Instead of cilantro, use 3 tablespoons parsley. Omit pumpkin seeds.

Family sagas of split pea soup on the ceiling are just that: stories from the past. The newly designed cookers are 100% safe!

Here’s how the pressure cooker works: The lid of a pressure cooker has a gasket embedded around the inside rim. This gasket (also called sealing ring) creates a tight seal and once the lid is locked in place, a vacuum is created inside the cooker as steam pressure builds.  In the sealed pot, water boils at 242 degrees F instead of the standard 212F.  At this higher-than-normal boiling point, the fibers in food break down in record time, turning inexpensive cuts of meat into meltingly tender forkfuls in a matter of minutes.  The “pc” is also terrific for cooking dried beans (no pre-soaking necessary, whole grains (so good for you), and dense vegetables like potatoes and beets in 1/3 or less the standard cooking time.

Because of the dramatically shortened cooking time, the cooker is energy efficient, leaving a much smaller carbon footprint!

If you forget to turn down the heat once high pressure is reached, numerous back-up mechanisms release excess pressure.  No worries.  Happy cooking!

For a U-Tube video of me explaining the above, see About Lorna Sass on this blog.

My blood and sweat went into these jars. I wonder if that explains the suspicious oil slick on top.

After long and often excruciating weeks at work, I’d usually rather spend my Sundays staring blankly at reality television reruns. Unfortunately, last spring I successfully cajoled my mother to grow a fruit and vegetable garden for me.

I was told that if I let her harvest rot without using it (like I did last year),  she would NOT be growing anything for me ever again. Seeing as I have a pronounced brown thumb and did not want to shell out five dollars per tomato at the organic locavore uptown gourmet ‘food store,’ (where I have already spent the better part of my pay cheque), I chose to use up the produce in any which way I could. This has meant strawberry jam, tomatillo salsa, homemade ketchup, a ridiculous number of casseroles and fresh sauces, and feeding the dog (surprisingly effective). My final project of the year was tomato sauce, which I successfully canned a few weeks ago.

Although, when I say ‘successfully,’ I should probably qualify this. I created tomato sauce. That was pretty easy.  I boiled some jars up. I put the sauce in jars. Some minor burns, but nothing more than usual. I put the jars in the pressure canner. Nothing exploded. I put them in the cupboard. Success?

Yes. ‘Success?’ Not ‘Success.’ Despite the fact that my jars of tomato sauce look similar to the ones from the recipe I used from the Food and Style blog. Reasonably similar. Mine don’t have jolly looking chequered paper caps, and straw ties, and instead have a bit of an oil slick lying on top of the sauce. But it looks and tastes like tomato sauce, and I have words for anyone that disagrees. Particularly my father, who walked in after I had spent the better part of six hours chopping, simmering and bottling, to let me know exactly how much a bottle of Ragu costs at Price Chopper.

‘Success’ will be achieved when I open up that cupboard and consume the sauce. Not right away. But maybe five days later, when I haven’t died of botulism. Then I will say ‘Success.’ Maybe even ‘Success!!!,’ depending on my mood. When my friends to whom I stingily gifted this sauce to (in lieu of a proper hostess gift) throw it on some pasta for dinner and it doesn’t end in a lawsuit: ‘Success.’

I have two reasons for angst. One, I’ve only canned a couple of times. The first time I made jam, it never set. Instead of being a semi-solid jam, I ended up with a sauce that makes a fabulous ice cream topper (says the publicist in me). This was because I didn’t cook it long enough to activate the pectin, which turns it into a gel. Not to worry, I’ve been told by my canning friends of doubtful expertise. The vast quantities of sugar in jam do enough to preserve it. The cooking is secondary. We’ll see if that’s true.  At least if I die, I’ll be filled with jam. If you’ve gotta go, resembling a donut on the way out seems like a reasonable way to do so.

The second reason for my tomato sauce anxiety is that this was my first time pressure canning. In other types of canning, sugars or acids (like lemon juice or vinegar) act as a preservative. With pressure canning, there is nothing between me and botulism than proper pressure canning technique. I think I cooked it  in the pressure cooker long enough. I think the jars were under enough pressure. I think I did everything right. It’s a pretty simple process really.

But then so is driving, and pretty much everyone fucks that up at some point.

Photo courtesy of Recipezar.com

This classic, homey dish is done in a flash in the pressure cooker.

SERVES 6 TO 8 AS A MAIN COURSE

10 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE

3 pounds fresh (refrigerated) sauerkraut

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or more if needed

2 pounds pork shoulder (butt), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound kielbasa

2 cups chicken or beef broth

1 ounce (1 cup loosely packed) dried mushrooms

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks (peeling optional)

1/2 cup sour cream, plus more to pass at the table

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill for garnish

Drain the sauerkraut and reserve the brine. Taste the sauerkraut and if you find it much too strong, rinse it until you like the way it tastes — keeping in mind that the flavor will be diminished when it is cooked with the other ingredients. Drain well and set aside.

