Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 3)

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I've had really good luck so far with beans, and with mixed-saute dishes like onions, corn, tomatoes, meat (optional) and then already-cooked beans.  DH says I can keep feeding him like that, too!

 

Today's experiment was a bit less successful.  I had a head of cauliflower that I wanted to soften using the pressure cooker mode, then slice, drizzle with oil and roast in the oven.  Being busy with other things I set it up for high-pressure cooking (on manual setting), turned it off after 6 minutes, and allowed it to slowly come back to room pressure.  The head was so soft I could barely take it off the steamer rack.  It became mashed cauliflower and went into the oven with seasonings, as for mashed potato, but we both agreed it was too watery. I wanted it softened but firm enough to slice and hold its shape for oven roasting until it got a nice brown edge. Next time, unless I hear better advice, I'll either try shorter steam, quicker pressure release, or both.  For instance, I may bring it just to pressure then turn off and allow natural release, or else cook it for 3 minutes with quick release.  Advice, anyone?

Not sure why you would pre-cook cauliflower that you intend to roast.  My suspicion would be that however you pre-cooked it would absorb enough moisture to make roasting it to become crispy more challenging. But perhaps others have better ideas.   I have roasted a fair bit of cauliflower but never done anything other than drizzle it with oil.

[rotuts]

@robirdstx    great idea !  glad it worked out.

 

in " Hip "  there is an Rx for basic Meat Ragu   ( pp. 117  w variations :  Bolognese pp 118 )

 

when the sauce is done, you add broken up lasagna noodles ( pp 127 ) and a few other items and get Sloppy Lasagna

 

I rarely cook a complete ' dish ' in the IP, but when it gets cooler here in the fall, this Rx will be on the top of my list.

 

I love lasagna, but am too lazy these days to make it.    this might change w the IP.   the Rx does not have ( ricotta + basil ) in it but

 

that's easy to fix.  the pic on pp 126 seems to have a narrow  curly edged pasta called lasagna strips  which Ive never seen before.

 

here is a pic from the Hip web site :

 

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/traditional-bolognese-sauce-in-half-the-time/

[lindag]

My 7-in-1 IP is arriving this afternoon.  I need to go to the store and pick up a few items.

I'd like my first venture to be Borscht but I don't have a tried and true recipe on me.

Is there anyone who still makes this dish?  I haven't had it in years but used to be able to get it a wonderful deli near my work.

 

[blue_dolphin]

Last year, I used the Instant Pot to make the Pressure Cooker Ragù Bolognese from Serious Eats.  Gathering all the ingredients was, for a mostly non-meat eater, a bit of a production.  However,  the final product was excellent.  I had a couple of groups of carnivorous house guests whose plans were unclear.  My usual quick dinners are vegetarian and I appreciated being able to pull some of that sauce out of the freezer and put a flavorful, satisfying meal on the table in half an hour or so.  I plan to repeat the production again this fall.  

 

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

 the pic on pp 126 seems to have a narrow  curly edged pasta called lasagna strips  which Ive never seen before.

@rotuts, I purchased this pasta that I served with my ragù at Trader Joes:

 

They don't always have it, but it pops up from time to time.  Here's my post from the TJ's thread so you can see the package.

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin  

 

thanks for that ref. on the pasta   Ill look for it   of course , they won't have it !

 

Ive also bookmarked your ragu in the iPot folder for future use.

 

I can't stand CkLivers.  and they are very hard to find now days.   a zillion years ago there were tons in little plastic containers  everywhere

 

I do like CkLiivers in Pate, and might like their flavor in a Ragu if sufficiently Smooshed up.

[Okanagancook]

Ok, final post on the onion confit in the IP.

