Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 1)

[Anna N]

Had to find a way to fall back in love with my Instant Pot. You can find the recipe on the Hip Pressure Cooking site called Cabbage with Bacon and Beer. Wasn't prepared to open a beer since I had a glass of wine in my hand so I used the vegetable stock option. The cabbage was exactly the way I like it – – still toothsome and not sulphurous. A cheap, easy meal so long as you love cabbage and are pretty sure you will sleep alone!

[andiesenji]

image.jpg

image.jpg

Had to find a way to fall back in love with my Instant Pot. You can find the recipe on the Hip Pressure Cooking site called Cabbage with Bacon and Beer. Wasn't prepared to open a beer since I had a glass of wine in my hand so I used the vegetable stock option. The cabbage was exactly the way I like it – – still toothsome and not sulphurous. A cheap, easy meal so long as you love cabbage and are pretty sure you will sleep alone!

I like the German dish (popular in Wisconsin during my brief sojourn there in the '50s) of cabbage, apples and sausage - bratwurst or the local venison sausage.

[Anna N]

This link is to an article in the Wall Street Journal that refers to cooking Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon in a pressure cooker. The comments are worth a read too for further enlightenment.

[Anna N]

I like the German dish (popular in Wisconsin during my brief sojourn there in the '50s) of cabbage, apples and sausage - bratwurst or the local venison sausage.

I saw a couple of references to similar recipes and wished I had some sausage and some apples in the house! But I had to settle for what I had and that was some bacon ends. But I have added sausages and apples to my grocery list. Thank you. I love cabbage in most of its forms.

[gfweb]

This link is to an article in the Wall Street Journal that refers to cooking Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon in a pressure cooker. The comments are worth a read too for further enlightenment.

Reading the comments, I can't help but think that  paradoxically, the PC limits the urge to overcook (and toughen ) a meat.

 

Pheasant needs a PC? Surely not. But PC might well be better than oafish over-roasting.

[andiesenji]

I saw a couple of references to similar recipes and wished I had some sausage and some apples in the house! But I had to settle for what I had and that was some bacon ends. But I have added sausages and apples to my grocery list. Thank you. I love cabbage in most of its forms.

I went to the market very early yesterday and the produce people were filling bins and one had just opened a "crate" of red cabbage and one just happened to call my name.

And I bought some interesting new apples from New Zealand.

So tomorrow I am going to prepare Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage - as per THIS recipe and I am going to add some caraway seeds.

My German friends call this Rotkhol - which to me is rather a rough-sounding name for such a lovely side dish.

My egg man brought me a nice duck, which is going to be cooked part way in the pressure cooker and finished in the oven.

At present the duck is "resting" in the fridge with a "rub" of maple syrup and Lapsang Souchong tea, a treatment of my own devising, which lends a bit of smokiness to the duck without actually smoking it.  

The duck, with a scant cup of the brewed tea, gets set on high pressure for 15 minutes and then into a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes covered and then 20 minutes uncovered.

[Anna N]

I went to the market very early yesterday and the produce people were filling bins and one had just opened a "crate" of red cabbage and one just happened to call my name.

And I bought some interesting new apples from New Zealand.

So tomorrow I am going to prepare Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage - as per THIS recipe and I am going to add some caraway seeds.

My German friends call this Rotkhol - which to me is rather a rough-sounding name for such a lovely side dish.

My egg man brought me a nice duck, which is going to be cooked part way in the pressure cooker and finished in the oven.

At present the duck is "resting" in the fridge with a "rub" of maple syrup and Lapsang Souchong tea, a treatment of my own devising, which lends a bit of smokiness to the duck without actually smoking it.  

The duck, with a scant cup of the brewed tea, gets set on high pressure for 15 minutes and then into a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes covered and then 20 minutes uncovered.

I am most envious of you and your market! I have put both of your recipes into my recipe book. The red cabbage I will tweak just enough to make it Danish rather than German by dropping the onions and raisins and adding red currant jelly (my family's version of rødkål). And the duck...oh my. Shall be watching for them to go on sale. Thank you so very much.

[Anna N]

Reading the comments, I can't help but think that  paradoxically, the PC limits the urge to overcook (and toughen ) a meat.

