tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52296742850723793052024-03-17T02:24:30.274-07:00Green Cooking in a Pressure CookerGreen is in these days and so are high fuel and food prices. In an effort to improve your health, and that of the planet, Registered Dietitian and Culinary educator, Jill Nussinow, a.k.a. The Veggie Queen, will teach you about pressure cooking and how to use a pressure cooker. You'll save time, energy and money plus get great tasting and nutritious food as a bonus. You can learn more at http://www.pressurecookingonline.com.The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-85121758760229118142011-01-02T09:12:00.000-08:002011-01-02T09:45:16.216-08:002011 The Year of MY Pressure Cooking Cookbook<span style="font-family: verdana;">While this blog has been abandoned for quite some time since I am now blogging <a href="http://www.theveggiequeen.com/blog">at my main website</a>, it feels like time to do a little update here about what I have been up to in the pressure arena.<br /><br />I have been glued to my chair and chained to my kitchen (all in a good way) as I complete the final journey of writing my pressure cooking cookbook. My title is <span style="font-weight: bold;">The New Fast Food </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(TM)</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">: The Veggie Queen Cooks Whole Food Meals Under Pressure</span> (or something like that. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The publisher will likely rename the book and that's fine with me.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">). The book contains more than 100 vegetarian and vegan recipes for the pressure cooker which are suitable for anyone who eats. Before the book comes out in print, I will be releasing an ebook version of it, so keep your eyes and ears open.<br /><br />What I have learned in the writing of this book that was not evident to me over the past 15 years of teaching thousands of people about pressure cooking, is that the pressure cooking leaders, including my mentor Lorna Sass, Rick Rodgers, Laura of Hip Pressure Cooking and Miss Vickie among others, cannot agree on pressure cooking times. While I find this a bit surprising, I suspect that the reasons that I outline below might make sense of it.<br /><br />Why the differences in cooking times? Here are my guesses:<br /></span></span></span><ol style="font-family: verdana;"><li>We like our food cooked to a different consistency. I tend to like my vegetables al dente, on the firm side, while I like my beans and grains cooked thoroughly but not drowning in liquid.<br /></li><li>I prefer to under cook and put my pot back on pressure, if necessary, or cook on the stove top if more time is required. This relates to number 1.</li><li>We use different sizes of pressure cookers although that shouldn't really make much difference in cooking times since you don't start timing until your pot reaches pressure, and while the size of the cooker will influence how long it takes to reach pressure it doesn't affect the cooking time although it potentially could. There might be less steam circulating well with 1 cup of rice cooked in an 8 quart cooker than there is in a 4 quart cooker. This is just an off-the-top-of-my-head intuitive guess.</li><li>We use different makes and models of pressure cookers. Although I have found very little difference in cooking times among my cookers, which now include Fagor, B/R/K, Fissler, Magefesa and Kuhn Rikon, some of the pots might have better heat retaining properties which cause faster cooking. This is just a guess.</li></ol><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my mind, a pressure cooker is a pressure cooker, even the jiggle top models that I won't go near. It does a job. With that said, there are differences in the various brands of cookers, most of which are cosmetic but some effect efficiency and ease of use. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I explain it as the difference between driving a Honda or Toyota or Ford (if you want American) and driving a BMW or Mercedes. They will all get you to your destination. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The weight of the pot is a big issue for me. I prefer a medium weight pressure cooker versus a heavy weight one, yet I stay away from aluminum. With that said, a smaller pot that is heavy works as well for me as a medium weight medium sized pot. Most of you don't likely have that choice which is why you need to choose your first cooker to your liking. Once you are hooked, though, you'll likely find yourself ogling other pressure cookers, just like I have. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will be telling my pressure cooker love story in my book so stay tuned. I am still in love with pressure cooking and what it can do, more than 15 years after starting the process. I hope that I can inspire you to jump into using the greenest way to cook for your health and that of the planet. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jill@pressurecookingonline.com. </span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-77468573476350988882010-02-11T18:49:00.000-08:002010-02-11T19:53:03.010-08:002010 The Year of the Pressure Cooker Declares Lorna Sass<em><span style="font-family:verdana;">My friend, colleague and pressure cooking mentor, Lorna Sass, the Queen of pressure cooking, shared the following blog post for me to share with you. I hope that you will agree that the time has come for the pressure cooker to make its comeback. As I told Lorna, sometimes it takes 20 years for something to become an "overnight" success. This year Lorna has a newly revised and updated version of her seminal book, <strong>Cooking Under Pressure</strong>. Please read on for what Lorna has to say...</em></span> </span></em>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9z2x_4yjw_4HwMrDDcR1xXB6zIEquy3etaQFKhBo2RXBCai36ApeEXQcZdrKm8wocTFwQHpaEZBnOYi6JZygDF8sN1El3a3D1_VAKJMKnsN88BzXAGfScseSLodRlzNVaaV8Ni3FpXIk/s1600-h/CookingUnderPressure.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437198045996908498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9z2x_4yjw_4HwMrDDcR1xXB6zIEquy3etaQFKhBo2RXBCai36ApeEXQcZdrKm8wocTFwQHpaEZBnOYi6JZygDF8sN1El3a3D1_VAKJMKnsN88BzXAGfScseSLodRlzNVaaV8Ni3FpXIk/s320/CookingUnderPressure.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">For the Chinese, February 14 will begin the Year of the Tiger. For Mac users, it’s the Year of the Snow Leopard. For me, it’s the Year of the Pressure Cooker. </span>
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<br />Just when I was about to give up hope that American cooks would ever give up their paranoia about the dangers of pressure cooking, some very good things began to happen.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">
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<br />Carolyn Russock pressure-cooked her way through the 20th anniversary edition of COOKING UNDER PRESSURE and wrote rave reviews of the 30-minute chicken broth and French-style beef stew, the 4-minute risotto, and the ultra-fast baked beans in a 5-day series for the very popular foodie blog, </span><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/01/cook-the-book-boeuf-en-daube-provencal-french-beef-stew-pressure-cooker-recipe.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Serious Eats.</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Dozens of comments document the growing number of the people who are pressure cooking on a daily basis and understand that today’s cookers are 100% safe.</span>
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<br />The same week, Paula Crossfield wrote </span><a href="http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/pressure-cooking-fast-healthy-eating/?apage=1#comments"><span style="font-family:verdana;">an enthusiastic column for popular online blog, Bitten</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> about how she became a pressure cooker convert. Again lots of enthusiastic cooks wrote in to sing their praises of pressure cooking.</span>
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<br />An NPR piece on pressure cooking is soon to hit the national airwaves, and a few other major voices are about to get the word out that pressure cooking is not only safe, but terrific for what I call the four P’s: planet, palate, person, and purse.
