Mike’s Hot Spicy Food Recipes

Pressure Cookers

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Chicken Breasts in Yogurt-Turmeric Sauce With Green Peas

Aug. 27, 2008 12:00 AM

Kuhn Rikon

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large russet potato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 1 cup peas
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts in 1 layer, stir together the yogurt, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

Melt the butter in the pressure cooker over medium heat. Layer the potatoes across the bottom, then add the chicken and yogurt mixture. Without stirring, lock on the lid and bring to full pressure over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 3 minutes to finish cooking. With the steam vent pointed away from your face, gently release any remaining pressure. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter and set aside in a warm place.

Cook the sauce over high heat until reduced and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the peas and cilantro. Spoon over the chicken and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 246 calories, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 84 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein, 672 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 26 percent of calories from fat.

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Risotto With Mushrooms and Shrimp

Aug. 27, 2008 12:00 AM

Kuhn Rikon

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mixed mushrooms (brown, oyster, portobello, shiitake, morel)
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 pound medium to large shrimp, deveined and cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil and butter in the pressure cooker. Saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and rice, and saute 1 minute. Add the wine and stock, and lock the lid in place. Bring the cooker to full pressure over high heat and cook for 7 minutes. Release the pressure quickly and remove the lid. Stir in the shrimp, cover the pot and let stand 10 minutes to lightly cook the shrimp. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Makes 2 main-dish or 4 side-dish servings.

Approximate values per serving (based on 4 servings): 401 calories, 13 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 147 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein, 1,450 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 29 percent of calories from fat.

Source

Beef and Molasses Short Ribs

Aug. 27, 2008 12:00 AM

Chef Amy Barnes

  • 3 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed of fat Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 1/2 cup molasses

Follow manufacturer's directions and heat pressure cooker to high. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to cooker. When hot, add ribs and brown on all sides. Remove ribs from pot and pour off the fat. Place ribs back in pot with beer and molasses. Cover and cook 30 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. Adjust heat to maintain high pressure. After 30 minutes, turn off heat and let the pressure drop naturally. Remove ribs from pot and reduce the sauce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve with roasted potatoes and a vegetable, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 859 calories, 42 g fat, 18 g saturated fat, 197 mg cholesterol, 197 g carbohydrates, 79 g protein, 169 mg sodium, trace fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.

Source

Turkey Braised in Fruit

Aug. 27, 2008 12:00 AM

Chef Amy Barnes

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless turkey breast or turkey tenders Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup chicken stock or apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 cups mixed dried fruits, such as apples, apricots, prunes, dates, cranberries

Heat pressure cooker to high. Add oil and onion and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add turkey to cooker and season with salt and pepper. Brown well on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add stock, soy sauce and dried fruit. Close cover and cook 20 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. Adjust heat to maintain high pressure. After 20 minutes, turn off heat and let pressure drop naturally. Serve with rice or other grain, if desired.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Approximate values per serving (based on 6 servings): 409 calories, 15 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 133 mg cholesterol, 21 g carbohydrates, 45 g protein, 675 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 33 percent of calories from fat.

Source

Modern cookers help you deliver delicious meals fast

by Karen Fernau - Aug. 27, 2008 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

A pressure cooker lacks the high-tech appeal of a food processor that can whirl avocados into soup, and it doesn't have the easy familiarity of a slow cooker that roasts chicken. But what these old-school devices lack in image, they make up for in practicality and economy.

Pressure cookers are an attractive option for busy cooks, turning out meals in 30 minutes without heating up the kitchen. And they are thrifty, transforming inexpensive cuts of meat and pantry staples such as dried beans into succulent dishes while preserving moisture and flavor.

"They might not be sexy, but they get the job done," said Martie Sullivan, owner of Sweet Basil Gourmetware & Cooking School in Scottsdale. Thanks to safety improvements, these World War II-era appliances no longer rattle like a freight train, spit water like a fountain and launch meatballs like missiles.

Today's pressure-cooker meals are more sophisticated than your grandmother's meat, potatoes and stewed tomatoes, with options such as leek and asparagus risotto, chicken cacciatore, short ribs and cheesecake.

Sweet Basil cooking instructor and slow-cooker aficionado Amy Barnes had no interest in a pressure cooker until she recently experimented with one to develop family-friendly recipes.

"I'm a big fan of cooking things on low temperatures for long stretches, so I was a bit intimidated at first. I had heard the horror stories about (pressure cookers) exploding, but after I read all the instructions and started using the cooker, the fears disappeared and I became hooked," said Barnes, a chef and mother of two.

What changed her mind?

The pressure cooker reduced the time needed to cook brown rice from 50 minutes to about 17 minutes. And Barnes found she needed to use very little oil in her recipes, a plus for calorie counters.

"I could control the ingredients. I could get dinner on the table in one pot in less than a half-hour. It's just so easy and efficient," she said.

Pressure cookers use trapped steam to increase the air pressure inside the pot by 5 to 15 pounds above normal. Because water boils at a higher temperature under pressure, foods cook in as little as one-third of the usual time.

The process also tenderizes food, making pressure cooking a great choice for cheaper cuts of beef and pork, and it retains nutrients.

"Pressure cookers can be a way to save on groceries because they do wonders with inexpensive foods like beans and brisket," said Vickie Smith, author of Miss Vickie's Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes and operator of the pressure-cooker-recipe site www.missvickie.com.

"It doesn't get much better when a cooker combines convenience and cost savings," she said.

At Sweet Basil, Sullivan predicts a bump in sales of pressure cookers as more cash-strapped families eat in to help defray the rising costs of food and fuel. Pressure cookers aren't cheap, ranging from $50 to $350, depending on the size and manufacturer. However, for those constantly on the go, a pressure cooker can be a wise investment.

"People are returning to the kitchen, but they still don't have a lot of time for cooking," Sullivan said. "The pressure cooker could be their salvation."

Reach the reporter at 602-444-4779 or karen.fernau@arizonarepublic.com.

 

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Mike’s Hot Spicy Food Recipes