Hawaiian BBQ Chicken {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs. Chicken (Frozen or Fresh; Breast, Thighs, Wings or Drumettes
• 1 Cup BBQ Sauce
• 2 Cups Diced Pineapples (Canned or Fresh, don’t matter). I covered and layered ring pineapple on the bottom.
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk - Not the canned kind.
• 1 Tsp Chili Flakes (Optional, or more if you like more kick)
• Shredded Coconut (garnish)
• Juice of Limes (garnish)

Mix the BBQ Sauce, Coconut Milk and Chili Flakes together.  In the main cooking pan of your pressure cooker, put down the pineapples at the very bottom.  The reason why I put it on the bottom is that it will be closest to the heat source and will therefore render out the pineapple juice so the pressure cooker will use the juices to steam up and pressurize since the BBQ sauce mixture is quite thick and may burn if you put it on the very bottom.

Start dipping your chicken pieces in the BBQ sauce mixture, a thin coat is fine.  And put them into the pot one by one.  Pour the remaining sauce mixture over the chicken when you’re all done.

Shut the lid of your cooker, turn to lock it.  Set the pressure valve to Airtight.  Program the cook time for 10-minutes.

Once the cooking cycle is finished, your pressure cooker will beep and let you know that the chicken is ready to hula dance!  Release the pressure and unlock the lid.  The chicken and the pineapples will release a lot of juices during the pressure cooking process so everything will look extra liquidy.  Never fear.  Remove just the chicken with a pair of tongs and set aside temporarily.  Turn on the BROWNING feature on your pressure cooker by pressing the START button if you have this feature and reduce the sauce mixture so it’s nice and thick.  I also took out my trusty potato masher and mashed down the pineapples so they were more pulpy.  (If you want the sauce extra thick, you can also make a flour roux with a bit of the liquid ladled out in a little bowl, mix a bit of flour with it until smooth and pour it back into the pot.)

Once the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, put all the chicken back in.  Now it’s ready to serve!  Serve it with rice or just eat it on its own.  Garnish with a healthy heap of shredded coconut and a squeeze of lime juice.

Coconut Rice Pudding {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup Arborio Rice
• 3 Cups Coconut Milk (Unsweetened)
• 2 Cups Almond Milk (Unsweetened)
• 1 Cup Water
• 3 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Cloves
• 1 Whole Vanilla Bean
• 3 Strips Orange Zest Strip
• 2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk

First, pour all the liquid ingredients (except the condensed milk)  into the inner pot of your pressure cooker.  Press START to turn on the heating element of the machine.

Add the spices to the mixture.  Leave the cinnamon sticks and orange zest strips whole.  Grind the cloves up so it’s a fine powder and add it in.  Using a knife, gently slice a long slit down the middle of the vanilla pod.  Scrape all the vanilla bean out over the pot and throw it in and swish it around.  Throw in the whole vanilla pod while you’re at it.

Bring the whole mixture to a light simmer so all the aromatic spices are melding and you can just smell the mixture engulfing your senses.  Okay, that sounded too cheesy, but you get the drift.

Press the CANCEL button to turn off the machine’s heating element.

Add the rice to the liquid mixture and give it a quick stir.

Close the lid down, turn it to lock it into place.  Adjust the Pressure Valve on the top to Airtight.

Program the machine to cook for 15-minutes.

Once the cooking is complete, let it drop down in pressure on its own.  Which means don’t go running up to the machine and turn the valve to Exhaust.  The pressure should drop on its own in about 10-minutes.  Once all the pressure is gone, the Float Valve will drop, allowing you to unlock and open the lid.  Press the CANCEL button to turn off the Keep Warm feature.

Pull out the cinnamon sticks, orange zest and vanilla pod and discard.

Open up the two cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk and add it all to the rice pudding.  Give everything a really good and thorough mix.  Allow it to cool slightly, then cover and place into the refrigerator to cool completely.

