Iʼd like to introduce you to a nifty little time saver, the multi-function electric cooker!
In all honesty, I was never really interested in slow cookers because I enjoy cooking so much. However, when I heard that this appliance was different in that there are 10 functions, including a pressure cooking one… I had to give it a try!
And try did I ever… all the settings and a whole bunch of recipes! Here are a couple of my favourite recipes.
Iʼve been making the same recipe with my grandma since I was a little girl, and in my opinion it’s the best jam on the planet. But it’s a process which takes time… so I thought let’s try this out in the pressure cooker and see what happens!
I still let the raspberries & sugar macerate over night but instead of boiling the berry mixture twice like we always did, I pressure cooked them for 5 minutes.
My jam was cooked and canned in a fraction of the time it took my grandma… we tested my version vs hers and we were both surprised and delighted by the result. Using the pressure cooker makes the worldʼs best jam… but faster! Seriously, it’s de-licious!
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 cups fresh raspberries
- Juice of 1 lemon
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Mix together, cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. Stir again and then place the mixture inside the multi-function electric cooker. Set to pressure cook at the minimum time or 5 min.
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Sterilize your jars by washing them in soapy water, rinse well and then place them on a baking sheet and leave them in a hot oven until you are reedy to fill them up with jam. Using a ladle, fill the hot jars, leaving half an inch at the top. Screw on the lids tightly and wait for the jars to make a pop noise. The heat of the hot jam & jars vacuum seals the lids on so no air can get in or out anymore. Store the jam in a cool, dark place until you are ready to enjoy it. Once opened, keep refrigerated.
This next recipe will make a lot of you very, very happy… what do you say to 2 minute pasta? This one pot meal is ready in less time than it takes to place your take out order. Using the sauté setting to first cook some seasonal veggies and a sliced pork chop, you simply add some water, broth or sauce and uncooked pasta and turn on the pressure cooker. There is a bit of math involved to figuring out how long to cook the pasta, but Iʼve tested the following formula several times and it seems to work great. {round down to an even number, divide that number in half, subtract 1 = your cook time}
Hereʼs an example: the recommended cook time for Rotini is 7 min, round down to 6, divided in half is 3, minus 1 minute is 2. Your pressure cook time for Rotini is 2 min. Note: gluten free and other non-semolina pasta might require some testing as they tend to cook faster than traditional semolina pasta.
- 1 pork chop sliced into bite-sized pieces (optional)
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large or 2 small sweet peppers sliced
- 2 small zucchinis sliced length wise or slivered
- fresh herbs chopped finely (parsley, chives, thyme)
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 2 tsp flake salt
- 1 pack 454 g Rotini pasta
- 1 2/3 cups water
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Turn on the Sauté setting, add a light sprinkle of evoo and add the meat, onions and garlic. Once the meat has browned add the peppers and half the zucchinis. Sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring once or twice and then turn off the machine. Add the herbs, chili flakes, salt, pasta & water, close the lid and turn on the pressure cooker setting. The minimum is 5 min so youʼll have to set a timer to 2 min once the machine has heated and started the countdown. At the 2 min mark, carefully release the steam from the nozzle on top and then when no more steam comes out you can open the lid. Give it a good stir and serve with grated Parmesan and the remaining zucchini slices.
Bon Appétit!
Tip: you can substitute for another meat or protein and veggies that are in season or on hand. The combinations are infinite!
For more recipes and tips & tricks on the multi-function electric cooker, follow @priscilaskitchen on Instagram & Facebook