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.