A Gift for the Cook Who Has Everything

Most people have someone on their Christmas list who is impossible to shop for. If that person enjoys cooking, let me offer a suggestion: a pressure cooker.

This may conjure images of your grandmother, but a pressure cooker is a great tool for people who are short on time and concerned about eating healthy. A pressure cooker works by trapping hot steam inside the cooker. Since the steam can’t escape, it builds pressure, and that pressure allows the cooking temperature to get much higher than it would under normal conditions. This means your food cooks faster. Food also retains more of its nutrients and flavor, so there’s no need for lots of salt.

Most modern pressure cookers have multiple safety features, such as a valve to make sure too much pressure doesn’t build up in the cooker. Still, it’s important to read the instruction manual before using it. “I look at a pressure cooker as an appliance,” says Nancy Becker, the Corporate Home Economist for National Presto Industries, which manufactured the cookers. “Any time you’re working with a new appliance there’s a learning curve on how to use it.” The manual will advise you about things such as how to check the vent pipe to make sure it is not blocked and how much to fill the cooker (never more than halfway).

You can make all kinds of things in a pressure cooker. Nancy recommends steaming corn on the cob in the pressure cooker. It takes 2-3 minutes and “the flavor is so intense,” she says. You can also cook squash (quartered, with the seeds removed) in about 10 minutes and artichokes in about 13 minutes. Dry beans cook in 25-35 minutes. You can even make desserts, such as bread pudding and cheesecake.

Roasts can cook in under an hour in a pressure cooker, which is a huge time savings. If the recipient of your gift wants to give that a whirl, try Garlic Studded Pork Loin with Vegetables, which comes from www.discoverpressurecooking.com.

I wanted a pressure cooker because you can use it to cook risotto. One of my favorite recipes is Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto. When fresh fava beans aren’t available I use frozen baby lima beans. Fresh or frozen asparagus spears are also great in this recipe.

Pressure cookers also save the home cook money by reducing cooking time. What could be better than the gift of time, money and good food this holiday season?

Garlic Studded Pork Loin with Vegetables
View at http://www.discoverpressurecooking.com/recipes/garlic_studded_pork_loin.html

Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto
Makes 4 servings
5 c. vegetable stock, divided
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 c. Arborio rice
¼ c. dry white wine
1 t. grated lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
½ c. parmesan cheese
½ lb. cooked fava beans

Melt butter and oil in pressure cooker. Add shallot and cook 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2-3 minutes (each rice grain must be well coated in oil before you add any liquid). Add white wine and cook, stirring, until almost all the wine is absorbed. Add 4 c. stock and close cover securely.

Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Cook 6 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Cool cooker at once. Make sure most of the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until liquid has absorbed. Test rice for doneness; it should be tender but not mushy. If needed, add additional stock, ¼ c. at a time, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until desired consistency is achieved.

Remove the pan from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Add beans and salt and pepper and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Start Holiday Mornings Right with Breakfast

The holiday season is upon us, and I have visions of houseguests dancing in my head. We have guests who are with us at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve every year. The evening meal is always planned well in advance, but come holiday morning I find myself scrambling to answer the question: what do I serve these people for breakfast?

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Eating in the morning breaks the “fast” you’ve experienced overnight and helps activate your metabolism. If you skip breakfast you may go as long as 18 hours without food. This is especially bad for children, who depend on regular meals for mental and physical development.

Skipping breakfast is a bad idea even if you’re trying to lose weight. Numerous reports have shown that people who don’t eat breakfast actually gain weight in the long run. By not eating breakfast, you’re more likely to eat more at lunch or snack on high-calorie foods throughout the morning. Your body does best if you eat small meals several times throughout the day. No matter how busy you are or how much turkey you’re planning to eat later in the day, make time to eat breakfast.

Growing up, my favorite breakfast was Swedish Pancakes. These thin, sweet delicacies are similar to crepes. My siblings and I would spread a layer of butter and jam on them, then roll them up and eat them with a fork. You can also use Swedish Pancakes as a base for blintzes, which are filled with sweetened cream cheese or ricotta cheese. A savory filling (perhaps containing turkey leftovers) rolled up in Swedish Pancakes would also make a great lunch item. You don’t need a crepe pan to make Swedish Pancakes; any non-stick skillet will work. No matter what you do the first pancake will turn out less than perfect, so plan to eat that one yourself or give it to someone who isn’t picky.

Chili Cheese Egg Puff came from a family friend and is a standard brunch item at our house. Served with fresh black beans and salsa, it’s a meal in itself. The dish is good served hot or cold. You can make it the night before and pop it in the fridge, making breakfast a snap the next morning (and giving you fewer dishes to wash as you start preparing the next meal).

If you expect your guests to wake up at varying times, you might set out a simple breakfast buffet. It might include the Chili Cheese Egg Puff, a couple high fiber cereals with milk, low sugar granola and yogurt, and hard boiled eggs. People can take food as they need it, and you avoid interruptions as you’re trying to prepare the main meal of the day.

I hope these recipes will come in handy when you’re entertaining, but don’t feel like you have to wait until a special occasion to try them. Even a small breakfast is a good idea every day, so give them a try whenever you’re ready to start the morning right.

Swedish Pancakes
Makes 14 pancakes
2 c. flour
3 T. sugar
½ t. salt
2½ c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
Butter, for cooking and serving
Jam, for serving

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add milk and eggs and mix until all lumps are gone (batter will be very thin).

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and swirl pan to coat. Add about ¼ c. batter and swirl pan so batter is distributed evenly over the entire bottom of pan (not the sides). Cook until batter is set, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, flip over pancake and cook an additional 30 seconds or until lightly browned.

To serve, spread warm pancake with butter and jam. Roll up and cut into pieces.

Chili Cheese Egg Puff
Makes 12 servings
10 eggs, beaten
1 16-ounce container cottage cheese
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilis
1 lb. pepper Jack cheese, grated
½ c. flour
¼ c. butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” x 13” pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake until golden and set in the middle, about 1 hour.