Pressure Cooking and Why It's Worth the Investment

We originally bought an electric pressure cooker because we thought it would make cooking our dog food easier. GOOD call. We can whip up a batch of dog food that will last for 9 days in no time. But, we decided to try some "human" recipes to see if cooking was as quick and easy...and cheaper. Here's what we found...

1) You can cook a BIG batch of brown rice in MINUTES! I put 4 cups of brown rice in the pressure cooker (pc) and 5 cups of warm water. Then, I set the pc for 22 minutes. When the rice kicks over to the "warming" setting, I leave the pc on for 10 more minutes (on the "warming" setting). After the 10 minutes have passed, I release any remaining steam. It comes out PERFECT... every, single time! Also, I generally freeze several containers for future use.

For Jasmine or Basmati rice, add 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water to the pressure cooker pot and set on high pressure for 4 minutes with NATURAL RELEASE. Open when all of the steam is naturally released. You can double this for more rice!

2) You can cook a BIG batch of beans for CHEAP! I've made batches of chickpeas and black beans at a fraction of the cost of canned. I pay anywhere from $1 to $2.49 for a can of organic beans in the store. I can make around 7 cups of cooked beans with only 1 pound of dried beans. I just bought some non-GMO dried chickpeas from Vitacost.com for $1.29 a pound. This is equivalent to 28 cents for 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans (the amount in a can of beans). Also, they're so easy to cook. If you soak them ahead of time, chickpeas can be set for about 20-25 minutes with natural release (meaning, you wait for the pressure to come down naturally--allowing the top to open without having to release the steam valve). You can also cook them from their dry state in about 40 minutes. The best part is that you can set it and forget about it! Again, I like to freeze containers of 1 1/2 cups to use when I would have normally used a can of beans.

3) You can DUMP and GLOW! What I mean by that is you can make soups, stews, and chilis by dumping in all the ingredients, but your friends will think you slaved over the stove for hours! Sure, you have to do a bit of chopping (or make sure you prep each week to make this cooking during the week faster!

4) You can SAVE MONEY by not buying vegetable broth! Save your veggie scraps and make your own salt-free vegetable broth! I've paid anywhere from $1.99 to $3.00 for a container of organic vegetable broth. It costs NOTHING EXTRA to make your own with veggie scraps!

5) You can use it like a dutch oven! When we went to Healthfest a couple of weekends ago, we made Corn and Potato Chowder and PlantPure Nation Creamy African Stew before we left home, stored them in our coolers, and warmed them in the pressure cooker for dinner in our hotel room! We just set the pressure cooker to the "Sauté" mode and stirred the brew until it was warmed!

6) You can steamed veggies to perfection! If you add the metal stand that comes with the Instant Pot to the bottom of the pot and place a steamer basket with your veggies on top of that, you can add water to the bottom and steam them! They retain their beautiful color and nutrients!

7) You can brown onions before you add the ingredients for soups, stews, and chilis using the "Sauté" feature. And, the best part is, you don't need any oil for this! If the onions begin to stick on the bottom of the pot, just add a bit of water or veggie broth and stir!

8) You can cook a cauliflower--WHOLE! You know all those awesome cauliflower-based alfredo sauce recipes that require cauliflower florets to be cooked well? You can simply cook the whole cauliflower in the pressure cooker without having to do all the work of cutting off the florets!

9) You can make a HUGE pot of PASTA SAUCE! A pressure cooker is perfect for making a big pot of pasta sauce. It can be a simple or more complex recipe...whatever your family likes best!

10) Cook a bag of potatoes to PERFECTION! I love to put an entire bag of Yukon Gold potatoes or sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker with a cup of water at the bottom. It takes anywhere from 15-20 minutes to cook them perfectly on high pressure with natural release. Then, we have lots of potatoes for the week--for snacking or a last-minute meal (Baked Potato Night!)!

11) Cook your GREENS without a SCENE! Just wash a bunch of kale or chard, tear them into pieces, and cook them in the pc with about 1/4-1/2 cup of water in the bottom for 3-5 minutes on pressure with quick release. Drain the water and splash a little of your favorite balsamic vinegar on top, and you've got a nutrient-rich side dish for a meal!

12) Your HEART will THANK you! Cook your oats in the pressure cooker with ease! We make a batch of Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oats for the week and store them in the fridge for breakfasts.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required. 

Roasted Potatoes (Previously Blanched and Frozen)

Again, another quick dinner because I previously blanched and froze red potatoes! These herbed red potatoes are the perfect compliment to our Smoky Sweet Potato Bean Spinach Burgers and roasted zucchini and grape tomatoes! I simply took the bag of frozen potatoes out of the freezer this morning and stored it in the fridge until just before I needed to start cooking for dinner. Then, I placed them on non-stick foil, added herbs, and roasted at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes. I didn't have to chop any potatoes and they were partially done already!

Batch cook and freeze! It will cut down on preparation time on week nights!

Getting Your Veggies In

Sometimes, it can be challenging to get your veggies in. One can only eat so many raw carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes! So, I like to get creative with my meals and add lots of veggies to every dish.

A particularly easy way to add veggies to your daily intake is by adding them to pasta sauce. We had some homemade marinara that we batch cooked and had frozen. Today, I chopped some cubes of eggplant, mushrooms, and spinach and steamfried those until tender. Then, I added the defrosted sauce to them and will simmer them together for a while. Then, we'll have a meal...full of veggies and flavor!

