Recipe #7 - Beetroot & Tomato Soup
As my good friend Rory would say - this is a winner!!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1 onion
225g raw beetroot - wash but leave the skin on and chop into pieces
2 garlic cloves - crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch ground cinnamon
Tin tomatoes - or fresh if in season
1 tbsp tomato puree
600ml stock - vegetable or chicken
1 tbsp soy sauce
Salt & pepper
Yoghurt or creme fraiche or cream
Chives or spring onions to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker
2. Add the onion, beetroot and garlic and cook gently for 5 mins
3. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon and cook for a few more minutes
4. Add the tomatoes, puree and stock and place the lid on the cooker
5. Cook for 15 mins on high pressure
6. Liquidise the soup with a blender or in food processor
7. Add the soy sauce and s&p to taste
8. Garnish with creme fraiche or yoghurt or cream and serve with the spring onions or chives chopped and sprinkled on top.

Do not use pickled or vinegared beetroot - use fresh - you can buy a bunch relatively cheaply in the supermarket and just cut the ends off - don't peel!....there's no need. It really is a fantastic soup - really tasty thanks to the pressure cooker - everything as usual is sealed in including the vitamins and flavour.
These quantities will serve 4 to 6 people - serve with crusty bread.....

Recipe #6 - Cabbage Parcels

This is one of the first recipies I ever cooked in the pressure cooker - apart from the usual veggie soups and so on - and it's still one of the best. As we have all gone seasonal now in terms of produce, which is the way it should be, this fits in to October/November perfectly.......


Ingredients for 4 people....


8 large cabbage leaves
25g butter
1 onion
350g smoked haddock (skinned and chopped)
75g long grain rice - cooked
1 tbs chopped parsley
75g cheddar cheese - grated
salt and pepper
150ml water
300g tomato sauce - home made or soup

Method:

1. Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain
2. Melt the butter in the pressure cooker and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes
3. Stir in the haddock, rice, parsley, cheese - season and mix well.
4. Divide the mixture between the cabbage leaves and fold into a parcel ( I find a cocktail stick works well if the leaf doesn't hold together - just make sure you take it out before serving!)
5. Place the parcels join side down into the cooker and pour over the tomato sauce with some water - you need a thick sauce but, as is ofter the case, the sauce creates the steam and so the cooker needs to be a third full.
6. Seal the cooker and heat to high pressure - cook for 6 minutes, then reduce the pressure quickly (place the cooker in a bowl of cold water until the valve releases is the best way).



I like to serve it with mashed or crushed potatoes which you can also cook in the pressure cooker in the trivet at the same time. It is a wonderful autumnal dish - relatively cheap and really nourishing.

On the tomato sauce side of things, you can make your own or, if you want to cheat or time is of the essence, a can of condensed tomato soup mixed with around 150ml of water works really well - though I can only imagine the purists out there throwing their hands up in horror!! Still, it will save time and still tastes fantastic. The whole dish here probably takes around 20-30 minutes maximum so easy to make if you come in from a cold night similar to the ones we're having now.

Recipe #5 - Baked Eggs with Smoked Salmon

Many people think that a pressure cooker is only good for the winter months - and yes indeed it does lend itself to stews, casseroles, soups and so on. But there is so much more you can do with the cooker all year round. The following recipe is something for spring/summer and is also a great simple all seasons starter as well....

Ingredients: (serves four)

4 Eggs
100g smoked salmon
25g butter
20ml single cream
Salt & Pepper



Method:

1. Cut the smoked salmon into pieces and divide into four buttered ramekins.
2. Break an egg into each ramekin dish and season with a little salt.
3. Fill the cooker with a pint of water (an inch or two in the cooker)
4. Place the steam basket containing the four ramekins on the trivet (ie. so that it is at its highest level)
5. Close the cooker, bring to medium pressure and cook for 3-4 minutes
6. Release the pressure, open the cooker and add 1 tsp of lightly peppered cream to each ramekin.