Rice pudding is fine if you want to serve it warm but I wanted to serve mine cold since I’m drizzling a bit of honey over it. I didn’t want the honey to melt and pool to the bottom.

Garnish with a bit of honey, sliced strawberries and blueberries.  Add a bit of orange zest and a sprinkle of ground nutmeg.  And a mint leaf will add that pop of color.

Coda alla Vaccinara – Braised Oxtail Ragu {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

Coda alla Vaccinara is a pretty popular Italian stew/ragu that originated from Rome.  It is made with red wine and oxtail (or sometimes veal tail), plus miscellaneous vegetables.  It is commonly served with some kind of pasta, polenta, or gnocchi.

INGREDIENTS:

·         4 lbs. of Oxtail

·         3 Cup of Water

·         3 Cup of Red Wine

·         1 Cup of Chopped Celery

·         1 Cup of Chopped Onion

·         1 Cup of Chopped Panchetta

·         1 Cup of Chopped Tomatoes or Canned Stewed Tomatoes

·         2 Tbsp Freshly Chopped Garlic

·         1 Cup of Beef Stock or Beef Bouillon

·         4-6 Cloves or Star Anise

·         2-4 Bay Leaves

·         Salt & Pepper to taste

What I like to do is pre-cook the oxtail in just plain water first for about 5 minutes in the pressure cooker.  What this does is get all the grime and meat residue cooked off the meat and float in the water.  It makes it easier to discard all that gunk so they aren’t floating around in the stew later.

Trim off as much as the fat from the oxtail as you can.  Then place all of it into the pressure cooker pot.  Add about 3 cups of filtered drinking water.  Set the pressure cooker to cook for 5-minutes.  Lock and load!!!

During this time, you can prepare all the vegetables and other ingredients.

When the pre-cooking of the oxtail is complete, release the pressure and remove the cooking pot.  Drain all the water from inside and rinse the oxtail so all the gunk and grime is washed away.  Put all the oxtail back into the main cooking pot and add all the other remaining ingredients.
Remember, the amount of liquid in this recipe is not very much compared to the Oxtail Vegetable Soup I’ve made before.  (The consistency of this dish should be thick, so reducing the liquid later in the cooking cycle may be necessary.)

Turn the lid and lock it into position.  Adjust the pressure release valve to AIRTIGHT.  Press the PRESSURE 
COOKER TIME button to 75-minutes.  That is only an hour and fifteen minutes.  All the other ingredients are considered delicate vegetables, but it’s okay, you want the pressure cooker to cook them to the point of disintegrating.  It’s the oxtail that needs to stand out and be the star of the dish.

You can prepare some rice, Italian pasta, polenta, gnocchi or whatever you want to serve with the ragu.

When the cooking cycle is complete.  You can choose to let the machine drop down in pressure on its own naturally, or you can be impatient like I am and Exhaust all the pressure from the valve on top.

Take out the oxtails individually as well and set aside.

The oxtails themselves will release a lot of liquid while cooking.  So ladle out about half of the liquid and discard.  Be careful not to remove any of the cooked vegetables if you can.

Now we’re going to reduce the liquid to thicken it.  Press the START button on the pressure cooker to begin the heating process.  You can leave the lid open at this time. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Reducing the sauce down will take a few minutes depending on how much liquid is in the pot.  I’d say you can add a few tablespoons of butter, but I like to keep this recipe a bit low on the calorie count as much as I can.  So add some flour.

Italian Chicken Noodle Soup {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:1 Whole Chicken (You can quarter it or leave it whole; or go the easy route and just use 6 chicken breasts)

·         3-5 Italian Sausage (Mild or Spicy)

·         1 Medium Yellow Onion (Chopped)

·         1 Cup Celery (Chopped)

·         2 Jalapenos (Chopped)

·         1 Cup Green Bell Pepper (Chopped)

·         3 Tbsp Fresh Oregano (Roughly Chopped)

·         1 Cup Canned Tomatoes

·         1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

·         3-4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

·         3-4 Cups Water

·         3 Cups Pasta Noodles (Macaroni, shells, ditalini, rigatoni, etc.  It doesn’t matter.)