 

Pheasant needs a PC? Surely not. But PC might well be better than oafish over-roasting.

Reading the comments, I can't help but think that  paradoxically, the PC limits the urge to overcook (and toughen ) a meat.

 

Pheasant needs a PC? Surely not. But PC might well be better than oafish over-roasting.

I must say I have never eaten or cooked pheasant.

[Shelby]

I must say I have never eaten or cooked pheasant.

It tastes like chicken 

[rotuts]

tasty chicken  

[Anna N]

I am trying to clear the decks so I can play some more today. I am staring at sweet potatoes that will not last until eternity and I seem to have an overabundance of Yukon golds. But my Puritan conscience tells me I must first eat my toads.

[rotuts]

"""   sweet potatoes """

 

Ive got those, but have not Moved them Up

 

I must tell you this  

 

the pic of the JC BBorg sent me into         

 

I might add some more , but keyboards only last for so many click.

 

I have some Ideas about  " slow-cooked 'flavor' "

 

now Im trying to get in the semi-fall grove for a First of the Season TML w Benton's bacon top

 

w mashed traditional potatoes and Peas

 

the IP will deal with the Pressure-Steamed cut up russets w the skin

 

and the CSB will massage the TML.

 

peas are canned  small ones  On Sale   

 

there will be fantastic gravy, which is the whole point.

[Mmmpomps]

My Name is Mmmchele and I'm addicted to Instant Pot

 

I got up this morning full of energy and decided to make Hot Sauce. Used the basic instructions from http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-hot-sauce/ <----great , great resource and she posts here

 

I used Thai Peppers and Seranno  and one red pepper and One small yellow pepper:

 

Covered with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar and a good splash of strawberry vinegar,

 

OH and Applewood smoked salt about a tsp and a tsp of coarse sea salt.

 

High Pressure for 1 minute. Then let sit for 15 and release.

 

Puree and Strain into jars:

 

Fast and easy. Came out tart, HOT, slight sweetness. I only did a small taste and did not detect much smokiness. But its a warm heat around the front of the mouth.  I'll be doing more of this for sure!

 

 

[Anna N]

Mmmmpomps,

Now we're talking! Love to see it being used "off the grid" as it were.

I was going to post the following to another topic but I think it has every right to be here.

My fairy godmother showed up today with these. When fortune hands you tomatoes it is incumbent upon you to make Suvir's Tomato Chutney and when you have a brand-new hammer...

The hardest part is rounding up all the ingredients. Luckily my home is well supplied with just about anything you need to make Indian food! All the ingredients are now in the Instant Pot.

Beginning to simmer.

Splatter screen in place.

And the oil separating from the tomatoes signaling it is finished.

Actually I may cook it all down a little bit further tomorrow.

But tonight my house smells just wonderful.

Edited to add

What is it good for?

Edited September 14, 2015 by Anna N (log)

[Mmmpomps]

Mmmmpomps,

Now we're talking! Love to see it being used "off the grid" as it were.

I was going to post the following to another topic but I think it has every right to be here.

image.jpg

My fairy godmother showed up today with these. When fortune hands you tomatoes it is incumbent upon you to make Suvir's Tomato Chutney and when you have a brand-new hammer...

image.jpg

The hardest part is rounding up all the ingredients. Luckily my home is well supplied with just about anything you need to make Indian food! All the ingredients are now in the Instant Pot.

image.jpg

Beginning to simmer.

image.jpg

Splatter screen in place.

image.jpg

And the oil separating from the tomatoes signaling it is finished.

Actually I may cook it all down a little bit further tomorrow.

But tonight my house smells just wonderful.

Edited to add

What is it good for?

 

I LIKE what this is good for!!

[Mmmpomps]

I have made beets only once before. I'll be making them much more often now! Fresh squeezed orange juice , splash of olive oil and enough water to equal one cup and salt. Add beets to Instant pot:

 

 

20 minutes High Pressure. Remove and rub with paper towel to remove the skin *holy shiza was that easy and it didn't look like I'd committed a homicide*

 

 

Then quick pickle a few of them and make a Beet, Goat Cheese and candied,cayenne walnut salad with mint:

 

 

Don't bother to eat your Kahlua Pork, spuds and cabbage because this was just so damn good

[FauxPas]

What kind of quick pickle did you do with the beets, Mmmpomps? 