Heat the oil the cooker over medium-high heat. Brown the pork and kielbasa in 3 or 4 batches, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more oil if needed. Set aside.

Carefully pour the broth into the cooker (watch for sizzling oil). Set the cooker over medium heat and stir well to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add the dried mushrooms, bay leaves, and half of the sauerkraut. Set the browned pork and kielbasa on top. Cover with the remaining sauerkraut and sprinkle caraway seeds on top. Set the potatoes on the kraut.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape.

Ladle out 1/2 cup of the broth and blend the sour cream into it. Then stir this mixture back into the pot as you stir well to distribute all of the ingredients. If you’d like a stronger sauerkraut flavor, add some or all of the reserved brine. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle each portion lightly with dill. Pass additional sour cream in a bowl at the table.

Yes, you can cook the pasta and sauce together in 5 minutes under high pressure!

This one-pot pasta dish is quick, easy, and very good. It is also satisfying when made with spirals or shells, which catch bits of meat in their crevices.  Be sure to use a cut, shaped pasta; avoid long pasta like spaghetti which tends to clump together.

The pasta that isn’t covered with liquid steams and that which is covered absorbs the sauce’s flavor as it cooks–somewhat like baked ziti.  Very yummy.

NOTE: If cooking on an electric or high-BTU stove, set the cooker on a heat diffuser before bringing up the pressure.

SERVES 3 TO 4 AS A MAIN COURSE

5 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ to 1 pound ground beef, pork, or lamb

1½ cups coarsely chopped onions

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

½ cup dry red wine or dry vermouth

1½ cups water

¾ teaspoon salt

½ to 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

12 ounces penne or other short, cut pasta that normally cooks in 9 to 13 minutes

One can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree OR one can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes (with liquid), plus one can (6 ounces) tomato paste

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese, plus more to pass at the table

¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4-quart or larger cooker. Add the ground meat and brown over high heat, stirring frequently to break up any clumps. Stir in the onions and fennel seeds, and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Stir in the wine, taking care to scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the cooker. Boil over high heat until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the water, salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and pour the tomatoes on top. (If using whole plum tomatoes, crush them in your hand and distribute heaping tablespoonsful of the tomato paste on top.) Do not stir after adding the tomatoes.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold running water. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Stir in the parsley, cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and sugar, if needed, to round out the flavors. Break up any pasta that is stuck together and release any that is clinging to the bottom of the cooker.

Let the dish rest uncovered in the cooker for 3 to 5 minutes. If the pasta is not uniformly tender, replace the lid during this period and set the cooker over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done.

Serve in large shallow bowls. Sprinkle cheese on top of each portion and serve additional cheese in a small bowl.

Variations

Instead of beef, use fresh Italian sausages (sweet or hot; casings removed). After browning, pour off any excess fat before adding onions.

Use meatloaf mix (a prepackaged combination of ground beef, veal, and pork) instead of one type of meat.

Stir in 1 cup ricotta when you add parsley.

Transformations (Follow basic recipe except as noted)

Pasta with Mushroom Sauce (Vegetarian): Omit ground meat. Reduce water to 1¼ cups. Add 8 ounces sliced portobellos or other mushrooms along with pasta.

Pasta with Seafood and Tomato Sauce: Omit ground meat. After adding pasta, add 1 pound medium or large shrimp (peeling optional) or ½ pound shrimp and 1 pound mussels. Parmesan is optional.

North African Lamb with Pasta: Use ground lamb (sometimes sold as lamb patties). After adding tomatoes, sprinkle ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/3 cup raisins on top. After cooking, omit parmesan.  This dish is especially pretty when made with bowtie pasta.

Adapted from PRESSURE PERFECT, copyright Lorna Sass, 2009.

While developing the recipes for PRESSURE PERFECT, I experimented with a technique I came to call Triplex Cooking.  It’s a kind of layered cooking that enables you to make three different foods at once. Take, for example, the recipe for meatloaf with smashed potatoes and carrots below.

Meatloaf in a pressure cooker?  I was as surprised as you probably are, but it turns out to be a quick-and-easy success. “Amazing,” said the meatloaf maven who came to dinner. “It doesn’t look or taste steamed.”