I have tried it in the oven at 200F and I gave up after 5 hours it look dried on top and not really smelling like I thought.  I transferred it to the IP and did it on Stew/meat, high temp, high pressure for a total of 35 minutes like the Serious Eats recipe, quick release and the onions finally got soft.  I transferred them to a pan and heated the heck out of it until all the liquid was gone, scooping out the forking thyme leaves as I stirred.   It was very tideous and called out for a glass of wine to assist.  This got me a 'jam like' product which tasted amazing.  Much like the other posts.  So now at this point you can package them up in  1/2 cup portions (I have a vac sealer so I do it that way) and freeze them.  When you take them out for use they will need to be put in a pot and seasoned well.  There are tons of seasonings that can be used. I found a Spanish grape vinegar reduction to add.  It is called Pedro Ximenez, wine vinegar reduction by Spagnia.   This is a Spanish grape varietal which is famous for its sweet,dark dessert vinegar reductions.  The label says "ideal for meats, vegetables, fish, salads, and excellent  for desserts!"  Which sounds like quite the sales pitch....good on anything.  It is very tasty!

I used duck fat and only 1/2 cup for about 3 to 4 lbs of onions.

 

This is something you should make.  OMG.  

[dtremit]

On 5/14/2016 at 11:19 AM, blue_dolphin said:

Over in the sales and bargains thread, @andiesenji mentioned finding Pork PICNIC SHOULDER - BONE-IN $1.24 per pound at Walmart.  My local Walmart neighborhood market didn't have exactly the same deal but had bone-in pork shoulder blade roasts for $1.74/lb so I picked one up and cooked it in the Instant Pot.   I followed this recipe for Pressure Cooker Kalua Pig that seems to have a following in the Instant Pot community.  Lots of pulled pork sandwiches coming my way!

 

 

We can often find really good prices on bone in pork picnic as well. The last time I made it, I followed the NNP recipe you linked, leaving out the cabbage and garlic. I then pulled out the roast, pulled off the good meat, and then returned everything else to the IP for another hour while we ate dinner. After straining and chilling the results, I got close to two cups of snow white pork fat that I have been using ever since. Next time around I'm going to try to find a use for the broth as well!

[rotuts]

@dtremit  

 

thank you for that ref.

[Okanagancook]

On sale now at Amazon.ca

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472154852&sr=8-1&keywords=instapot
 

 

a little cheaper than the deal last month.

[Okanagancook]

Found something the Instpot sucks at.  Steaming broccoli.  In there for just 2 minutes and it's pretty mushy.  I will throw some garlic/anchovy/cultured butter at it.

Next time I will just blanch it for 2 minutes in boiling water.

[rotuts]

try the micro  for 2  and adjust upward to get the broccoli to your liking

 

the micro's even on a different circuit.

Edited August 25, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[Shelby]

5 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Found something the Instpot sucks at.  Steaming broccoli.  In there for just 2 minutes and it's pretty mushy.  I will throw some garlic/anchovy/cultured butter at it.

Next time I will just blanch it for 2 minutes in boiling water.

I do broccoli in the IP.  It doesn't have any crunch when it's done, but it's not mush.  I do high pressure, manual on 0 mins.

[Okanagancook]

Really.  Is it on high temperature and high pressure?  I like my broccoli with some firmness.Ok I will try again after your reply.  Thanks for helping.

 

ps, I was just over at a friend demoing the insta pot.  They heard about how great the pot is for ribs and that was all it took for the male in the family to think maybe he needs one.  I felt like a travelling vacuum cleaner salesperson.

[rotuts]

you bet.

 

Ribs for One.

 

did you point that out ?

[Okanagancook]

No, his wife likes ribs too.

[kayb]

Today, Amazon delivered to me a five-pound bag of non-fat dry milk, which will be the makings of yogurt, as I rarely ever have a full half-gallon at my house and that's how much I use when I make yogurt (as I eat it almost every morning). I am eternally grateful to @ElsieD for that tip. At a cup and a half of powder to a half-gallon of water, it should last me for a good while. 

 

My question is this: Yogurt starter, while not prohibitively expensive, is still a bit more than five bucks for enough starter to make two batches of yogurt. I have tried once using a "starter" from the previous batch to culture the milk; it didn't seem to work very well. But I recall EliseD saying she had used existing culture, to good effect. What experiences have others had? I'm a bit more inclined to try it now, with a plentitude of dry milk in the house, than I perhaps might have otherwise been. And if one does so, what are the proportions?