This recipe involves cooking in stages. So what we’re going to do first is use the Browning function in the pressure cooker by pressing START.  Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Then mix in the freshly chopped oregano.  This will open up the fragrant herb and get all its flavors flowing.  Cook the oregano for about 3 minutes.  When that is done, press CANCEL to shut off the machine and remove all the cooked oregano into a small dish and set aside for later.

Now comes a quick sauteing of the vegetables.  Press START again on the pressure cooker and put in the chopped onions, bell pepper, celery and jalapenos into the pot.  Add some olive oil and brown all the veggies for a couple of minutes.  Then press CANCEL to shut off the heat and remove all the veggies to another small dish and set aside for later.

Do the same again with the Italian Sausage. Remove the sausage from its casing.  Separate and brown the sausage just for a few minutes.  You don’t have to completely cook it all the way through.  Again, set aside for later.

It’s chicken time!  Add the whole chicken into the pot.  Pour in all the Chicken Broth and water so the majority of the chicken is covered.  Add in all the chopped onions, celery, jalapenos and bell peppers.  Shut the lid and turn it to lock it into position.  Adjust the valve to Airtight.  If you’re cooking the chicken in quartered pieces, then you can just use the MEAT & CHICKEN pre-programmed button.  If you’re cooking the chicken whole, then program the Pressure Cook time for 20-minutes and press START.  The machine will begin its heating process and slowly build up pressure.  When the pressure has built up, the heating element will shut off and the letter “P” will appear on the LED screen.  This is when the machine is using “Pressure” to cook the food.  Let the machine do its thing.  (If you’re using just chicken breasts, cook for only 10-15 minutes or just press the MEAT & CHICKEN button.)

When the chicken is done, the pressure cooker will beep and automatically go to Keep Warm.  Release all the pressure by setting the valve knob on top to Exhaust.  When all the pressure has released, the float valve will drop and the lid can now be turned to unlock it and open.   Remove all the chicken to a large platter.  Remove and discard any gunk that’s floating around in the liquid.  Be careful, the chicken will want to come apart.
Let the chicken cool slightly.  Then rip it to shreds!!!

Take all the shredded chicken and mix it with the cooked oregano from earlier.  Give it a good toss and let it sit for a few minutes so the chicken and oregano can do their special mind meld. Chop up the canned tomatoes coarsely and add it into the stock liquid that’s still in the pressure cooker pot.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary, but I usually do this at the end to avoid over-salting my dishes.  Less sodium equals less water weight.

Add in the desired pasta as well and the semi-cooked Italian sausage. Now put the shredded chicken and oregano mixture back into the pot with everything. Add the heavy cream. Give it a quick stir.

Shut the lid and lock it. Program the cook time for 5-minutes only.  The pasta will cook fast.
When it’s done, you know the drill.  Release all the pressure to avoid over cooking the pasta noodles.  Open the lid and give everything a good stir.  Season it with salt and pepper and let it sit for a few minutes just to mind meld a bit more.

Garnish with some chopped fresh basil and parmesan cheese.  It will be a delight!

VARIETY TIP:

– You can choose not to shred the chicken and just leave the chicken in smaller whole pieces.  This is the Asian way of cooking chicken soup.  However, that also means leaving the skin on which is more  calories and fat.

–  To lower the fat and calorie count, you can use less sausage or completely not use any sausage.  And add more water than chicken broth to lower the sodium count.

Easter Sunday Pot Roast {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

I had a lot of leftover ingredients in my fridge that I wanted to use up as well,  so this recipe is super easy to adapt and change up.  You can’t go wrong.  Short of throwing in an old leather shoe, it’s a great way to clean out the fridge and make a delicious and hearty meal for your family.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 Packet of Instant Gravy Powder

1 Packet of Instant Ranch Dip Powder

1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Shallot; chopped

2 Cups Beef Broth

3-4lb. Beef Rump Roast

VEGETABLES:

2 Cups Carrots; chopped or baby carrots

2 Cups Red Potatoes; chopped

1 Onion; sliced

1 Cup Mushrooms; sliced

This is about the easiest home-cooked meal that you can make in about an hour.  It’s going to be cooked in two stages.  First put the roast into the main cooking pot.  Throw in all the sauce ingredients into the pot, all over the roast if you must.

