Confession of a Pressure Cooking Convert

Without obsession, life is nothing.  ~~John Waters

I had always enjoyed cooking, especially when I was learning from my parents.  It was like a science class with a little intuition thrown in.  Experimenting in the kitchen with my parents giving direction, I learned the “secret sauce” from my dad and “the soup” from my mother. Of course, there were other things, but those are the two staples that stick with me the most.

The one thing my father would never let me try was the pressure cooker. It was the unique Mad Scientist piece of equipment in the kitchen. It had a wire loop that essentially locked the handles together, or prevented them from flying apart, is probably more accurate.  It also had this circular gauge on top that would whistle as the pressure rose and jiggle when it was “happy.”  It looked very much like this one.  Who knows?  It could very well have been this model.

Steam would escape, and condensation would collect around that jiggling gauge on the lid.  When it reached that mysterious time of “long enough,” my father would turn off the heat and carefully carry the pot to the kitchen sink where he proceeded to turn on the cold water and let it pour over the pot.  Steam rose, and a hissing noise would slowly go silent.  Apparently, that meant it was okay to open the lid.

I think everything that came out of that pot turned into something we all loved.  Well, most everything.  I was never a big fan of Menudo, and he used the pressure cooker to soften the tripe and pig’s feet before he tossed them in with all the other ingredients.  He’d probably be sad that I still don’t like Menudo much.

As it turned out, I never did get to try out that pot.  As my siblings grew into adults and my parents eventually stopped cooking for a family of six, they rarely used the pressure cooker.  I think it finally met its end at a yard sale or with the scrap metal man unless it’s hiding in one of my siblings’ kitchens.

Today, pressure cooking is all the rage. In particular, electric pressure cookers are taking the country by storm.  Last year, on Amazon’s big Prime Day where they had discounts and sales all over their site, over 200,000 of one favorite pressure cooker brand sold.  Again…that was one day!  I have to confess.  I bought one of these same items from Amazon a few months before that historic Prime Day and had been posting my experiments on Facebook.  My brain still equates its use to science experiments.

When I bought it, I didn’t have an exact plan for its use in my kitchen. Several of my friends reassured me it was easy to use and I’d cook everything in it.  They were mostly right.  It is easy to use.  I mean incredibly easy to use. Because of their design, most electric models are more than just pressure cookers.  You can use them as rice cookers, sauté pans, and slow cookers.  You just eliminated a few appliances in your kitchen. If you’re familiar with slow cookers, you will adapt to the electric pressure cooker without a hitch. In most instances, you use the same “set it and forget it” mentality.

Some of my favorites are stuffed bell pepper soup, beef stew, Chile Verde, steamed beets, salmon steaks or scallops (from the frozen state), and (my favorite) boiled eggs in 5 minutes with no cracked shells and every single egg peels without a problem.  It’s my favorite because I eat a lot of eggs on my “healthy me” journey.  If you like to make deviled eggs for summer barbecues, they are perfect for that.  You’ll never waste an egg again. I “boil” a dozen at a time and just keep them in the fridge for the week.  They’re perfect for a snack, or even as a good protein addition to my lunch salad.  For dinner, you could easily crack a couple and chop them for egg salad.  On a romaine leaf with sliced tomatoes, you’ve got a great wrap.

Again, I have to confess.  I did fail at one experiment. I had some frozen chicken thighs and a fridge full of veggies.  So I thought that’s a perfect dinner.  I cooked the chicken a few minutes and then tossed the veggies in and cooked it a bit more. The beautiful braised chicken with veggies I envisioned became a chicken and vegetable soup.  Except you couldn’t find any veggies.  They disintegrated into the broth, and the chicken nearly did the same.  It was a tad alarming but funny at the same time.  It was still tasty, had the same nutrients, just little chew.  HAHAHA Sorry, I crack myself up.

As you can probably tell, I love my pressure cooker.  I think my parents would approve of the product.  In fact, I think the only thing my father would change about it would be to make it bigger.  I can hear him extolling the virtues of being able to cook for 10-12 people at a time in a single pot.  I can even see my mother shaking her head behind him.

Let me explain why I think it’s a great thing to have in your kitchen. Since our goal is to be healthier selves, it is a great tool to help us get there.  Since it cooks with pressure and, at a minimum, 1 cup of water, you can cook meals without frying or sautéing.  You can significantly cut down the time it takes to get dinner on the table.  I’ve done stew that tasted like it simmered all day in the slow cooker, but only took 90 minutes from the moment I started chopping ingredients to the time I lifted the lid.  So, essentially, you can cook a little healthier with a bit more speed Did mention you can cook meats straight from the freezer?  Well, you can.

In the video below is the model I bought. It so happens to be the same one that Amazon sold tons of last year.  I didn’t get the yogurt model since I have no desire to make yogurt.

If you’re interested in getting one, please click the ad on the right.  If you do buy one from the ad, I will receive a commission.  It goes toward keeping the blog running and doesn’t cost you anything extra.

If you already own a pressure cooker, I’d love to hear how you use it and what your favorite recipes are. Leave it all in the comments!  We could swap tips!

Until next time…