But steamed it is, in the cooker’s vegetable basket–or use a bamboo or standard collapsible steaming basket instead.  Rather than setting the basket on a trivet, balance it on some chunked potatoes.  Then wrap carrots in an aluminum foil packet and set the packet on top of the meatloaf.  The foil packet retards the cooking, and the carrots steam in their own minimal moisture, ending up with intense flavor.

After cooking, remove the foil packet and slice the carrots. Lift out the meatloaf and then tip out some of the liquid and smash the potatoes with some cheese.  The whole meal made in one pot in ten minutes under pressure: It’s as simple as that.

So, maybe you can’t afford a triplex co-op or a three story house, but if you own a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker, you can do try triplex cooing.

Meatloaf with Cheddar Smashed Potatoes

Serves 6

10 minutes high pressure

Cooking spray or oil for preparing steaming basket
2 large eggs
1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mixture or 8 ounces each ground beef, veal, and pork
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking)
1/2 cup catsup or chili sauce plus 1 to 2 tablespoons additional to coat top of meatloaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish

5 large carrots, peeled or scrubbed, and trimmed

For the Cheddar-Smashed Potatoes
3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed or peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups loosely packed (about 4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk, plus more to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Coat the bottom and sides of the steaming basket lightly with  cooking spray or oil.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the ground meat, onions, parsley, oats, catsup, salt, garlic, and pepper. Mix with your
hands until blended. (The mixture may be fairly moist.)

Transfer to the steaming basket and press into a disc of uniform thickness.  (If your steaming basket has a central lifting pole, either  remove it or shape the loaf around it.) Spread a very thin coating of catsup on top.

Pour 2 cups of water into a 6-quart or larger cooker.  Place the potatoes in the water. Set the steaming basket with the meatloaf on top of the potatoes.  Wrap the carrots tightly in foil and set them on top of the meatloaf.

Lock the lid in place.  Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Check the meatloaf for doneness: an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 155 degrees. If the meatloaf requires more cooking, nestle (but do not lock) the lid in place and steam over high heat
for another few minutes.

Use tongs to lift the foil-wrapped carrots.  Lift the meatloaf from the cooker, garnish with parsley, and let rest in the basket for at least 5 minutes before slicing.  Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and return them to the empty cooker.  Set over very low heat. Add the cheese and milk. Use a masher to coarsely smash the potatoes. For a moister mixture, stir in additional milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Unwrap and slice the carrots.

To serve, either unmold the meatloaf or slice it right in the basket. Serve the Cheddar-Smashed Potatoes and carrots alongside.

RECIPE COPYRIGHT LORNA SASS, 2009

CHICKEN AND SPINACH IN CURRIED PASTA SAUCE

This is one of those quick dishes I invented when I really wanted a fast meal based primarily on items I stock in my pantry and freezer.  I suddenly got the idea that curry powder mixed with a good quality storebought tomato sauce would create an intriguing and unusual dish, and I really enjoyed the results.

The tin to the right is Sun Brand’s Madras Curry Power, my favorite all-purpose curry blend.  It is widely available.  Be forewarned:  the mixture contains salt!

Serve the curry over white or brown rice–made in the pressure cooker, of course.

SERVES 5 TO 6 AS A MAIN COURSE

4 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE FOR BONELESS CHICKEN PIECES, 12 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE FOR CHICKEN PARTS

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

3 1/2 pounds chicken parts, preferably thighs, skinned and well trimmed, or 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 10-ounce packages frozen spinach (rinse away any ice crystals)

1 1/2 cups your favorite chunky tomato sauce for pasta

1 tablespoon mild curry powder, or more to taste

Salt to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place the broth and chicken in pressure cooker. Place the frozen blocks of spinach on top. Pour on the sauce and sprinkle on the curry powder. Gently stir the curry powder into the sauce. Do not stir the sauce into the chicken; the goal is to prevent the pasta sauce from seeping to the bottom of the cooker where it might scorch as the cooker is coming up to pressure.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 4 minutes for boneless chicken pieces or 12 minutes for chicken parts. Quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape.

Stir well. Taste the sauce, and add more curry powder and salt, if needed. Garnish portions with chopped cilantro, if you wish.

Other ideas

Stir a little lemon pickle into the stew after cooking.

Stir some mango chutney into yogurt and set a dollop on top of each portion.

Lively color and tangy orange taste give this soup double appeal. You’d never guess that this recipe is virtually fat-free, since the rolled oats provide such a pleasing creaminess and sheen.

Toasted pumpkin seeds make a unusally delightful garnish and offer a nice textural contrast.

SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A MAIN COURSE

5 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, kabocha, or delicata squash, scrubbed, seeded, and cut into 1/2 –inch chunks (peeling not necessary, particularly if organic)

1 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 cups water

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (rolled oats)

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon finely minced or grated orange peel (colored part only, preferably organic)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

Place all ingredients except the maple syrup in the cooker.