Serve with toast or salad.
This recipe sounds so easy but it is worth trying out - it tastes fantastic and takes around 10-15 minutes to prepare and cook. Very impressive for dinner parties....and even good for breakfast too. The cream makes a difference and there is so little to make any health conscious freak actually freak out! ....but if they do, you can leave it out......

The next recipe will be another summer classic - a flan - in the pressure cooker I hear you say? You may well be right so, as I haven't cooked this one yet, I need to try it out and report back Assuming it works, it'll be another reason not to put you cooker away for the summer!

Recipe #4 - Pork Sag Curry

Well I realize I have been very lazy of late and, although few comments on this blog, this has been noticed. So, here we are back with an ace recipe for pork - although you could use chicken or beef as well but possibly adjust the timing for chicken as it needs a little less cooking...


Ingredients: (for 4 people...)

1kg Pork Shoulder
Spinach (big packet)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion - peeled and sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies - chopped and deseeded
2 cloves garlic
1'' piece of root ginger - peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
Salt - to taste
50ml water
400g can coconut milk
675g potatoes - peeled and cut into chunks


Method:

1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker, add sliced onion and fry gently for 5 minutes- I always add a little salt at this point. Stir now and then.
2. Add the pork, cumin seeds, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric and garam masala - fry until the pork losses its pink colour.
3. Add the water and scrape any food stuck to the bottom of the cooker.
4. Stir in the coconut milk
5. Lay the spinach on top of the meat and the potatoes on top of that.
6. Close the cooker
as soon as the steam starts to release, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure
7. Release the pressure, open the cooker, adjust seasoning and stir well...


Serve with plain rice, pickles and all the other usual fantastic Indian compliments. I like to make dahl (another pressure cooker recipe I'll add) and cucumber / mint raita.
This is another easy recipe to make - half an hour from beginning to end - quicker, healthier and all round a better option than a takeaway!!
What's not to like?
Try it with chicken or beef as well - I'd adjust the time for chicken to maybe 15 minutes but 20 minutes won't harm it....it will stay succulent in the spices and juices..
Also, for a vegetarian option, chick peas (either canned or soaked) and any other whole pulses would work really well.

Recipe #3 - Braised Cannellini Beans

This is taken from one of my all time favourite vegetarian cookbooks called 'Paradiso Seasons' by Dennis Cotter - I bought the book whilst staying at the rooms above his restaurant in Cork and it's a fantastic place. You can slow cook this recipe as he suggests in his book, but using a pressure cooker is just as good, saves a lot of time and, like Indian food, tastes better the longer you leave it - so cook the day before if you want and reheat the next day for a deeper flavour.

Ingredients:

400g dried cannellini beans
Olive oil - 150mls
White wine - 150mls
Vegetable stock - 200mls
Sprigs of thyme
Sprig of rosemary
4 cloves of garlic
4 sundried tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Soak the beans in cold water for 2 hours at least.
2. Place beans in pressure cooker with water (enough to cover the beans so about two inches of water), cook to High pressure for 10 minutes - then check. It is best to undercook than overcook as you don't want your beans to disintegrate! Do make sure they are cooked though.
3. Strain the beans, put back in the pot with the olive oil ( a fair amount, up to 150mls), 150mls of wine, the stock, thyme and rosemary.
4. Slice the garlic thinly, chop the sundried tomatoes and add to the beans
5. Season well
6. Now you can either simmer or even put in the oven for 30 minutes or so - I suggest another 3-5 minutes in the pressure cooker at High pressure to save time.

The longer you leave the beans, the more the beans will absorb the flavours around them and the liquid will come together to form a moist and well flavoured background sauce.

If you get the chance to seek this book out, I'm sure you will love it. Not only is it full of excellent recipes, but it's a great read too.

Recipe #2 - Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Winter is still with us - so what better than something both creative and homely - and once again better than anything you can buy in the shops. If you love pasta, this is great but you can also serve it with rice or mashed potato which of course you can cook in the pressure cooker at the same time - how eco is that?