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<br />Great for the planet because it’s so fuel efficient.
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<br />Great for the palate because the pressure-cooker mingles flavors quickly, giving food the soul-satisfying appeal of a long-cooked meal.
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<br />Great for the person because even the hurried or impatient cook can prepare healthy food in a flash.
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<br />Great for the purse because the pressure cooker is ace at tenderizing tough cuts of meat and cooking whole grains, beans and other inexpensive ingredients in record time.
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<br />How does the pressure cooker work its magic? In the vacuum-sealed cooker, water boils at 242 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the standard 212 degrees. At this higher-than-normal boiling point temperature, food cooks in one-third or less the normal time. That’s why many Top Chefs are relying on the pressure cooker to help them win.
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<br />I’m no Top Chef in any kind of competition, but last Sunday was so cold out that I was tempted to stay in bed and read. Then hunger struck. I didn’t want to go out and shop, so I decided to devise a hearty pressure-cooked soup from ingredients in my pantry.
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<br />In celebration of the Year of the Pressure Cooker, I put on my chef’s jacket and asked The Sweetie to make a video of the process. About 30 minutes later we were eating a mighty fine Curried Split Pea Soup that cost under $8 and made 4 hearty portions.
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<br />Take a look at the video and then let me know if you decide to help make 2010 the Year of the Pressure Cooker, all the while eating better, faster, cheaper, and more eco-friendly than you ever have before.
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<br />In the first video, I show you how to assemble the ingredients in the pressure cooker and lock on the lid. In the second, I show you how to release the pressure and stir in some last-minute ingredients for a punch for flavor and a fresh finish.
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<br />NOTE: <em>Due to my technological inability to put videos on this site, I will refer you to Lorna's original post on her site so that you </em><a href="http://bit.ly/cDdVlD"><em>can see the videos</em></a><em> or you can look at the </em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwzaMOBdW_4&feature=player_embedded"><em>You Tube video directly</em></a><em>.
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<br /><em>I hope that you'll help convert more people to the joys of pressure cooking. Please leave a comment on this blog if you love pressure cooking and tell me about your favorite dish.</em></span>
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<br />The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-23104113328668804232010-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:002010-01-04T12:38:38.411-08:00Black Eyed Pea Soup with Brown Rice, Corn and Peppers<span style="font-family:verdana;">The title of this soup doesn't do it justice but if writing this post means that I will delay any longer then this title will stick for now. I haven't posted here in (I hate to admit this) almost 4 months. But you can always check </span><a href="http://www.theveggiequeen.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">out my other blog</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> where I post more frequently (or less infrequently). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I made this soup on New Year's Eve as a way to bring good luck in the new year. I usually make <a href="http://bit.ly/7AnpBZ">Jumpin' John </a>(the vegetarian version of Hoppin' John) but decided to do something new this year as we were having a soup and salad dinner for New Year's Eve with a friend. I made Mushroom Barley Soup and this one. They were both quite delicious, and the mushroom soup provides <a href="http://bit.ly/oUFxP">incredible immune-boosting properties</a> but this year I will go for good luck.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I hope that you like this soup. I make it in the pressure cooker, of course, but it can be made stove top. You can substitute other grains such as wild rice (cook longer) or barley for the brown rice if you like. This pretty soup is filling and gluten-free. Add more herbs and spices, to season it the way that you like it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422937237813773202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 396px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 301px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSc6mnmLejjD2MCe0il_Oejl5ZWsgllNhbBAewvGYmTsMu793FanJPbV2jvZ_-47L1d3l0JTUMk31-Hd-ICR5PnbTgjXE4NHOuJjxVPjLqDV_NGb_rv7Y0O-uJyFhy3JSCAT-nVZ11Ygq/s320/black+eyed+pea+soup+005+sm.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Black Eyed Pea Soup with Brown Rice, Corn and Roasted Peppers<br /></strong>This soup is easy for to make any time since almost all the ingredients, except greens, are pantry or freezer staples.<br />Serves 4-6<br />20 minutes at pressure, quick release, 2 minutes at pressure, natural release<br /><br />1-2 teaspoons olive or other oil (optional)<br />1 medium onion, diced<br />1 tablespoon cumin seeds<br />1 teaspoon ground cardamom or coriander </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 cloves garlic, minced<br />1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste<br />1 cup brown rice<br />4 cups homemade vegetable stock<br />1 cup black eyed peas, soaked overnight or quick soaked<br />1 cup frozen corn, not thawed<br />½ diced roasted red pepper<br />½ cup chopped nettles or other greens such as kale or collards<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />More crushed red pepper, to taste<br />Chopped cilantro, if you have it<br /><br />Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spices and garlic, and stir to combine. Add the rice and stir that to coat with oil and spices. Add the stock and lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure. Lower heat to maintain high pressure for 20 minutes.<br />Quick release the pressure and add the remaining ingredients, up to the salt. Bring back to high pressure for 2 more minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and let the pressure come down naturally. Stir in the salt, crushed red pepper and cilantro.<br /><br />Note: If you have leftover soup, it will likely get very thick and you might need to thin it with more stock. If that happens when cooking, add stock until soup is desired thickness. I really like thick and chunky soup.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong></strong></span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-62388899602017102009-08-09T12:20:00.000-07:002009-08-09T12:57:27.050-07:00Will Blog for Lunch, Dinner or Breakfast: Quickly in my Pressure Cooker<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX1JEwuxLqBs2NBnUU5iEe0Za1TZwKjZVibQs872oPs-sg-pEPkn03joLDOLdvTyPQCRWXYavgBovrNBz-QSkeuiv4RdfH-EHZCs9QszB_6pRqdcpW_faa9SkzO18rOrRIBT5WYLjHTH3/s1600-h/African+Curry+Potato+corn.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368051517829153954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX1JEwuxLqBs2NBnUU5iEe0Za1TZwKjZVibQs872oPs-sg-pEPkn03joLDOLdvTyPQCRWXYavgBovrNBz-QSkeuiv4RdfH-EHZCs9QszB_6pRqdcpW_faa9SkzO18rOrRIBT5WYLjHTH3/s320/African+Curry+Potato+corn.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Some bloggers concoct recipes because they have a keen desire to publish and photograph them. I have a keen desire to eat -- at least 3 meals and a number of snacks a day. Since this is a blog about pressure cooking, I am not going to mention any raw food that I eat, but I do that, too. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Today, I did a take off of one of my own recipes for the pressure cooker: Green and Red Bean African Curry which is a riff on an African Curry recipe that I learned from Shuli and Ronit of </span><a href="http://www.wholespice.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Whole Spice</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, which is where I get the mighty delicious African curry powder. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Today the curry did not contain red beans (kidney) but did have marinated Zesty Lemon tempeh from Lightlife Foods, as well as potatoes. At the end of cooking I added some corn cut off the cob, which I cooked on the cob last night for 2 minutes in the pressure cooker. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The whole dish requires about 3 minutes at pressure. I say about because I used freshly dug potatoes and they sometimes only require a couple of minutes cooking. I do this dish in increments, using a quick release in between. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Here's what I discovered:</span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was hungry and I ate a lot of this for lunch.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">I prefer to marinate my own tempeh and do not care for the Lightlife but like the Turtle Island brand marinated tempeh better.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">The dish really does taste better with kidney beans but I didn't have any, and wanted a protein component. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">This curry, like many others, is highly adaptable and many seasonal vegetables could be added or substituted. I thought about adding summer squash or greens but that thought quickly left my head as I started cooking because I was so hungry.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">I still love my pressure cooker and what it does for me, and how quickly it does it. I can have a meal in almost no time -- less than 15 minutes from cutting board to mouth. </span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">And that's why I blog -- for meals. If you want the recipe for the African curry, please leave a comment or email me <a href="mailto:jill@pressurecookingonline.com">jill@pressurecookingonline.com</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">If you are interested in learning more about pressure cookers or how to use them please <a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/">visit my pressure cooking website</a>.</span></p><p> </p><p> </p>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-90574134961089410552009-05-19T06:28:00.000-07:002009-05-19T06:38:32.383-07:00Pressure Cooking Millet Stuffed Artichokes<span style="font-family:verdana;">Susan from Fat Free Vegan just wrote a wonderful post about </span><a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/05/millet-stuffed-artichokes.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Millet-Stuffed Artichokes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. What Susan didn't say is that you can cook the millet in the pressure cooker in just 5 minutes at pressure. Read about </span><a href="http://pressurecooking.blogspot.com/2008/12/perfect-pressure-cooked-millet-for.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">cooking millet here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Don't underestimate what your pressure cooker can do for you. It's the most amazing piece of cookware that I own, and use it almost daily. In fact, I just came back from visiting my mother and now she has a pressure cooker, thanks to her daughter (that's me). And I got to use hers. What a joy.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My sisters both have, and use, pressure cookers, too. If you want to help the people that you love eat better tasting and, possibly better-for-them, food buy them a pressure cooker and teach them how to use it. You can watch the <a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/">beginning of my DVD here</a> or watch my You Tube videos at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/TheVQ"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TheVQ</span></a>. I am also always happy to answer any questions that you have. You can leave comments here or email me at <a href="mailto:jill@pressurecookingonline">jill@pressurecookingonline</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Here's to a great PC experience -- artichokes and all.</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-63229944906572406232009-05-04T10:28:00.000-07:002009-05-04T10:46:30.619-07:00Pressure Cooking Steel Cut Oats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YyEE4qnod2PcpChE0338BuqX9DJyLqIVehm623m2rg57LhH3-8gTh2aSp8AFWkoTYSAyOfEiF1JAEDmqCum2pCmyktlnDwWXxlMHDSMk3l8ozCmTByamxfKSSlva_I_jYArzy0sO0vA7/s1600-h/cereal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332024730168657314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YyEE4qnod2PcpChE0338BuqX9DJyLqIVehm623m2rg57LhH3-8gTh2aSp8AFWkoTYSAyOfEiF1JAEDmqCum2pCmyktlnDwWXxlMHDSMk3l8ozCmTByamxfKSSlva_I_jYArzy0sO0vA7/s320/cereal.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Over at <a href="http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/04/30/steel-cut-oatmeal/#more-2139">Pinch My Salt</a> people are going <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ga</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ga</span> over steel cut oats. And they have to cook them for at least 25 minutes.</span> <div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I, too, like steel cut oats and in fact Alex of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Facebook</span> group <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=35730335780&ref=ts">Lorna Sass is my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">homegirl</span></a> reviewed my DVD and saw that I have a recipe for a cooked cereal. He asked about cooking steel cut oats. And the recipe for that is the same as any chunky grain cereal.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Take 3 cups of liquid -- I like to use 2 cups water and 1 cup nondairy milk. I add a cinnamon stick or two, the oats or other grain, and a pinch of salt. I lock the lid on my pressure cooker and bring to high pressure over high heat. I set my timer for 3 minutes. When the cooker gets to high heat, turn the heat down and get your timer going. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">After 3 minutes, move the pot off the hot burner and let the pressure come down naturally. Open the lid carefully, and add what you like. I like to take out the cinnamon sticks, and add ground flax, raisins, chopped up apple, toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds, and a bit of agave or maple syrup for sweetener. It's a filling meal. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Remember that whole grains (or even steel cut ones) are good for you. If you don't want to make your own and dole it out for daily dishes which is a great idea, you can go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Jamba</span> Juice where they are now selling organic steel cut oats. Unfortunately for me, they cook them in milk but at least they have them. <a href="http://theveggiequeen.blogspot.com/2009/01/organic-steel-cut-oats-at-jamba-juice.html">Read more here.</a> </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you like this post you can sign up to get information from me monthly through my newsletter by going to </span><a href="http://www.pressureocookingonline.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">my pressure cooking website</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.<br /></span><div></div></div>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-8802509432785951742009-03-20T18:06:00.000-07:002009-03-20T18:19:14.799-07:00Getting People Excited About Pressure Cooking<span style="font-family:verdana;">I am just returning from a half-day workshop that I presented to the employees of the San Diego Red Cross <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WIC</span> (Women, Infant's and Children) office. There's nothing like packing one's pressure cooker in their suitcase, as I did but it worked out just fine. Cooking while on the road, without a kitchen, isn't my favorite thing to do but I can certainly handle it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I made red and white <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">quinoa</span>, and along with it I made a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tempeh</span> dish with dried mushrooms, red and orange peppers, finished with pea shoot sprouts. It was mixed with Drew's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">shiitake</span> ginger dressing, as a way to get around buying entire bottles of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tamari</span> and olive oil. I didn't taste it but it smelled heavenly to me.