Shut the lid and turn it to lock it into position.  Set the pressure valve to Airtight.  And program the cook time for 45-minutes by pressing the SET PRESSURE COOK TIME until the display shows 45, then press START.

Once the first stage is done, release all the pressure by turning the valve to Exhaust.  Unlock the lid and open.  Now you can add all the vegetables to the pot with the roast. Close the lid again and program the cook time for just 15 more minutes.  This is the second stage.  Once this cooking cycle is complete, release all the pressure and unlock the lid.  Open the lid and give everything a good stir.  Let everything sit for about 10-minutes before serving.

I found this recipe to be so easy and had ingredients that were surprising.  IE:  The Gravy and Ranch packets.  I opted out the Italian Salad Dressing packet that was in the original recipe.  I thought it was just going to be too much.  But I think it would’ve added a nice kick to the flavor.  I would definitely make this again.  Maybe even add some red wine to the sauce mixture.

Pepper Jelly Lemon Cheesecake {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust

6 Sheets of Graham Crackers

2 Cups of Macaroon Cookies

2 Tbsp Butter

For the Filling:

16oz. Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup White Sugar

2 Small Eggs

1-1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp. Freshly Grated Lemon Zest

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

1-2 Tbsp. Habanero Peppery Jelly (Depending on how potent you want it)

First, let’s form the crust.  Using a food processor, put all the graham crackers and macaroons into the machine and process the cookies until they are all crumbly.  Add the butter to the mix and process it until it’s a bit loosely clumped.  Depending on the size of your pressure cooker, you will need a spring-form baking pan.  For the 8-quart pots, I’d recommend a 7″ pan or smaller.  (I made the mistake of using an 8.5″ pan and my cheesecake was not as high and dense as I would’ve liked.)

Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with some butter.  Pack all the crumbles into the spring-form pan and  form a nice thick crust on the bottom and about an 1-inch high up the sides.

Now, let’s make the filling.  In a stand mixer or you can use a hand mixer in a bowl.  Beat the cream cheese together with the sugar first.  Then add the rest of the ingredients to the mix and blend until smooth and creamy.  Pour the mixer into the spring-form pan over the crust.  Carefully smooth it out so it fills the pan evenly.

Now comes the pressure cooker’s part of the equation.  Pour 2-3 cups of water into the bottom of the pressure cooker’s cooking pot.  Then place a trivet into the pot.

Cover the spring-form pan with a sheet of foil over the top.  This is to prevent condensation from gathering and pooling in the center of the cheesecake later when it’s done.  Place the pan on top of the trivet inside the pressure cooker.  Some people like to make a little sling using a long sheet of foil.  This helps to lift out the pan later, but I didn’t find it necessary.

Shut the lid of the pressure cooker.  Turn and lock it into position.  Adjust the pressure valve to Airtight.  Press the Set Pressure Cook Time button and program the machine for 15-minutes.  Then press the START button.

When it’s done with the 15-minute cycle, it will beep and go to keep warm.  Allow the machine to actually drop down in the pressure naturally.  That means, don’t adjust the valve on the top to Exhaust.  Just let the pressure drop on its own, it’ll take about 10-minutes or so.

When that’s done, you can test by finally turning the valve to Exhaust.  No pressure or steam should escape.  You can now turn and unlock the lid and open it.  Press the CANCEL button to turn off the pressure cooker’s warming function.  Leave the lid open and allow the cheesecake to cool down a bit before removing the whole spring-form pan out of the machine.