 

I do beets in the steam oven. They take a bit longer, but it's easy to do. I love beets and beet salads. 

 

Love your hot sauce! 

 

I'm wondering how you and Anna N feel about the space requirements of the IP - does it seem awkward to use in the kitchen? Anna, did you work out an arrangement so that you could watch things more easily inside the pot? Is the escaping steam a problem, how do you avoid your cabinets? 

 

If you weren't using it all the time, how easy is it to store? (I should really just look up the actual dimensions of the pot, but would like to hear your experiences.)

 

I love tomato chutney and have been looking at that recipe for awhile. It has some ingredients I don't usually use. I should really give it a go. Thanks for posting the pics, Anna. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[Anna N]

What kind of quick pickle did you do with the beets, Mmmpomps? 

 

I do beets in the steam oven. They take a bit longer, but it's easy to do. I love beets and beet salads. 

 

Love your hot sauce! 

 

I'm wondering how you and Anna N feel about the space requirements of the IP - does it seem awkward to use in the kitchen? Anna, did you work out an arrangement so that you could watch things more easily inside the pot? Is the escaping steam a problem, how do you avoid your cabinets? 

 

If you weren't using it all the time, how easy is it to store? (I should really just look up the actual dimensions of the pot, but would like to hear your experiences.)

 

I love tomato chutney and have been looking at that recipe for awhile. It has some ingredients I don't usually use. I should really give it a go. Thanks for posting the pics, Anna.

I have a small kitchen cart which is serving well to allow me to see into the pot when I'm cooking. However my kitchen is tiny and once this cart is in there I cannot open my dishwasher door all the way nor get into my drawers to find any utensils. As for the steam, on the cart it's well away from my cabinets. Long term not sure about the ceiling but a kitchen ought to tolerate normal kitchen stuff as far as I am concerned.

As for size, it is larger in height and circumference than any (round) slow cooker that I have ever owned. It will be a challenge to store if your cabinets are already crammed!

I can give you 100% guarantee that this tomato chutney is unlike any tomato chutney you have ever tasted before. After I finally sat down last night from a somewhat exhausting day I was drawn by the smell of chutney. In the blink of an eye I found myself spooning some into a bowl and shoveling it into my face with tortilla chips. I had cut way back on both the peppers and the cayenne hoping that I could share some with my fairy godmother. It still packed a punch but was very tolerable. I expected to pay for my sin with an acute attack of heartburn which is what tomatoes usually do to me. Not even a hint. Go figure.

[Mmmpomps]

What kind of quick pickle did you do with the beets, Mmmpomps? 

 

I do beets in the steam oven. They take a bit longer, but it's easy to do. I love beets and beet salads. 

 

Love your hot sauce! 

 

I'm wondering how you and Anna N feel about the space requirements of the IP - does it seem awkward to use in the kitchen? Anna, did you work out an arrangement so that you could watch things more easily inside the pot? Is the escaping steam a problem, how do you avoid your cabinets? 

 

If you weren't using it all the time, how easy is it to store? (I should really just look up the actual dimensions of the pot, but would like to hear your experiences.)

 

I love tomato chutney and have been looking at that recipe for awhile. It has some ingredients I don't usually use. I should really give it a go. Thanks for posting the pics, Anna. 

 

 

Morning FauxPas!

 

Space Requirements work fine for me I found a tip online to put the Instant Pot on a Lazy Susan ( I have one that is just a big bigger in circumference then my pot) I keep it out on the counter as I've been using it on a regular basis. When I'm ready to release the steam I can turn the Lazy Susan away from the underside of my cabinets. I often use a towel too loosely over the release mechanism. Shes a bit large to lug in and out of a cupboard. But I'm short so I could be biased there The footprint is relatively small especially if you get the duo model with the slots on the side to sit the lid in. Its comparable to a large crock pot like Anna said. But she looks GOOD on the counter I keep it in that corner spot on my counter by my sink that is just my Bermuda triangle zone. I can pull it forward or push it back, works for me.