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Since today was the Great American Meat-Out, I got to showcase vegetarian foods, along with the microgreens and edible flower products from Fresh Origins. I tell you that you haven't lived until you've tried baby orchids which taste something like cucumbers. The Buzz buttons (or at least that's what I think that they were called, were quite interesting for people since they make your tongue tingle.) Tofurky donated the 5 Grain tempeh which was excellent. I don't get it at my store so I was especially happy to serve it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The topic of my talk was Mindful Eating to Boost Your Energy and Soothe Your Soul. I think that I presented enough ways for people to become more mindful of their eating, along with ways for them to carry it out such as batch cooking, and using the freezer as your pantry. This is one of my favorite ways to make my cooking life easy.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Using the pressure cooker also makes it fast. So no need to buy frozen brown rice when you can make your own.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My biggest hope with the group was that I could help dispel the myths that pressure cookers are dangerous and can blow up, while introducing the group of almost 100 to foods that they'd never tried. I am sure that I did that. The pressure cooking went on without a hitch and my cooker is once again packed in my suitcase, awaiting its return trip to Santa Rosa. (Think 38 pound suitcase, ugh.) I still think that home-cooking is best so give it a try without taking it on the road.</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-44544430616786977772009-02-21T08:25:00.000-08:002009-02-21T08:28:23.962-08:00Veggie Queen Cooks Under Pressure with John Ash<span style="font-family:verdana;">I am rushing off to the farmer's market to buy ingredients so that I can appear on the radio this morning. I will be demonstrating live, how to use a pressure cooker to make 2 of the recipes on my DVD <strong><a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/pressure-cooker-store.html">Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes</a></strong>. I will be on KSRO, 1350 am here in Sonoma County, on the Good Food Hour with John Ash and Steve Garner at 11 am PST.<br /><br />I will be making Shane's Fabulous Lentil Soup and Market Fresh Breakfast Tofu, Potatoes and Vegetables. I have not yet done live radio pressure cooking but I am sure that all will go just fine. It's a beautiful day and we will be out at Bassignani's Nursery in Sebastopol on a live broadcast.<br /><br />I am really excited to see what gems appear at the market this morning to go into my vegetable dish. That surely will help relieve the pressure.</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-16653347383597401602009-02-20T09:19:00.000-08:002009-02-20T10:23:51.051-08:00Pressure Cooker Accident Implicated in Burned 14-year Old in Florida<span style="font-family:verdana;">With so much fear surrounding pressure cookers and pressure cooking, why would I be telling you about something so tragic?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The story that I read in <em>The Miami Herald</em> said that the girl was cooking with an adult when the accident happened. No further details except that the girl was seriously burned about the face, hands and neck. That is just awful. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My best guess is that she and the adult with her were using an old-fashioned pressure cooker. And that the pressure got too high or they weren't patient enough to wait for the pressure to come down before removing the pressure valve -- and <strong>BOOM</strong>, a horrible explosion of burning hot food spewed from the cooker. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I am no detective (possibly perhaps of the Columbo type) but I am surmising that impatience was the cause of the incident because the girl was obviously close to the cooker to get burned in that manner. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My advice -- unless you feel completely comfortable using an old-fashioned pressure cooker that you have used faithfully for years, <strong>ONLY</strong> use a modern spring-valve type cooker. I have used them successfully with my students for about 8 years at Santa Rosa Junior College and we have not had one incident of explosions or burns (the latter of which can easily happen with the 250 degree F. steam). It's not due to my luck because I have had other things happen in class which have involved paramedics and nurses, but I won't divulge here.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">There are many of us online, and out in the world, who agree that tragedies like this can be prevented. We successfully use our pressure cookers almost daily (I'll speak for myself here.) The modern pressure cooker is built with safety in mind. Once you've achieved pressure you cannot open the pot and this prevents any kind of explosions and accidents. So, do yourself a favor and cook the modern pressure cooking way.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I'd love to hear your comments and questions.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-35540154320049551092009-01-24T14:58:00.001-08:002009-01-24T15:01:47.763-08:00Fagor Duo Pressure Cooker Giveaway and The Veggie Queen Guest Blog Post<span style="font-family:verdana;">The Meal Makeover Moms are now pressure cooker converts. They are giving away a pressure cooker to one of the people who comments on their blog. Read the post by </span><a href="http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com/2009/01/pressure-cooker-giveaway-moms-best-friend/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">clicking here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I hope that you win the pressure cooker. If you don't, maybe you aren't aware that I sell pressure cookers </span><a href="http://www.theveggiequeen.com/products.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">on my website</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, along with my pressure cooking DVD which is what I think helped "The Moms" get over their pressure cooker fear. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Pressure cooking is easy and with a new pressure cooker it's pretty foolproof. Let me know what you think by posting a comment here. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Next month I think that I might be giving away a pressure cooker set. Still thinking about it. Any thoughts? Any questions? Do I hear shrill screams? I hope not. I mean it when I say that pressure cooking can change your life. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I know that investing in a pressure cooker can seem like a big deal. I think that you can save enough to pay for it in just months. Heck, if it saves you from eating out just once a week, it would be even faster. I call it the easiest, fastest and greenest way to make the "new fast food". </span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-48248662691237927892009-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:002009-02-15T09:32:19.681-08:00Pressure Cooker Brown Rice Recipe<span style="font-family:verdana;">I don't need to write much about a recipe for pressure cooking brown rice because all it takes is rice, water and salt, and the salt is optional. So, I'll tell you a bit about using the modern pressure cooker while I am here. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup brown rice, 1 1/2 cups water or stock</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />This kind of pressure cooker doesn't have a jiggler. It has a little button that pops up to let you know that the pot is at pressure. You can watch the button in action <a href="http://pressurecookingonline.com/">by clicking on the video on my website</a>.