Lock the lid into place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain the pressure at high and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce pressure with a quick-release method. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Puree the soup in a blender (for a smoother texture), food mill, or food processor. Add maple syrup to taste.

Return the soup to the pot and rewarm. Thin slightly with water or orange juice, if necessary. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Recipe copyright Lorna Sass, 2009

Photo copyright Lorna Sass, 2009

In this intriguing dish, a sweet-sour balance is achieved by using both vinegar and raisins.

The caponata tastes best after it sits at room temperature for a few hours, or you can refrigerate it overnight and bring it to room temperature about an hour before serving.

SERVES 4 To 6 AS AN APPETIZER

2 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE

1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2 –inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (or the marinating oil from sun-dried tomatoes)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup pitted, oil-cured olives

1/3 cup raisins

1 tablespoon capers

4 large plum tomatoes (preferred) or 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, pureed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts to garnish

Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with salt and set them in a colander. Place a clean kitchen towel on top of the eggplant and a weight on top of the towel, and let sit a room temperature for 1 hour, setting a plate underneath to catch drips. Squeeze the eggplant gently in the kitchen towel to release additional moisture.

Heat the olive oil in the cooker and sauté the garlic and onion for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in eggplant, celery, red pepper, olives, raisins, and capers.

In a small measuring cup, combine the pureed tomatoes, vinegar, and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over the vegetables, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the pressure with the quick-release method. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape. If the eggplant is not quite tender, replace the cover and allow it to steam in the residual heat until done.

Adjust the seasonings and transfer to a serving dish or storage container. Before serving, garnish with fresh parsley or toasted pine nuts.

SPANISH RICE WITH CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE

Spicy chorizo sausage gives lots of character to this simplified version of Spanish arroz con pollo, while pimento-stuffed green olives and sweet paprika add Iberian charm. This is a very agreeable and couldn’t-be-easier dish to serve company.

Take note of the TRANSFORMATIONS below which show you how, with some minor changes to the recipe, you can make Chicken or Seafood Jambalaya or Paella.

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE

3 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE PLUS 6-MINUTE NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

6 ounces diced chorizo or other spicy cured sausage (about 1½ cups)

2 cups long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 cup chicken broth

2 large bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1½ pounds boneless, skinned chicken breasts, thighs or a combination, cut into 1-inch chunks

One can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, including liquid

½ cup small pimento-stuffed green olives

1 roasted red bell pepper (see NOTE, or use storebought), seeded and diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat the oil in a 4-quart or larger cooker. Add the onion and chorizo and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the rice and paprika, taking care to coat the rice with the oil. Stir in the broth, bay leaves, and salt. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the cooker. Stir in the chicken. Pour the tomatoes and their liquid on top. Do not stir after adding the tomatoes.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 6 minutes. Quick-release any pressure remaining in the cooker. Remove the lid, tilting it a away from you to allow steam to escape.

Quickly stir in the olives, red pepper, and thyme. Immediately replace the lid and steam in the residual heat until rice is tender, usually no more than a minute or two.

Stir well to distribute the ingredients. Remove bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. If there is any unabsorbed liquid, use a slotted spoon to serve. Garnish individual portions with parsley.

Variations

Add 1 cup frozen peas or cooked black beans when you add olives.

Add 1 to 2 teaspoons hot paprika or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes along with sweet paprika.

Transformations (Follow basic recipe except as noted)

Chicken Jambalaya: Omit chorizo. Add 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced, along with chicken. While rice is cooking, slice and pan-fry 12 ounces andouille or other fully cooked smoked sausage. Stir into cooked rice (along with red pepper). Omit olives. Pass Tabasco sauce at the table.

Seafood and Chicken Jambalaya: Prepare Chicken Jambalaya above and add ½ pound unpeeled medium or large shrimp along with chicken.

Seafood and Chicken Paella: Soak ¼ teaspoon saffron threads in 2 teaspoons warm water for 10 minutes. Add along with chicken broth. Add ¾ pound medium shrimp (shelling optional), large scallops, or a combination, when you add chicken.

NOTE

Roasting Red Peppers: Set each pepper on a grid raised above a gas burner and turn the heat to high. Rotate with tongs until thoroughly charred. (If using an electric oven, cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds, and core. Press firmly to flatten. Set cut side down, under the broiler, as close to the broiling element as possible.) Wrap each charred pepper in a wet paper towel and enclose in a plastic bag to steam. When cool, use the paper towel to rub off the skin. Remove core and seeds. If not using the peppers immediately, toss in olive oil and refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Adapted from Pressure Perfect, copyright Lorna Sass, 2009