I've been thinking about getting anInstant Pot for years, but I was always intimidated by the idea of a pressure cooker. My mom used a pressure cooker once when I was a kid (and probably had no idea what she was doing) and it was the classic explosion. The lid hit the ceiling and left a dent and spaghetti sauce on the ceiling. I was scared.
Years of friends with IP's telling me how great, easy, and safe they were finally wore me down, though. I also going anInstant Pot group just for vegan recipes, and started following some IP using bloggers like JL Fields (who also makes amazing things with air fryers). I finally decided it was time and placed my order. I ordered the 7 in 1 Instant Pot and two cookbooks to get me started, since I've never done any pressure cooking (the IP came with a small recipe book that was not entirely vegan but had basics like rice, and Pinterest is full of recipes, so it's okay to get started without investing in a library). Brown Rice
Full disclosure, the way I made my rice is NOT what all the experts say, however I posted in the Instant Pot group and someone else used my method and had success too, so I think it might be good. From what I've read, different grains of rice have different cooking times, and can vary quite a bit.
I decided to christen my Instant Pot with some of the speedy brown rice I'd heard so many friends brag about. I used the measurements from Vegan Pressure Cooking, which said for brown rice use 1 cup rice and 1.5 cups water. I didn't see the part that said to set it for 22 minutes, though, and I just pressed the "RICE" button on the Instant Pot. It cooked for 12 minutes and then did a natural release for about 10 minutes, and in 22 minutes I had fully cooked, fluffy brown rice! Already, I knew I had made a good investment. After enjoying a bowl of brown rice and veggie tofu curry, I decided to take her for another spin. Sweet Potatoes
Sometimes, on Mondays, I like to bake a bunch of sweet potatoes or yams, and then throughout the week I add them to wraps, salads, or even smoothies. It's a great meal prep to make the rest of the week smoother.
I had a bag of these beautiful small purple sweet potatoes from Trader Joes that I have been meaning to bake, and I figured I might as well try the IP. I washed them all in their bag, then set the steamer insert (that came with the IP) in and topped with the sweet potatoes. I added about 1/2 cup of water that sat under the steamer, and set the IP to 10 minutes on "STEAM." I did a natural release again, and the sweet potatoes were perfectly soft and sticky and moist. I'm so excited to experiment more and share my findings! This is definitely one of those pricey gadgets that are worth the money when you can afford one!
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Edited March 2017 to include Instant Pot option below.
When I was a kid, we were really poor, so corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots was an affordable meal. Especially right after St. Patrick's Day, we could get it at super discount price and eat it for weeks. Now, I still like to just make cabbage, carrots, and potatoes for dinner year round, but when it's close to St. Patrick's Day, I crave that unique spice flavor of corned beef, so I decided to recreate it with pickling spices and jackfruit. This did not disappoint and I'm already looking forward to making it again!
2 cans green jackfruit, drained
1 cup water 1 tsp Better Than Bouillion 1 tsp smoked salt Liquid from one can pickled beets 1 bottlePickling Spice in cheesecloth, tea bag, or similar (I used a nut milk bag) Put on low in slow cooker for 3 hours. all together. Once it's all soft and and infused with flavor, use a potato masher to break up the big pieces of jackfruit and you have something that looks like the consistency of shredded meat. Use a slotted spoon get all the jackfruit out and spread out on a foil or parchment lined cookie sheet and toss with oil of your choice, or leave it oil free. Broil it for 10 minutes then stir and broil another 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Once it's browned, it's ready, so don't over burn it. Serve with boiled cabbage, potatoes, and carrots and yummy mustard.
I added more smoked salt for the broiling, but that made it super salty- which I like but you might not.
Even though I just ate a plate of this, I'm already dreaming of a sandwich made with leftovers. I wish I had some good pumpernickel bread, maybe I'll head out later.
If you want something in a big chunk form, I've made this seitan recipe before and it was a hit: Vegan Corned Beef Seitan
For another version of Corned Jackfruit, check out howFried Dandelions makes hers!
Instant Pot Method UPDATE:
I used the same recipe, although this time I used jarred pickled beets instead of canned (probably inconsequential). In Instant Pot, combine ingredients and set for MANUAL 6 minutes. I did a quick release and it was ready to broil. Way faster, and the flavor was completely in the jackfruit!
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I wrote a children's book, How Our Vegan Family Celebrates, to help vegans and vegan allies know how to include vegans in their celebrations and give affirmation to vegan kids who may feel alone. The book goes through holidays throughout the year and has a section at the back with parent tips!
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AuthorI love cooking and playing in the kitchen with my toys, so let me share that joy with you and your family to bring the FUN back into the kitchen! Categories
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