<br /><p>In my DVD <strong>Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes, </strong>I cook red rice with lentils. I use a long grain red rice from Thailand which keeps turning out different with varying amounts of water and rice. So far, 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water, cooked for 9 to 10 minutes with a natural pressure release seems to work fine, most of the time. </p><p>Here's the rub with cooking grains -- how they cook depends upon that batch of grains, how old it is, how it's been stored which effects the moisture level, and other intangible factors. So, following the recipe will work most of the time. You need a jumping off point so this might help.</p><p>Another tip: when cooking more than 1 cup of rice, reduce the amount of liquid by 1/4 cup for each additional cup of grain. Here's how this translates into cooking: for the 1st cup of brown rice you use 1 1/2 cups water and for the second cup you use 1 1/4 cups water. Two cups of brown rice requires 2 3/4 cups water in the pressure cooker. This works well for stove top cooking, too. </p><p>I do this because I do not care for soggy grains. Do you?</p></span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-25496274677707653122008-12-31T19:05:00.000-08:002008-12-31T19:09:04.461-08:00Pressure Cooked Hoppin' John to Start the New Year<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=15519244&postID=190472697038584215"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Take a look at my blog post </span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">on my other blog (</span><a href="http://www.theveggiequeen.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">http://www.theveggiequeen.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">) for my version of Hoppin' John which I call Jumpin' John because I obviously do a vegan (no ham bone) version. It tastes great.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Happy New year to y'all.</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-61468830305041390922008-12-17T15:54:00.000-08:002008-12-17T16:09:12.161-08:00Pressure Cooking DVD Gets Two Good Reviews<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o7cxayRHDZMwOPTjJ9kS8bsI80o7KBw4SCoAdUTQzLxYaSdOj8xbIJnWjVZ6I22i99fmswzIZZXrG5IoCP2_atzlc0gPiCGWIDrwis2wnLC-nAH3eS2XOdPYs7fx6RHjeisIZk2jgWj4/s1600-h/Jillcooking_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280915132317975682" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 75px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o7cxayRHDZMwOPTjJ9kS8bsI80o7KBw4SCoAdUTQzLxYaSdOj8xbIJnWjVZ6I22i99fmswzIZZXrG5IoCP2_atzlc0gPiCGWIDrwis2wnLC-nAH3eS2XOdPYs7fx6RHjeisIZk2jgWj4/s320/Jillcooking_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">It brings me great joy to get people actually using their pressure cookers. It's a tool that can change your cooking life and lead you easily to healthier and more delicious eating, all while saving time and energy. It's green, lean and delicious -- a truly unbeatable combo.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Read what others have to say about my DVD. </span><a href="http://www.godairyfree.org/Product-Reviews/Books-and-Cookbooks/DVD-Pressure-Cooking-A-Fresh-Look-Delicious-Dishes-in-Minutes.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">At GoDairyFree.Org</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Sarena made the black beans and loved them and the fact that they took about 10 minutes to cook, from start to finish (after presoaking). On <a href="http://lisareviews.com/2008/12/16/countdown-to-christmas-dvds/">Lisa Reviews</a> you'll need to scroll down the page to see that Lisa realized I was telling the truth when I said, "If you can boil water, you can pressure cook."</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">If you've been afraid of the pressure cooker, I want to encourage to take the next step. Buy one and try it. It's one of the best holiday and New Year's gifts that you can give yourself. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But if you want to wait, Valentine's Day is a good time, too. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I am always happy to answer pressure cooking questions at <a href="mailto:jill@pressurecookingonline.com">jill@pressurecookingonline.com</a>. My DVD is available on my website at <a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/">http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/</a>. </span></div>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-17258677763353059842008-12-16T12:42:00.001-08:002008-12-16T13:10:41.326-08:00The Veggie Queen's Black Lentil, Winter Vegetable and Wild Rice Soup<span style="font-family:verdana;">For many people, including me, yesterday was a cold day. I am not complaining but 40 degrees F. for us Northern California weather weenies is cold. But it's perfect soup weather. And if you've read any of my blog posts, you know that it's likely that I will pull out my pressure cooker and get to work making a fast soup.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I actually spent a bit more time (maybe 2 more minutes) thinking about this soup because I would have preferred barley but my husband doesn't really like it, or at least he doesn't think that he does. He actually prefers white rice but I'm not using that so...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Wild rice seemed like a happy compromise. I also wanted to use lentils and the black ones called to me. They are called Beluga black lentils because they look like caviar. I realized that my soup was going to be awfully dark, so I also added carrot, parsnip, celery and celery root, along with purple potatoes. After the initiail cooking, a peeled and ready to use kabocha squash showed up on my doorstep (you ought to see what shows up here -- usually edible, delicious and free) and that also got added.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Here is my best stab at the recipe. It's a highly adaptable soup so take what you like and leave the rest. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Takes 20 minutes at high pressure with a natural pressure release.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>Black Lentil, Winter Vegetable and Wild Rice Soup</strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Makes about 2 quarts</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1 tablespoon oil (optional)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1 medium onion, diced</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2 stalks celery, diced</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1 bay leaf</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2 medium purple potatoes, diced</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1 small parsnip, diced</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1/2 cup diced celery root (also called celeriac)</span></div>1 medium carrot, diced<br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1/3 cup black beluga, or other, lentils</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2/3 cup wild rice</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">6 cups homemade vegetable stock </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1 1/2 cups diced squash</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Salt, pepper and herbs to taste</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Add the oil to the cooker over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for a minute or 2. Add the garlic and celery and saute another minute. Add the remaining ingredients except squash,salt, pepper and herbs and lock on the pressure cooker lid. Bring to high pressure, then lower the heat to maintain high pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Open the lid carefully and add the squash, salt, pepper and your favorite herb blend. I used organic vegetable rub but Italian or your favorite seasoning would be good, too. This is a blank canvas, waiting for you to add color.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Lock the lid back on and bring to high pressure for another 3 minutes, or simmer on the stove top until the squash is done. Quick release the pressure. Serve hot. If you have any fresh green herbs such as parsley, cilantro or chives, they would make this soup look and taste even better (than it already is).</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Do NOT do what I did, which was stir the soup and then put it back on the heat. The cooked lentils will sink to the bottom and burn.