 

Pickle was just a teaspoon or pickling spice (nothing super special) some Apple Cider Vinegar and Water and salt. Just to give some of the beets a bit of a bite in the salad.Others I left larger and plain. I'm having that salad for dinner again tonight. I was very happy with it

 

Mmmchele

[Anna N]

I went to the market very early yesterday and the produce people were filling bins and one had just opened a "crate" of red cabbage and one just happened to call my name.

And I bought some interesting new apples from New Zealand.

So tomorrow I am going to prepare Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage - as per THIS recipe and I am going to add some caraway seeds.

My German friends call this Rotkhol - which to me is rather a rough-sounding name for such a lovely side dish.

My egg man brought me a nice duck, which is going to be cooked part way in the pressure cooker and finished in the oven.

At present the duck is "resting" in the fridge with a "rub" of maple syrup and Lapsang Souchong tea, a treatment of my own devising, which lends a bit of smokiness to the duck without actually smoking it.  

The duck, with a scant cup of the brewed tea, gets set on high pressure for 15 minutes and then into a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes covered and then 20 minutes uncovered.

So a duck and red cabbage made a sudden appearance at my house yesterday. This morning my house smells like Christmas. Red cabbage is Christmas to me and my family since I married a Dane. I followed the recipe that Andie linked to for the most part but added the red currant jelly which I made up in Manitoulin in lieu of the raisins. When I first opened the Instant Pot the cabbage had so lost its colour that I was devastated. But I stirred it around in the pot and by the time I had retrieved a dish to empty it into it had mostly recovered. I added 2 tablespoons of butter as I am wont to do and kept digging my fork in there -- just to check you understand.

However the duck posed quite a conundrum. It was very evident that the length of the duck and the depth of the Instant Pot were not conducive to any sort of pressure cooking of a whole duck! It is back to the drawing board for the duck.

The raw ingredients in the pot.

The finished dish.

[rotuts]

"""   *holy shiza was that easy and it didn't look like I'd committed a homicide* ""

 

 

[rotuts]

red cabbage and apples + ( fill in the blank ) is one of my favorite dishes.

 

its on my IP list, but I thank you for your rendition.

 

the Red cabbage I get for this braise always ended up more blue than red.  tasty its always been.

 

your still looks more red than blue.

 

it looks very very good.

 

thank you for positing your results.

[andiesenji]

Ah - sorry.  I forgot to mention that I used my big poultry shears and cut the backbone out of the duck and "bent" it in a arc. 

My pressure cooker may be a bit larger than the instant pot.

[andiesenji]

red cabbage and apples + ( fill in the blank ) is one of my favorite dishes.

 

its on my IP list, but I thank you for your rendition.

 

the Red cabbage I get for this braise always ended up more blue than red.  tasty its always been.

 

your still looks more red than blue.

 

it looks very very good.

 

thank you for positing your results.

It is alkaline water that produces the blue or gray color.

adding a tablespoon of vinegar for each pint of liquid will keep it the nice red color - which is why so many dishes include vinegar.  Cooking with apples also lessens the color change.

If you don't like the idea of using vinegar, ascorbic acid or citric acid powder  -  about 1/2 teaspoon per quart of water. 

 

I had a friend who used to add a bottle of 7-Up to her cabbage - both green and red - because she swore it lessened the "gas" effect and her red cabbage dishes were alway very red.

[FauxPas]

Thank you for your thoughtful answers, ladies! I appreciate that. Still on the fence about actually buying one, but also still interested! 

 

It still packed a punch but was very tolerable. I expected to pay for my sin with an acute attack of heartburn which is what tomatoes usually do to me. Not even a hint. Go figure.

 

Maybe you need to 'tart your tomatoes up' more often, Anna!  

 

Space Requirements work fine for me I found a tip online to put the Instant Pot on a Lazy Susan ( I have one that is just a big bigger in circumference then my pot) I keep it out on the counter as I've been using it on a regular basis. When I'm ready to release the steam I can turn the Lazy Susan away from the underside of my cabinets.

 

The Lazy Susan really is a good idea!