The New Pressure Cooker Cookbook: More Than 200 Fresh, Easy Recipes for Todays Kitchen

Avon, Massachusetts

Copyright 2016 by F+W Media, Inc.

All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by

Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.

www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-4405-9749-9

ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9749-7

eISBN 10: 1-4405-9750-2

eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9750-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The new pressure cooker cookbook: more than 200 modern, easy recipes

for today's kitchen.

Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, [2016]

Includes bibliographical references and index.

LCCN 2016005641 (print) | LCCN 2016013166 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440597497 (pb) |

ISBN 1440597499 (pb) | ISBN 9781440597503 (ebook) | ISBN 1440597502 (ebook) |

LCSH: Pressure cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

LCC TX840.P7 N57 2016 (print) | LCC TX840.P7 (ebook) | DDC 641.5/87--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016005641

Contains material adapted from The Everything Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Pamela Rice Hahn, copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-4405-0017-7, ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0017-6; The Everything Healthy Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laura D.A. Pazzaglia, copyright 2012 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-4405-4186-8, ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-4186-5; and The Everything Vegetarian Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Amy Snyder and Justin Snyder, copyright 2010 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-4405-0672-8, ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0672-7.

Always follow safety and commonsense cooking protocol while using kitchen utensils, operating ovens and stoves, and handling uncooked food. If children are assisting in the preparation of any recipe, they should always be supervised by an adult.

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and F+W Media, Inc. was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Cover design by Frank Rivera.

Cover image Marianne Oliva/123RF

Interior Images iStockphoto.com.

Its not your grandmothers pressure cooker any more.

While you might be thinking of that huge cast-iron monster from your childhood, modern cutting-edge pressure cookers are sleek, efficient, and easy to operate. In fact, the pressure cooker makes preparing a meal easier, cutting down cooking time from hours to minutes. And, because it seals in essential vitamins and minerals, pressure cookers turn out healthier, better-tasting food thats perfect when youre on the go.

Todays pressure cookers are versatile too, whether youre making a hearty breakfast or a delicious dessert. Home cooks are using them to turn out everything from Hash Browns to Duck in Orange Sauce to Spiced Chocolate Cake. And thats not all! With The New Pressure Cooker Cookbook at your side, you can serve family and friends delicious Pesto Chicken or some Beer BBQ Pork Sliders with Apple. Vegetarian? No problem. Whip up some Risotto Primavera or Herb and Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes. And to top off the meal, try a Lemon Cheesecake or a tasty Crme Caramel.

If youve been holding back because youre not sure how to use a pressure cooker or just dont have much experience cooking, dont worry. In Chapter 1 youll learn how pressure cookers work, the easiest and safest ways to use them, and how to take care of them. Youll also find a list of cooking terms and what they meanwhich will help you easily navigate these and other recipes.

So whether youre getting ready for a party or sitting down to a quiet dinner, get ready to choose from more than 200 fresh, flavorful dishes that will make your mouth water!

Pressure cookers cook food up to 70 percent faster than conventional methods. Steam trapped in the pot builds up pressure, which creates a hotter cooking temperature. The pressure bears down on the surface of the liquid, which isnt able to break down the molecules to create more steam; this produces more heat. The end result is that the pressure raises the boiling point. The tight seal on the cooker also helps seal in vitamins and minerals and prevents the cooker from boiling dry during the cooking process.

Pressure cookers have been around since the seventeenth century and were an essential part of American kitchens in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. In the 1970s, however, pressure cooker popularity in the United States declined as many cooks switched to microwave ovens. Europeans, on the other hand, tended to rely on pressure cookers as their preferred way to fix food quickly.

Todays improved pressure cookers usually feature a stationary pressure regulator thats either a fixed weight or a spring valve. The pressure regulator keeps the pressure even in the cooker by occasionally releasing a burst of steam. The pressure regulator also provides an easy way to quick-release the pressure at the end of the pressure cooking time; this is usually done by pressing a button or flipping a pressure release switch.

New pressure cookers have backup pressure release mechanisms that prevent the excess pressure accidents that were associated with older models. They also have safety features that cause the lid to remain locked into place until after all of the pressure has been released.

Your cooking equipment can make a difference in how easy it is to prepare foods. Buy the best you can afford. Better pan construction equals more even heat distribution, which translates to reduced cooking time and more even cooking.

Food will burn more easily in an inexpensive pan with a thinner pan bottom. How well your cooking pan conducts the heat will make a difference in how high you set the burner temperature. With some practice, youll soon learn the perfect heat settings for your pressure cooker: It might take a medium-high setting to saut food in an inexpensive pressure cooker and a lot more stirring to prevent the food from burning, but you can accomplish the same task in a heavier pan when its over medium heat, and with less frequent stirring.