The cheesecake will look super moist and the crust may look soggy, but don’t worry, it’ll all settle down and look perfect soon.  I like my cheesecake served cold, so pop it into the fridge for about an hour or two.  Then release it from the spring-form pan.  Slice and serve with some whip cream and maybe a dollup of pepper jelly.

The pepper jelly flavor should be mild but it gives a unique spicy kick to the sweet lemony flavor.  The macaroon coconut crust is delish, it’s my favorite part.  Now that I know how to make desserts in the pressure cooker, we are going to be in deep trouble!

Spring Risotto {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

3 Large Shallots; Chopped

3 Cups Aborio Rice

4-5 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock

1 Cup White Wine + 2tbsp White Wine for shallots

1 Cup Frozen Peas

2 Cups Asparagus; chopped

2 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves

Garnish:

Chopped Chives

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Press the START button the pressure cooker to start the heating element for the browning function.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil into the pot.  Put the chopped shallots into the pot and sauté it for about 1-2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the 2tbsp of white wine to it.  Cook for 2-3 more minutes, then press the CANCEL button on the pressure cooker to turn it off.

There is no need to rinse or wash the rice.  Simply put the rice into the main cooking pot of the pressure cooker with the shallots.  Add the cup of wine and 4 cups of the stock to the rice.  Give it a quick stir.  Shut the lid and turn it to lock it into position.  Set the pressure valve to Airtight.

Now you can either just press the Rice & Risotto button on your machine, or you can program it to cook for 10-minutes.

When the cooking cycle is complete, release all the pressure by turning the pressure valve to exhaust.  Now the lid will turn and unlock.  Allow the Keep Warm function to stay on for this part just for a few minutes.  Check the consistency of the risotto.  If it’s too sticky and dry, add more stock or wine and give it a good mix.  The rice should be tender but still retain its shape.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Throw in the asparagus, frozen peas and spinach leaves.  Fold them into the rice.  Shut the lid and using the warm function to heat and cook all the vegetables.  It will take approximately 3-5 minutes.

Open the lid and check on the veggies.  Add the Parmesan cheese and chopped chives when it’s ready to serve.  The longer it sits in the Keep Warm function, the more the risotto will start turning mushy.  So I highly recommend serving it immediately.

Indian Chicken Curry Tikka Masala {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

So what we have here today is Indian Chicken Curry aka Tikka Masala.  It’s a pretty common Indian dish that I think honestly isn’t even really Indian.  It first originated in London.  It must be one of those Eastern dishes that was Westernized in order to make it palatable for Westerners.  (Kind of like Chop Suey for Chinese food.  Chop Suey does not exist in real Chinese cooking and culture.)

I’m going to sort of divide this recipe into three parts.  There is some cooking that doesn’t involve the pressure cooker as well.  There is the 1)  Marinating of the Chicken; 2) Broiling the Chicken; 3)  Making the Sauce; and I guess there is a number 4) Finishing up everything inside the pressure cooker.

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic (Oops, forgot to take a picture of it.)

1 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger

¼ Tsp. Cumin

¼ Tsp. Crushed Coriander

½ Tsp. Kosher Salt (I seem to never take pictures of salt for some reason.)

¾  Tsp. Garam Masala (This is the Indian spice that makes this dish what it is.)

¼ Tsp. Cayenne Pepper

6-8 Chicken Breasts or Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken.  Mix well.

Take a knife or a fork and poke the heck out of the chicken pieces.  I gave this job to my HB.  Since he likes to…oh never mind.

Throw the chicken in with the yogurt mixture and coat each piece well.  Put everything into the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 1-hour or even overnight is fine.

Preheat oven broiler to 500-degrees and adjust rack in the oven to about 4-6 inches away from the elements.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer to a broiler pan.  Broil the chicken for 5-8 minutes.  Then remove and set aside.  Make sure the chicken is not completely cooked through.  You are only trying to brown it.

Now let’s work on the sauce.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. Cooking Oil

1 Cup Onion; Chopped

2 ½ Tsp. Garam Masala

2 Tsp. Minced Fresh Garlic

2 Tsp. Minced Fresh Ginger

1 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper (This is an add-on ingredient that I think will add to the original recipe I followed, hence no photo of it.)

