Have you noticed all the blogs and websites raving about the Instant Pot? When I first saw it advertised, I laughed. We baby boomers grew up with Pressure Cookers, but they were the old fashioned ones with the tops that could explode to the ceiling. Pressure Cookers seemed to have disappeared during the years that we raised our children. Now they have reemerged in a big, high-tech, electric way. I've seen so many great reviews on the Instant Pot, with so many uses (Pressure Cooker, Rice Cooker, Egg cooker, Slow Cooker, Yogurt Maker (that's not happening at my house). Me, and my partner in crime sister-in-law, bought one yesterday. We're experimenting together. I've actually had a pressure cooker for years and found that the challenge was in adapting recipes. With the proliferation of online recipes, the mystery on that is gone.
My first experiment yesterday was Mashed Rutabagas and Turnips. It's one of my favorite root veg mashes, and the Instant Pot cut my time and mess by two thirds. I can already tell that my kitchen time at Thanksgiving will be shortened! Next, I cooked a Maple Smoked Brisket to serve with the veg mash. The cooking time on that was just an hour, and the process was a success. I just didn't like the taste of the brisket cut. I won't repeat it.
The Instant Pot does have a soup and stew setting, so I think that any of my soup recipes could be made in a fraction of the time it usually takes. I'm going to try my favorite Tuscan Bean and Kale Soup in it soon.
MASHED TURNIPS AND RUTABAGAS
Try this with any root vegetable of your choice. Turnips and Rutabagas are in the cruciferous vegetable family and are well known for their cancer-fighting indoles and other phytochemicals. They are also a great source of vitamin C and zinc. You'll get 3-5 grams of fiber in a serving of Turnips and Rutabagas.
Peel and cube both Turnips and Rutabagas. I cooked them together for 4 minutes in the Instant Pot, removed the Turnips, and returned the rutabagas to high pressure for another 2 to 3 minutes. The turnips cook much faster. You can quick release the pressure, take out the turnips, return to high pressure with the rutabagas for another 2 minutes, then quick release again. Drain, mash with a small pat of butter, salt and pepper. I use my pie crust tool to mash for a chunkier texture.
My first experiment yesterday was Mashed Rutabagas and Turnips. It's one of my favorite root veg mashes, and the Instant Pot cut my time and mess by two thirds. I can already tell that my kitchen time at Thanksgiving will be shortened! Next, I cooked a Maple Smoked Brisket to serve with the veg mash. The cooking time on that was just an hour, and the process was a success. I just didn't like the taste of the brisket cut. I won't repeat it.
The Instant Pot does have a soup and stew setting, so I think that any of my soup recipes could be made in a fraction of the time it usually takes. I'm going to try my favorite Tuscan Bean and Kale Soup in it soon.
MASHED TURNIPS AND RUTABAGAS
Try this with any root vegetable of your choice. Turnips and Rutabagas are in the cruciferous vegetable family and are well known for their cancer-fighting indoles and other phytochemicals. They are also a great source of vitamin C and zinc. You'll get 3-5 grams of fiber in a serving of Turnips and Rutabagas.
Peel and cube both Turnips and Rutabagas. I cooked them together for 4 minutes in the Instant Pot, removed the Turnips, and returned the rutabagas to high pressure for another 2 to 3 minutes. The turnips cook much faster. You can quick release the pressure, take out the turnips, return to high pressure with the rutabagas for another 2 minutes, then quick release again. Drain, mash with a small pat of butter, salt and pepper. I use my pie crust tool to mash for a chunkier texture.
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