</span></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Add more stock or water, if the soup is too thick. I like mine thick. It's a meal in a bowl. Serve with salad and/or bread.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Enjoy.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-23371557777752839862008-12-05T13:25:00.000-08:002008-12-16T18:15:12.572-08:00Perfect Pressure Cooked Millet for VegNews<span style="font-family:verdana;">This past Tuesday I was the guest chef at VegNews magazine for their special Cafe VegNews lunch. You can read more about it on their website: <a href="http://http//cafevegnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/award-winning-african-stew.html">http://http://cafevegnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/award-winning-african-stew.html</a></span><a href="http://www.cafevegnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/award-winning-african-stew.html"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I made my prize-winning recipe for Spicy African Sweet Potato and Ground Nut Stew which wasn't very spicy that day. What goes along with it is millet. And I must admit unabashedly that it was the best millet that I've had in a long time. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Here is how I made it. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>Basic Pressure Cooked Millet</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Serves 4-6</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">1 1/2 cups millet</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2 1/2 cups water</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">salt, to taste, add after cooking</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I heated the pressure cooker over medium heat and added the millet, stirring it often until it began to pop. When I could smell that it was toasty, I added the water and locked on the pressure cooker lid. I brought it to pressure. Turned down the heat to maintain high pressure and cooked it for 10 minutes. I took it off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally, which took about 5 minutes. When I carefully opened the pot, the millet looked great. But I had to travel at least 20 minutes to get to the VegNews office so I just grabbed the cooker and went.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">When I was finally ready to serve, I could tell that I had completely nailed the millet. Wooo hooo!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I've found that the key to cooking great grains is to keep them from stewing in liquid. So I add the suggested amount for the first cup and then decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup for each additional cup of grain. It seems to work just about every time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">If you don't eat millet, give it a try. It's the "bird seed" grain that's popular in Japan, China and Africa. It's gluten-free and non-acidic, which means that it's easy to digest. Not expensive either. </span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-14986436687832258282008-11-24T09:22:00.000-08:002008-11-28T14:42:46.443-08:00Pressure Cooker versus Slow Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">As you well know, I am a big fan of the pressure cooker and not at all a fan of the slow cooker (the one I have was my grandmother's and see has been gone 20 years), although I do believe that for some people the slow cooker can do the job well. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was reading a blog post about the pressure cooker vs. slow cooker here </span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://feebeez.blogspot.com/2008/11/pressure-cooker-vs-slow-cooker.html">http://feebeez.blogspot.com/2008/11/pressure-cooker-vs-slow-cooker.html</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">. This woman uses her cooker and understands the benefits. So rather than me go on and on about it, I'll let Fiona do it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">She also lists some pressure cooker recipes. Despite the fact that she is a fan of Miss Vickie's, I will attribute that to the fact that my pressure cooking book is not yet in the world. She also mentions Lorna Sass who is my pressure cooking mentor.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you don't or can't plan your meals hours in advance, and want great tasting food, then get yourself a modern pressure cooker, and start using it. It will change your cooking life but as with all other things in life, there are no guarantees. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I will promise you,, though, that I will help guide you through the process, if you need me to. You can email me at </span><a href="mailto:jill@pressurecookingonline.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">jill@pressurecookingonline.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. </span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-70548231519880087092008-11-22T13:45:00.000-08:002008-11-22T13:58:07.994-08:00People No Longer Feel Under Pressure with a Pressure Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">The past 2 Saturday mornings at the farmer's market have been pure joy for me. Right at the beginning of shopping, I have connected with people regarding pressure cookers. I had not even started shopping last week when K., a student from my class 2 days earlier, saw me. She told me that she'd used her pressure cooker to make soup and it was fabulous. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Just a few minutes later while I was buying Satsuma mandarin tangerines, another woman who I don't know by name but have seen at the market often, told me that she bought a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fagor</span> set on sale at Macy's and just loves it. Wow, and it only gets better.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The same thing pretty much happened today. Now maybe this has something to do with my being on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">KRCB</span> (public) radio's show Mouthful last Sunday but other people told me that their fear of the pressure cooker has subsided.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">K. said that she'd used her cooker quite a number of times since last week, and that she is no longer afraid. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Yippeee</span>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Mari told me that I haven't seen her on Saturday mornings because she's now doing yoga at that time (I guess that she had today off.). She credits the yoga and using her pressure cooker as methods for relieving the stress in her life, and making life bearable. (I hope that it's more than that.) Mari did ask about cooking broccoli and how long it takes. Just a minute with a quick release, I told her.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But Amy, who sent me an email message yesterday, said that her husband loves her 2-minute pressure cooked broccoli and he hadn't been a big broccoli fan. He likes it because it doesn't taste <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sulfury</span>. Amy told me that she is making lots of other food in her cooker, too. Healthier eating, the quick and easy way, I say, and Amy agrees.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And after I left the market today I drove to another store. As I was walking to the entrance, a woman stopped me and said that she'd taken a pressure cooking class with me at Santa Rosa Junior College. I think that was more than 10 years ago, and was a one time class. But she told me that she'd heard me on the radio, and gone out and bought a pressure cooker. She's using it and loving it because it saves her so much time and energy.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And if I can help anyone relieve the pressure in their life and eat healthier, I am just thrilled. Today, I am beaming. I hope that you'll think about using a pressure cooker -- no pressure, no fear.