1 Serrano Chile, seeded and minced. (Can add more if you like it spicy.)

2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste (I forgot to buy tomato paste, so I used canned tomatoes.  Avoid this mistake if possible.)

½ Cup Heavy Cream

Press START on the pressure cooker to start the Browning cycle.  Add the oil and onions to the main cooking pot and cook until it begins to brown.  Add the spices and the chile and stir to cook until fragrant.  Stir in the tomato paste.  Add half of the Heavy cream and stir.

Add the chicken to the sauce and coat well.  Now it’s time for the Pressure Cooker to do its thing.

Shut the lid and turn it counter-clockwise to lock it.  Set the Pressure Valve to “Airtight”.   Program the cooker for 10-minutes.  Press START.

You can take this time to prepare some rice or Indian Naan to serve the chicken with.  Or maybe you can wash the dishes.  Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.

When the cooking cycle is done, the pressure cooker will beep and go to Keep Warm.  Release the pressure by turning the Pressure Valve to “Exhaust”.  Once all the pressure has released, the float valve will drop and allow you to turn and unlock the lid to open.  Stir the contents inside.  You’ll probably notice the sauce is not as thick.

Take out the chicken and set aside.  Press START on the pressure cooker to heat up the unit.  We’re going to cook the sauce some more now to thicken it by adding the rest of the Heavy Cream.  Stir it occasionally and reduce the mixture. (If you like, you can add flour or cornstarch as well.)  Make sure to taste as you go by adding salt or more cayenne pepper if you like it spicy.  Bring it to a boil. The sauce should thicken in less than 5-minutes.  Transfer the chicken back in with the mixture and coat thoroughly.  Press CANCEL to turn the  pressure cooker OFF.

Serve over rice with sour cream and chopped cilantro.  Or serve with Indian Naan.  Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana Italia {Electric Digital Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 Small-Medium Yellow Onion (Chopped)

– 1-2 Cups of Mushrooms (Chopped)

– ¼ Cup of Red Wine (I used Marsala wine cause that’s all I had)

– ½ Cup of Chicken Stock (Not pictured)

– 1 Tbsp of Crushed Garlic

– 3 Cups of Marinara or Spaghetti Sauce (I used spaghetti sauce cause I like to cheat)

– 1 Cup of Shredded Parmesan Cheese (Not pictured)

– 4-6 Chicken Breasts

– ¼ Cup White Flour

– ¼ Tsp Dried Rosemary

– ¼ Tsp Dried Basil

– ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder

– Salt & Pepper to taste

Chop up all the mushrooms and onion into small pieces.  Throw them all into the main cooking pot of the Pressure Cooker and press START.  This will start the Browning function in the machine.  Add a bit of olive oil and sauté them until they are slightly cooked though.  Press CANCEL to turn the pressure cooker off.

Now take the white flour, rosemary, basil and garlic powder and mix them up in a shallow dish.  Dip the chicken breasts into the mixture and coat each breast well.  You can choose to mix up one egg and make the batter thicker but I chose not to.  It makes my fingers all sticky with batter.  Pan fry the chicken breasts with olive oil on a hot pan on the stove.  It should be just about 2-minutes on each side to get it nicely browned and a bit crusty.  Remember you’re not going to “cook” the chicken on the pan, just get it browned.  The center of the chicken should still be raw.

While the chicken is browning on the pan.  You can go back to the mushroom and onion mixture.  Add the marinara sauce, chicken stock, red wine, half of the parmesan cheese and crushed garlic all into the pot.  Give it a nice mix.You can now take the chicken breasts from the pan and transfer it into the red sauce in the pressure cooker.  Coat each breast with the sauce evenly.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker, turn to lock it.  Program the machine to cook for about 8-10 minutes depending on how many chicken breasts you’re cooking and how thick they are.