Tip of the day on the Pressure Cooker front - always start your timings as soon as the pressure is reached; this is indicated by the 'hissing' noise which you will notice from your cooker. Also, always turn the heat down to low once you reach this point - thus saving fuel as well.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (serves four)

Ingredients: 750g minced beef, 1 onion chopped, 50g long grain rice, chilli powder (at least a quarter of a teaspoon), beaten egg, olive oil, 150ml water, tomato sauce, parsley.

Note on Tomato sauce - you can make your own quite easily but it needs to be smooth and not too thick. Horror of horrors! - I have used a tin of condensed tomato soup before (diluted with water as instructed on the can) and it works really well and saves time - but if you can, make your own. Also, I like to add garlic to the meatball mix but make sure its well chopped or crushed.......

Method:

1. Mix together the beef, onion, rice and chilli powder (and garlic if using) - season well.
2. Bind the mixture with the egg, then divide into 8 or 12 balls - I prefer smaller myself.
3. Heat the oil in the Pressure Cooker and brown your balls - not often you heard that instruction I would think! Make sure they are evenly browned.
4. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs
5. Seal the cooker and heat to high pressure - 15 minutes - then reduce at room temperature.

That's it! - serve with pasta like tagliatelle or noodles - they are best for this with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.
I love this dish and if you can make your own pasta, even better. It sounds simple but your guests will be really impressed. Nice bottle of gutsy red to go with it - result!

Well, I do hope your cooking is going well and that the speed of the Pressure Cooker is giving you lots of free time and amazing you with its deep concentrated flavours - have you converted any of your friends into buying one yet?

Recipe #1 - Soups

Well Hi again and thanks for all your feedback!



I think we all want recipes so I'm aiming for one a day if I can - seasonal of course and something that is inevitably quick - remember we are using a Pressure Cooker - and, more often than not, something that can be turned into something quite flash with the addition of creme fraiche, herbs or the usual chef presentation skills!



Just a note on Pressure Cookers......most have three settings, High, Medium and Low. High (15lb) pressure is suitable for most cooking; Medium (10lb) is best for vegetables and softening fruit for jams for example; Low (5lb) is good for steaming - puddings and Christmas Pudding for example. Most of the recipes I use, use High pressure but I will always say this in the instructions. Usually, just follow the instructions that come with you Pressure Cooker but always make sure there is enough liquid in the Cooker - this is what creates the steam after all.



Lentil Soup



Once you taste this and see how simple it is, you will never buy a can of lentil soup again!

You can vary the portions but simply, if you make it thick (ie. more lentils) you can add stock or water to make the right consistency at the end.



Ingredients: Onion, carrot, garlic, celery - all chopped, 1 litre stock (Bouillion is great or your own home made stock - see a later blog for this), tomato puree, cup of red lentils (about 175g), parsley if you want for garnish, salt and pepper.



Method:

1. Either place all the ingredients in the Pressure Cooker, adding salt and pepper to taste, seal the Pressure Cooker to High pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the pressure (you can do this quickly by placing in a bowl of cold water) and then liquidise.



or...... gently fry the onion, carrot, garlic and celery in a little olive oil for a few minutes in the Pressure Cooker, then add the stock, lentils, tomato puree and cook as above.



Once liquidized, pour into bowls and sprinkle a little chopped parsley on the top. I usually add a dollop of yoghurt or creme fraiche on the top and sprinkle the parsley on top of that.

You can also top with some dry-fried pumpkin seeds to give some crunch.

To make a hotter soup, add a red chilli at the frying stage (seeds and all!) or a tablespoon of Harissa (chilli paste).

Serve with French or chunky bread and cheese on top of the soup is also ace - Parmesan or cheddar work well



How easy is that! A brilliant soup in 10-15 minutes! Healthy, warm and just right for now.

If you make a thicker soup - basically a sauce - you can make Chilli Lentil Sauce and serve it with pasta or spaghetti. This is so good - if you don't believe me do give it a try. Children love it topped with cheese - but go easy on or omit the chilli for them!

You can make this soup the day before, it tastes even better, and freeze it too.



Hope you all try this and, until next time, happy Pressure Cooking!