Try adding greens to your soups and sauces. They're the easiest to get in without compromising flavor. Or, be creative and come up with your own veggie add-ins!

TC in a B (Throw Crap in a Bowl) - Mexican Style!

Most of you are familiar with our family favorite dinner called TC in a B (stands for Throw Crap in a Bowl!). Tonight, I put together some previously made and batched-cooked food with some cauliflower that *needed* to be cooked!

Last weekend, I batch cooked and froze packages of brown rice. For tonight's dinner, I simply defrosted the bag and added lime juice and chopped cilantro to it.

We also made our Salsa Fresca this past weekend, so we'll us that.

Then, I cracked open a can of salt-free black bean (rinsed and drained them) and chopped two tomatoes.

Getting all of that rounded up took me about 10 minutes.

Then, I chopped my cauliflower into bit-sized pieces, added it to my pressure cooker with 2 T of taco seasoning, 1 T of whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of water. I pressure cooked it for 0 minutes (that's right ZERO--don't set any time, just press the start button) with quick release.

When hubby got back from his run, we assembled our bowls and ate! I added a few sliced black olives and hubby added Cholula. BE CREATIVE! Come up with your own TC in a B!

Want to Have a Healthy Week?

My freezer is stocked!

If you want to eat healthy, you have to be prepared. I know that I am more inclined to grab something that isn't the best for me when I have it in the house or when I don't have fresh ingredients all ready to make a meal (or already cooked and ready to eat).

So, the first line of defense is to only have food in the house that is life-giving--whole plant foods like fresh and frozen fruit, fresh and frozen veggies, whole grains (pasta, rice, potatoes, oats, quinoa, barley, etc.), and freshly cooked or canned legumes. Keep almonds, walnuts, and raw cashews in containers to use sparingly in recipes, along with chia seeds and ground flaxseeds to add to recipes or smoothies. You have to grocery shop in order to have healthy food in your house, so make sure grocery shopping is part of your weekly plan.

The second line of defense is to have food ready to use in your cooking or to eat. Chop veggies and fruits for the week. Pressure cook rice and freeze in containers or baggies for future meals. Cook white or sweet potatoes and have them waiting in the fridge to create a meal or eat as a snack. Also, make some oil-free hummus or salsa to store in the fridge for snacks or to add to meals. Make homemade oil-free marinara sauce and/or pesto and freeze for an easy spaghetti night. Bake healthy, oil-free muffins and wrap them well before storing in the freezer.

The third line of defense is to resist eating out in restaurants if possible. The minute you leave your home, you are putting someone else in charge of your food. Even when you say, "No oil, please," you may see glistening on your veggies.

The fourth line of defense is to eat before you go! If you're invited to a party, don't miss it! GO! GO! GO! But, make sure to eat a healthy meal at home before you leave. Then, you can drink chilly water with lemon at the party and eat any fresh fruits or veggies they have there.

Just wanted to remind everyone that success in any endeavor takes planning. Eating well is no different. Have a super week!

Batch Cook and Freeze Potatoes

The other night, I was talking to my son and he was concerned that the frozen potatoes he bought at Trader Joe's had oil in them. I suggested he cook and freeze his own potatoes. So, here is a quick tutorial of how to do it! I always use organic potatoes. If yours are not organic, make sure to peel them first.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After freezing the potatoes, they still need to be cooked/baked/roasted. You blanch them before freezing to kill any bacteria, but they are NOT cooked yet!
I use the potatoes to cook in a skillet and add to my tofu scramble or season with herbs and roast (with a bit of veggie broth) as a side dish with dinner.

Rinse potatoes well	Chop into 1-inch chunks
Boil for 5 minutes	Strain, pour into ice-water bath, strain again.

Place into freeze bags and freeze!

Pesto and Tofu Ricotta Veggie Calzone

Calzone BEFORE baking

A week or so ago, I made some Oil-Free Basil-Walnut Pesto with basil from my garden and froze it in small containers. Also, I batch cooked some homemade marinara sauce in the pressure cooker and froze portions of that as well. TA-DA! I was able to put together these AH-MAY-ZING plant-based calzones in minutes because I had batch cooked on a different day!

Tonight, I made a filling with mushrooms, zucchini, and red bell pepper (all diced small), which I steam-fried in a skillet. I added the pesto to the mixture and stirred it in well. Then, I quickly made up a small amount of spinach-basil tofu ricotta. It is SUPER easy to make! I just used 1/2 a block of extra firm tofu, which I pressed (you can also just drain it well) and crumbled into tiny pieces in a small bowl. I added 1 cup of spinach and 5 basil leaves which I finely chopped. Then, I added 1 T. nutritional yeast flakes, a few grinds of black pepper, and a pinch of salt.

We simply rolled out and stuffed Trader Joe's (refrigerated) whole wheat pizza dough (which I bought a while back, froze, and defrosted for tonight's dinner) with the veggie/pesto and tofu ricotta mixtures. Then, I pressed the edges well and brushed the tops with some aquafaba (just because I had some leftover in the fridge!) and baked them at 350 degrees (on a parchment-lined baking sheet) until lightly browned (about 20 minutes). Then, we served them with the warmed marinara and sprinkled the tops with Homemade Vegan Parmesan. DELISH!

Pesto and Tofu Ricotta Veggie Calzone