This shouldn’t take very long.  I took this opportunity to clean up the kitchen. Cause you know, that’s how I roll.  I just love to clean!  (Throw in sarcastic eye-roll.  I love to cook, but I hate to clean).  You can also take this time to prepare some pasta or rice or whatever you want to use as a side to serve the chicken with.  I made some spaghetti noodles.

When the pressure cooker has finished the cooking cycle, it will beep and go to Keep Warm.  The Keep Warm light will actually be blinking, which means that the pressure cooker is dropping down in pressure on its own.  Usually, I get too impatient and I turn the valve to Exhaust right away to release the pressure myself.  But for this recipe, I actually let the machine drop in pressure on its own.  It will take about 5 minutes or so.  The Keep Warm light will stop blinking when the pressure has released. When it’s ready, just in case, set the valve to Exhaust to make sure there is no left over pressure.

The float valve should’ve also dropped and the lid can now open freely.

Take the leftover half cup of parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the top of each chicken breast.  Shut the lid again for like 60-seconds to melt all the cheese.

Serve over spaghetti, other pasta, rice or quinoa.  The chicken comes out so moist and infused with all the flavors and ingredients used.

Italian Meatball Sliders {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

– Two bags of frozen meatballs.  I got 2 bags for a total of 40.

– 2 Lrg Jars Italian Marinara Sauce.  Or any spaghetti sauce will do.

– 1-2 Cups Chicken Stock

– 36-40 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.  Or any kind of mini slider buns, etc.

– Mozzarella Cheese.  Shredded or sliced.

– Fresh Basil.  Chopped or whole leaves.

I decided to make this in the pressure cooker because it’ll soften up the meatballs so they’ll be more tender.  And keeping the meatballs inside the cooker once they’re done to keep it warm is also a plus.

Don’t worry about defrosting the meatballs.  Pour one jar of the marinara sauce into the main cooking pot.  Dump one bag of the frozen meatballs into the pot on top of the sauce.  Pour the other jar of sauce over the meatballs.  Then dump the other bag of meatballs in.

Pour in the 1-2 cups of chicken stock to dilute the marinara sauce.  (Sometimes if the sauce is too thick, it may burn at the bottom of the cooking pan.)  Give everything a good stir.

Secure the pressure cooker lid and set it to cook for 20-minutes.  Since the meatballs are frozen, it will take quite a while for the machine to pressurize.  Maybe 30-minutes or more.  Let it do its thing and get busy making your other party food.  That is, if you have a party to cook for.

Maybe you can toast the bread rolls or prepare the cheese and basil at this time.

Once the meatballs are done, release all the pressure and open the lid.  Give them a good stir and let it sit for a few minutes with the lid open.  You can top them off with some cheese if you like.

For the party, I’m leaving the bread and condiments on the side of the pressure cooker and guests can just help themselves and make their own meatball sliders.

Basically take a bread roll and break it open in the center.  Scoop a meatball into it with a little bit of sauce.  Top it off with some cheese and fresh basil.

White Chicken Chili {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS & MEASUREMENTS:

1 whole Chicken, Cut Up (or 3 Cups Cooked Chicken)

1 whole Onion, Sliced

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

2 whole Cans Green Chilies, Chopped

1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans, Rinsed

8 cups Chicken Broth

2 whole Jalapeno, Sliced

1-½ Tablespoon Ground Cumin

½ teaspoons Paprika

½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Salt To Taste

White Pepper, To Taste

1 cup Whole Milk

2 Tablespoons Masa (corn Flour) OR Cornmeal

Shredded chicken, dark and white meat.  White Northern beans, jalapeños, green chilies, onions, garlic, cornmeal and chicken stock.  For supporting characters, the garnishes consist of cilantro, sour cream, and Mexican shredded cheese.  And for some added flavor, we’ve got cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper.

I purchased a package of already butchered whole chicken.  I pre-cooked it in the pressure cooker the night before for about 10-minutes.  Then I discarded the skin and bones and shredded the meat.  I then seasoned it with salt and cayenne pepper and refrigerated it.

