One of the presents I received for Christmas is a pressure cooker from my mom. She had one when I was a kid, a huge, heavy thing that rattled and rumbled and hissed, but which produced some tasty food, especially her stuffed artichokes. These new pressure cookers, by comparison, are lighter and easier to use than the old ones. I made my first meal in it yesterday, a lentil soup. Here’s the recipe I came up with.
Ingredients:
4 strips (about 4 oz) bacon, chopped
1-1/2 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
3/4 cup lentils
3 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
Cook the bacon in the cooker until crispy and fat is rendered. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and saute the onion until soft but not browned. Add the lentils, vegetables, water, and bouillon cube. Add some pepper (since the bacon is salty, you don’t need to add any). Close the cooker, bring to full pressure, and cook for 12 minutes. After cooling the cooker and opening it, liquify using a stick blender or transfer to blender or food processor.
Makes 3 servings.
Not anymore. Modern pressure cookers are safe and no more dangerous than any other cooking gear. Give it a try. You’ll like it.