 

Aaaannnnddd...I just realized I did math wrong and used only a third as much milk powder as I should have. May not be very good yogurt. Oh, well. Live and learn. There's a reason I didn't major in accounting.

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Really.  Is it on high temperature and high pressure?  I like my broccoli with some firmness.Ok I will try again after your reply.  Thanks for helping.

 

ps, I was just over at a friend demoing the insta pot.  They heard about how great the pot is for ribs and that was all it took for the male in the family to think maybe he needs one.  I felt like a travelling vacuum cleaner salesperson.

It might not be as firm as you like....test it out....maybe low pressure on 0 would be better for you.  But yeah manual (high/high) on 0 is what I've been doing...this is for broccoli/cheese on baked taters.  I'd do low pressure on 0 and see what you think.

[rotuts]

Ive made yogurt at home for some time.   i use live cultures found commercial yogurt found at your local supermarket in the various brands sold there.

 

take a magnifying glass and look to see what they claim are the live strains in the various brands.  pick up an individual container of each

 

thats a bit different re strains as they claim. back when  there were more or less three national brands in my area.   forget what they say on the

 

label.   read what can almost not be read on the back.

 

works fine.  just make sure you inoculate the  cooled down denatured milk when its cool enough so as  not to kill the lice cultures.

 

nothing more to it than that.    it firms up by letting it ferment longer.  or you can add non-fat dry milk to regular milk which also works.

 

get regular yogurt    not the greek which is regular drained     live culture in that supernate you toss out.

[rotuts]

 

@Okanagancook

 

for IP ribs here is a good rule :

 

1 pot / 1 rack Baby Backs / 1 person.

 

the Mrs. likes ribs you say ?   =  2 IPots  

 

much safer that way.

 

some on there thread have at least 2 pots

 

possibly more, hard to say.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[kayb]

4 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Ive made yogurt at home for some time.   i use live cultures found commercial yogurt found at your local supermarket in the various brands sold there.

 

take a magnifying glass and look to see what they claim are the live strains in the various brands.  pick up an individual container of each

 

thats a bit different re strains as they claim. back when  there were more or less three national brands in my area.   forget what they say on the

 

label.   read what can almost not be read on the back.

 

works fine.  just make sure you inoculate the  cooled down denatured milk when its cool enough so as  not to kill the lice cultures.

 

nothing more to it than that.    it firms up by letting it ferment longer.  or you can add non-fat dry milk to regular milk which also works.

 

get regular yogurt    not the greek which is regular drained     live culture in that supernate you toss out.

 

Thanks.

 

So I need to buy supermarket, as opposed to what I make at home (which I do drain) and ferment longer?

[Okanagancook]

1 minute ago, rotuts said:

for IP ribs here is a good rule :

 

1 pot / 1 rack Baby Backs / 1 person.

 

the Mrs. likes ribs you say ?   =  2 IPots  

 

much safer that way.

 

some on there thread have at least 2 pots

 

possibly more, hard to say.

 

 

So you are saying two rib racks is too much for one pot?  My friend apparently cooked two racks at once but maybe they were back ribs.  Are we talking side or back ribs?

[rotuts]

supermarket would be for starter.   you may get several strains of bacteria going.   that might be beneficial.
 

once you get those going in you own culture, you use that culture which then has them all swimming around together

 

you have to keep everything  really clean.   not sterilized, just clean

 

you will know when you fail and add in some Kitchen Critters in that medium     for sure !

[rotuts]

@Okanagancook

 

when I did the baby backs  one fit fine.  maybe I could have stuffed in more   didn't have any more to try.

 

its also important if you plan to try to feed two, no matter how many you stuff in there,

 

they decide before hand, in writing  how to divvy them up.

 

just saying.

[Okanagancook]

Yeah.  2/3 for Don and 1/3 for Susan! 

[kayb]

Most curious thing happened.  As noted, I only used 1/2 cup powdered milk, vs the 1.5 cups called for , in my yogurt. Imagine my surprise when it seemed, after 8 hours, to behave exactly as full strength milk would have done. I got a quart of yogurt, just about standard for 1/2 gallon of milk. Now wondering what a more concentrated milk will do.