The Family Table: For the love of pressure cooking
I鈥檓 a sucker for kitchen gadgets.
Those things marketed toward streamlining kitchen life might as well have a flashing neon sign that says 鈥淭ry me, Jen!鈥�
Some, like my handheld citrus juicer, remain staples. Others (my mandoline, for example) come out once or twice a year, but otherwise live on the shelves of misfit gadgets in the basement.
There is one thing, however, that has been a constant over the past few years 鈥� so much so that I asked for a second one for Christmas.
My electric pressure cookers are my best friend in the kitchen. There are times I use them three or four times in a day on the weekends, rotating things through.
When we got the first one for Christmas maybe six years ago, it sat for a while. I was concerned about using it, worried I鈥檇 end up screwing something up.
Never have I ever been so happy to be wrong.
From soft boiled eggs to banana muffins, and soups or stews to mushroom risotto, I鈥檝e experimented with more dishes than I can count.
I love the adventure of researching how to make something in there, tinkering to make it our own, and successfully getting a meal on the table with minimal active effort.
Since everyone loves Mexican food in our house, my latest effort was in making quick fajitas that I could prep the night before and pressure cook when I got home from work. The below mix was delicious and quick to throw together. It provided enough in leftovers so that my husband and I could each have lunch the next day for work 鈥� always a bonus.
If you got an electric pressure cooker for Christmas that蘑菇视频 still sitting in the box, open it up and start exploring its many uses. Whatever your food tastes may be, there is likely a way for you to save time and effort using it.
Pressure Cooker Fajitas
6 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
2 medium onions, sliced
1, 14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with liquid
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
Meat from a small rotisserie chicken, shredded
Toppings: Guacamole, sour cream, sliced scallions, cheese
Tortillas for serving, if you want
Stir together peppers, onions, tomatoes and taco seasoning. Toss into an electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure when the timer goes off. Stir in beans. If you want to add meat, stir in the shredded chicken.
Our family likes this over brown rice, which you can also quickly make in an electric pressure cooker. Making it is a 1:1 ratio 鈥� 1 cup of brown rice to 1 cup of liquid (I usually use broth). Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, wait 5 minutes and then release the pressure. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve. If using white rice, the 1:1 ratio is the same. However, it cooks on high pressure for 3 minutes. Wait for 10 minutes and release the remaining pressure.