Pressure Cooking Up a Storm

Several weeks ago I went over to my good friend JL Fields‘ house to hang out and, knowing that my new pressure cooker had been sitting in my closet for several months completely ignored, she insisted I bring it over to her house so she could show me how to use it. Learning from the pressure cooking guru herself? Yes, please! Together we made risotto and mushrooms, in addition to beans – within minutes! I was instantly hooked.

My own version of Kale and Bean Risotto

And now I’m holding her responsible for my new obsession with pressure cooking. She has created a monster – a monster, I tell you!

The next day after my private lesson, I pulled out JL’s cookbook and tried my hand at her oatmeal recipe. Whoa! I’ve never had oatmeal that tasted so creamy and delicious before. Not to mention, the pressure cooker whipped it up within minutes. No more standing over the stovetop stirring the oatmeal for 20 minutes for me!

JL’s oatmeal in the pressure cooker

That same night, I made my trusty old lime orzo with veggies recipe, but this time in the pressure cooker. JL walked me through how to do it via text, and voila, I had dinner ready in half the amount of time it would’ve taken on the stovetop! And it tasted better too!

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I'm having so much fun with my pressure cooker today! I can't believe I waited so long to cook with it. #whatveganseat #vegan

A post shared by Alison Mercer (@running_on_vegan) on Sep 7, 2015 at 5:00pm PDT

A few weeks ago I had asked JL if she had ever done glazed baby carrots in the pressure cooker. She said she hadn’t, but she encouraged me to create my own recipe. I found this one online and tailored it a bit. It turned out amazing! I’ve shared my version of the recipe below, which I think would be a perfect side for the upcoming fall and winter holidays.

Glazed Baby Carrots in the InstantPot

I’ve been telling everyone about my new love for pressure cooking, probably to the point of annoyance for some people. But I’m being unapologetic about my constant Instagram posts of my pressure cooked meals because I know that someone like me will come along and take their dusty old pressure cooker out of storage and start whipping up some easy, delicious food. Case in point: I convinced my friend in Atlanta to start using her year-old, brand-spankin-new pressure cooker by posting this photo on my personal Facebook page showing the rice I made in my InstantPot Pressure Cooker:

“Fish” Tacos, Rice and Veggies

I’m so appreciative of JL for turning me on to my new love of pressure cooking. I told my husband the other night that I feel like I’m cooking these exotic new vegan dishes now that I would’ve never attempted to make before being introduced to the pressure cooker – and all within minutes!

I highly suggest you go check out JL’s blog that has some amazing meal ideas, and then be sure to go get her phenomenal cookbook, Vegan Pressure Cooking, that has easy-to-follow and delicious recipes! Here’s an example of one of JL’s awesome recipes – tofu scramble!

JL’s tofu scramble

Vegan Brunch

Happy pressure cooking!

Glazed Baby Carrots

Glazed Baby Carrots Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs baby carrots (peeled and washed)
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance butter (or any vegan alternative butter)
• 1 tbsp agave syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

1. Put the carrots, raisins and one cup of water in the pressure cooker. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes at pressure. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure.
2. While the carrots are straining, in the still-warm pressure melt the butter and syrup. Mix in the strained carrots and add cinnamon and brown sugar, coating carrots well. Serve warm.

Original recipe can be found here: Maple-Glazed Pressure Cooker Carrots