I can't believe I have neglected my blog for over 3 years! I don't have an excuse. Life goes on, so what can I say? I am hoping to try to schedule my time better this year so that I can do some of the things I love and have neglected the past. This is one of them.
Anyway.....
I was totally surprised about a week or so ago when a delivery showed up at our door. My husband told me it was a belated Christmas present. Seems that this item was "out of stock" for the holiday. I was so happy to find he had ordered me an electric pressure cooker that was on my Amazon Wishlist (something I did not know that he actually paid attention to; thank you, honey!).
Pressure cooking is not only convenient and faster than traditional cooking methods, it is also healthier and tastier too!
I've used it twice to make a big meal. The first time was a Czech Goulash, the second time, a whole chicken with potatoes, rutabagas and green beans. The best thing about these two meals was they were done in only twenty two minutes! Too bad I didn't have one of these when I was working, what a time saver!
This winter day was pretty cold and a perfect day to make soup. I had visited the local library earlier this week and picked up several cookbooks on pressure cooking.
I decided to make the Rustic Leek and Potato Soup from the cookbook Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass. The recipe said you could make this in 4 minutes cooking time. Sounded good to me!
I adjusted the below amounts slightly to match what I had on hand. Please follow the directions for your particular pressure cooker. You can also fix this in a Dutch Oven if you prefer, though it will take a little longer.
RUSTIC LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
adapted from Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass
Ingredients:
1- 2 tbsp butter
2 c. sliced leeks (either 4 large (2"diameter) or 6 medium (1 1/2"diameter) sliced leeks. I included about 2" past the white part of the leek)
2 lbs. russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
4 c. chicken broth ( I used Better Than Bullion brand to make my broth)
2 c. water
1 large bay leaf
salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a 6 qt or larger cooker. Stir in the leeks, broth, water, potatoes, and salt to taste.
Lock the lid in place and bring the cooker to high pressure for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and quick release the pressure (according to your pressure cooker brand). Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream and the remaining tbsp of butter, if needed, for added richness and flavor. Adjust salt and serve.
I added 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic to the vegetable mixture before cooking as I am a garlic freak. I also pureed my soup using a hand blender before adding the cream as I like my potato soup smooth.
The soup was served with a bit of cheddar cheese, some bacon bits and green chives.
I also made bread, and using last nights' leftover chicken, made chicken salad sandwiches.
Using a pressure cooker, you can serve a gourmet dinner or simple supper in a matter of minutes. In one of my future blogs I will demonstrate how you can use a pressure cooker to make some fantastic desserts.
Anyway.....
I was totally surprised about a week or so ago when a delivery showed up at our door. My husband told me it was a belated Christmas present. Seems that this item was "out of stock" for the holiday. I was so happy to find he had ordered me an electric pressure cooker that was on my Amazon Wishlist (something I did not know that he actually paid attention to; thank you, honey!).
 |
| My new Instant Pot IP-Lux60 6-in-1 Programmable 6.33- Quart Pressure Cooker by Instant Pot (there's a 7-in-1 Programmable one for 2014). |
Pressure cooking is not only convenient and faster than traditional cooking methods, it is also healthier and tastier too!
I've used it twice to make a big meal. The first time was a Czech Goulash, the second time, a whole chicken with potatoes, rutabagas and green beans. The best thing about these two meals was they were done in only twenty two minutes! Too bad I didn't have one of these when I was working, what a time saver!
This winter day was pretty cold and a perfect day to make soup. I had visited the local library earlier this week and picked up several cookbooks on pressure cooking.
I decided to make the Rustic Leek and Potato Soup from the cookbook Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass. The recipe said you could make this in 4 minutes cooking time. Sounded good to me!
I adjusted the below amounts slightly to match what I had on hand. Please follow the directions for your particular pressure cooker. You can also fix this in a Dutch Oven if you prefer, though it will take a little longer.
RUSTIC LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
adapted from Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass
Ingredients:
1- 2 tbsp butter
2 c. sliced leeks (either 4 large (2"diameter) or 6 medium (1 1/2"diameter) sliced leeks. I included about 2" past the white part of the leek)
2 lbs. russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
4 c. chicken broth ( I used Better Than Bullion brand to make my broth)
2 c. water
1 large bay leaf
salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a 6 qt or larger cooker. Stir in the leeks, broth, water, potatoes, and salt to taste.
Lock the lid in place and bring the cooker to high pressure for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and quick release the pressure (according to your pressure cooker brand). Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream and the remaining tbsp of butter, if needed, for added richness and flavor. Adjust salt and serve.
I added 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic to the vegetable mixture before cooking as I am a garlic freak. I also pureed my soup using a hand blender before adding the cream as I like my potato soup smooth.
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| I just love leeks! I used some of the green part because the cooker will make them nice and tender! |
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| Just plain old russet potatoes. |
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| Everything's in the pot and ready to roll! |
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| After only four minutes of cooking time, it's done! |
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| Using a hand blender to puree the vegetables. |
 | |||||
| I used (40% milkfat) cream to thicken the soup and make it extra creamy. |
The soup was served with a bit of cheddar cheese, some bacon bits and green chives.
I also made bread, and using last nights' leftover chicken, made chicken salad sandwiches.
Using a pressure cooker, you can serve a gourmet dinner or simple supper in a matter of minutes. In one of my future blogs I will demonstrate how you can use a pressure cooker to make some fantastic desserts.
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