</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-58324785509196578312008-11-07T14:49:00.000-08:002008-11-14T08:49:28.276-08:00The Veggie Queen Reviews the Fissler Pressure Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">I have been so excited about trying my new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fissler</span> 4 1/2 quart pressure cooker but have not had the time. I have been busy teaching. But I have some time now that I can do it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have run a few tests on it but have to compare it to the others that I have. I wouldn't really make it as a scientist as I am a bit more creative than most of them. Instead of starting with the water test, I started by cooking in it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">First, let me say that if heft is a positive criteria, then the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fissler</span> cooker wins in that department. It feels like the heaviest, most durable cooker of any that I own. But for some people, that's not such a great thing. It does get extra points for good looks and design -- very pleasing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The special waffled interior surface is interesting. It might work very well for searing meat or browning chicken breasts but as a vegetarian or vegan, the dimples don't seem to serve much purpose, at least not to me. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, I cooked my braised tofu, potato and vegetable dish, same as I always do. And I did have different results. When I opened the pot after 2 minutes of cooking the potatoes and tofu, the tofu looked good. I added the greens and green beans and cooked another minute at pressure. When I opened the pot, the resulting dish was a bit more overcooked than usual, with the potatoes turning mushy, and the green beans just a bit overcooked. I ate the dish anyway.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">After cleaning the pot, which was a breeze, I did the water test in it. It took more than 3 minutes to reach pressure which is about 1 minute longer than most of the other cookers. This really is not a big deal. More important is that the pressure release takes a bit longer than with the other cookers. And most important is that after coming to pressure and doing a quick release, 2 of the 8 ounces of water was lost. As I usually use very little liquid in my vegetable recipes, this could be important. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am going to ponder what else to make in this beautifully designed heavy cooker to see how it performs on a regular basis. Watch for Part 2 of this post. </span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-63745164769801172062008-11-04T10:00:00.000-08:002008-11-06T20:53:36.439-08:00Transforming Your Recipes for The Pressure Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">Transforming your recipes from stove top cooking to pressure cooking is fairly easy. First, your original recipe must have some kind of liquid in it, as that is what will get your cooker to pressure. The pressure cooker is best for soup, stew, chili, braises and mock stir-fries, as well as beans, grains and vegetables. I feel like an expert in the latter since I do this very often with whatever local produce I have available.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Yesterday I cooked colored cauliflower and purple and yellow potatoes with carrots. I used only about 2/3 of a cup of stock (made easily earlier in just 5 minutes at pressure), and there was plenty of liquid to get to pressure plus a bit left over which gets absorbed by the potatoes as the dish sits. I don't like my veggie dishes to be watery but sometimes it happens. If it does, you can remove the vegetables and cook down the remaining liquid.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">When reducing the liquid, you use less but how much less truly depends upon what you are cooking. When I cook <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">presoaked</span> beans, I use only 1/2 cup per 1 cup of soaked beans. In my tofu braises, I only use about 1/4 cup of liquid. Obviously for soup, it really doesn't matter much. Just remember that most cookers don't lose a lot of liquid in cooking, and if you are adding vegetables that release water, that will add to the liquid as nothing boils away.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Pressure cooking is a great way to cook. If you have any questions, you can always shoot me an email at <a href="mailto:jill@pressurecookingonline.com">jill@pressurecookingonline.com</a>. I'd love to hear from you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-20884506165689681142008-11-01T18:37:00.000-07:002008-11-02T19:14:30.995-08:00Pressure Cooking to Relieve the Pressure in the Kitchen<span style="font-family:verdana;">It's been a long <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">time</span> since I've posted here. I have been wanting to write about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fissler</span> pressure cooker but first needed to finish up a bunch of non-pressure cooking projects which only happen in the fall when it's harvest time. You can read </span><a href="http://www.theveggiequeen.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">http://www.theveggiequeen.blogspot.com </span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">to see what else I've been up to -- lots of drying, making, putting away.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, finally I unpacked the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fissler</span> from the box and I am contemplating what tests I should put it through. I may just do one of my standard recipes to see what happens but first I always start with water. This way I can get a feel for what the cooker can do. Then, I'll get going on food. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Since I just cooked a big pot of black beans and another of brown <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">basmati</span> rice in some of my other cookers, I don't need to repeat those dishes. I've baked tofu twice in the past 2 days for 2 different Halloween parties but some braised tofu would be just fine. So, watch for the next post which will be the review.</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-56953070683398675172008-10-23T14:50:00.000-07:002008-11-06T20:54:13.124-08:00New Gasket for My Fagor Pressure Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">I got a new gasket -- it made my pressure cooker feel like new, almost. I hadn't ever bought a gasket for any of my cookers. But my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fagor</span> 4-quart gets used often so after just 5 or so years of being used many times each week, it just didn't seem to work as expected. It was leaking a bit and I figured that spending $10 for a new gasket was a good investment.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Remember that your cooker is only as good as the seal that it makes which is the process for it getting to pressure. And using my cooker is very important so...</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-75193135400115074842008-09-26T12:40:00.000-07:002008-10-01T08:18:05.173-07:00Fine Cooking Reviews Fissler Pressure Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">Today at the store the checker asked me if I'd like a copy of Fine Cooking magazine that was going to be discarded. I said, "Sure", figuring that there would be something interesting in it. And there was.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">They have a review of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fissler</span> 4.2 quart 10-inch wide pressure cooker. They loved it. Cost: $265 but it comes with a glass lid and a steamer basket. That's a hefty price tag. For about half that amount you can buy a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fagor</span> Duo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Combi</span> <a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/dvd/pressure-cookers.html">http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/dvd/pressure-cookers.html</a> set that has 2 cookers and 1 lid, plus a glass lid and a basket. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I cannot comment on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fissler</span> cooker but hope to get my hands on one sometime soon. It'll have to be a loaner for me to give it a test drive, as I am not likely to spend that kind of money for a pressure cooker since I have a bunch of them already.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">To watch me use the pressure cooker you can go to my website at <a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/">http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/</a> or look for me on You Tube.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">They are safe and make "the new fast food".</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-66628159564372024702008-09-20T12:03:00.000-07:002008-10-01T08:22:39.431-07:00Why I Adore My Pressure Cooker<span style="font-family:verdana;">Just a short time ago I presented an all day workshop at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WIC</span> (Women, Infants and Children) program in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Napa</span> for the staff to teach them about vegetables, whole grains and tofu. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My pressure cookers, as usual, made me look great. In just a few hours, I made a batch of brown rice and 4 vegetable dishes which would have easily taken twice as long with regular cooking. In that time, I made a Garlicky Eggplant Dish, Squash with African Curry and Tomatoes, Tofu with Ginger and Green Beans, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">and</span> one other dish. The cooking time included all the prep, as I was doing one of my extra-special show, tell and taste demonstrations which are wildly popular.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">With a pressure cooker or two I can whip up quick meals anywhere that I have a burner -- at home is best but I can bring my trusty butane burner or camp stove or induction burner (if there's electricity) and I am set to go. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">It would take many minutes for me to wax on about why I adore my pressure cooker but if you've read here at all, you know that I do. On the short list of kitchen equipment that I wouldn't want to live without -- the pressure cooker is right there. That is, if I want cooked food. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-76036489847709125862008-09-01T17:47:00.000-07:002008-09-16T13:32:07.742-07:00Pressure Cooking Fresh As Often as I Can<span style="font-family:verdana;">Last week I was pressure cooking Eggplant in Tomato Sauce which took all of 3 minutes at pressure, and was fresh and delicious. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">What I have discovered about my summer pressure cooking is that it is much more free form than in winter. I have an abundance of ingredients to use and I do. In the past few days I have made dishes with Old Mother <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Stollard</span> beans and separately with Marrow Fat beans, both of which were fresh shelling heirloom beans. They were a bit of work but entirely delicious, especially combined with the other fresh and seasonal vegetables that I have. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">This time I year I go gaga over Italian Romano (green) beans and eggplant, and tomatoes. My favorite tomato this year is the Cora <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">del</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Toro</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ox heart</span>. It is like a large <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">roma</span> in a strange shape that is meaty and firm and wonderful, sliced into chunks or made into sauce. Unfortunately, I am not growing them but my farmer friends at Triple T Ranch and Farm are. I see them at least twice a week, in a good week, at the Santa Rosa farmer's market. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Since I do free form cooking, I don't seem to tire of what I make since I season at will and add what sounds good a la minute (right then). I may add new potatoes, of various types, or corn off the cob to my concoction, or some chopped fresh okra, or herbs. These are recipes that don't get written down or analyzed, it seems like too much work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Yesterday I made 3-minute <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Szechuan</span> Eggplant that I am going to repeat. My eggplant-hating husband even liked it. I was pretty thrilled to have made it. Likely it will be a staple this year. Now to move on to some other delicious dish with my green beans. (Can you hear me swooning?)</span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5229674285072379305.post-3793447730821845402008-08-20T09:25:00.000-07:002008-09-01T18:02:35.407-07:00Lots of Pressure and it All Goes Well<span style="font-family:verdana;">I have been pressure cooking up a storm lately at many different public venues -- and always making incredibly tasty dishes that people love. But I don't do what I do to make great food (although that's certainly the bonus), but to get people thinking about how easily they can do the same themselves,while being energy efficient.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">At <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Solfest</span> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hopland</span>, CA last week, I had one of my best audiences ever. I think that it's because they knew that they would be learning about pressure cooking, and that's what they came for. Often people think that they will learn about cooking and I spring the scary (NOT) PC on them. They're still waiting for it to blow up, which it will not do.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I tried to put in the Google link to the info with my handouts from Sol Fest but it didn't work. So, below is the recipe that I made.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I, of course, recommend that you only use an old, noisy, jiggle-top cooker if you like it and have experience. Remember, I don't touch that kind -- for the fear that it will blow up. I'm not into explosions of any kind when it comes to food.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><strong>White Bean Soup with Garlic, Tomato and Herbs</strong><br />Makes 8 1 cup servings<br />7 minutes high pressure, 10 minute natural pressure release; 2 minutes stovetop<br /><em>This soup tastes so fresh and the colors are attractive. It’s more energy efficient and way less expensive than going to the store for a can of soup, and you can season it however you want.<br /></em><br />2 cups Cannellini (Italian white kidney) or Great Northern beans, presoaked or quick soaked<br />2 teaspoons oil<br />1 medium onion, diced to equal 1 cup<br />3 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic, divided<br />1 cup diced potatoes<br />6 cups vegetable broth<br />2 bay leaves<br />1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes<br />3 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley<br />1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped plus some sprigs for garnish<br />1 tablespoon lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar<br />4 tablespoons grated dairy or soy Parmesan cheese<br />Salt and pepper, to taste<br /><br />1. Add the oil to the cooker over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.<br />2. Add the beans, potatoes, broth and bay leaves. Lock on lid. Turn heat to high and bring to high pressure. Set timer for 7 minutes. Turn heat to low to maintain high pressure.<br />3. When the timer sounds, turn off heat and move pot to a cool spot on the stove. Let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.<br />4. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Remove the bay leaves. Using a hand blender, carefully mix the hot soup until it is mostly creamy, with a few whole beans left in for texture.<br />5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until they start to soften. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, basil and remaining garlic. Taste and add lemon juice or vinegar and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with the cheese and additional chopped parsley and basil, if desired.<br /><br />© 2008, The Veggie Queen™, Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, <a href="http://www.theveggiequeen.com/">http://www.theveggiequeen.com/</a> or <a href="http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/">http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/</a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span>The Veggie Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737232469195650990noreply@blogger.com0