If you wish, you can also pre-soak the beans the night before if you like the beans to be very soft and mushy.

Once you’re ready to make the chili and use the other ingredients, chop up the jalapeños, green chilies, onions, garlic and put them all into the main cooking pot of the pressure cooker with some olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.  Press the Start button on the pressure cooker to just heat it up for some browning/sautéing.  You don’t need to do this for long, about 5-minutes.  Just until the butter melts and all the ingredients are mixed together.  Then turn off the pressure cooker so it stops sauteing.

Throw in the whole bag of white beans.  Give it another mix.  Then pour 4-5 cans of chicken stock in with everything.  You can add water later after cooking if it is too thick.

Now it’s time for the pressure!  Can you handle the pressure?  Close and lock the lid.  Set all the valves to airtight.  Program it for 60-minutes of pressure cooking.  Now you can go take a shower, or watch an episode of HOUSE.

I recommend allowing the cooking process to drop down in pressure after its done on its own.  Don’t release the pressure manually.

Once all the pressure has dropped the cooker will go to Keep Warm automatically.  This is when you can unlock and open the lid.  Stir mixture thoroughly.  Let it sit and cool for about 10 minutes.  This is the time to add the salt, cumin, cayenne pepper for more punch and flavor.  Add water too if the mixture is too thick.  And of course, add in the shredded chicken and give it a good mix.  Press the Start button again to start up the heat to simmer everything together some more, but without pressure cooking it.

To thicken the chili and give it a creamy texture.  Mix half a cup of milk with 1-tbsp of corn meal.  Then pour into the chili and mixture again.  Remember, that the milk and water may start to dilute flavors so make sure to taste and add accordingly.  Simmer for another about 5-10 minutes.

Serve with a dollup of sour cream, sprinkled with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.  And perhaps some tortilla chips on the side.  Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

From: http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-indian-butter-chicken/

Adapted from Spice Roots: http://www.spiceroots.com/butter-chicken/

Tender chicken thighs in a rich, creamy, spicy, buttery tomato sauce. A favorite dish at Indian restaurants that is easy to make at home.

Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs (5 chicken breasts)

2 cans (14 oz.) diced tomatoes and juice

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground roasted cumin seeds (roast on the stovetop in a small pan)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup firmly packed minced cilantro

Directions

Cut the chicken pieces into quarters.

Put tomatoes, jalapeno and ginger in a blender or food processor and blend to a fine puree.

Add butter to pressure cooking pot, select Browning. When butter is melted and foam begins to subside, add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and sear until they are nicely browned all over (about 2-3 minutes per batch). Remove them with a slotted spoon into a bowl and put aside.

Add ground cumin and paprika to the butter in the pot and cook, stirring rapidly, for 10-15 seconds. 

Add the tomato mixture, salt, cream, yogurt and chicken pieces (with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl) to the pot. Gently stir the chicken to coat the pieces. Cover and lock lid in place. Select High Pressure and 5 minutes cook time. When timer beeps, turn off and use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes use a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure.

Stir in the garam masala and roasted cumin. Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. 

Stir in to sauce in the pot. Select sauté and bring to a boil. Turn off pressure cooker and stir in minced cilantro.

Serve with rice and naan.

BBQ Beef Brisket Sliders {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

– 2 Cups Beef Broth

– 1 Cup BBQ Sauce (Your brand of choice)

– 1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce; this is for after the cooking

– 3lbs. Beef Brisket or Chuck Roast

Pour the cups of beef broth into the main cooking pot of the pressure cooker.  Place the brisket or chuck roast into the broth and then top the meat with 1 cup of BBQ sauce.  Coat it thoroughly all over.  Lock and load the pressure cooker lid and program it to cook for 60-minutes.

Tada, that’s it!  That’s all the direction you have to give your hubbie to get dinner rolling.   Easy peezy.

(When I was cooking my brisket, my pressure cooker wouldn’t pressurize.  It would heat up for 5-minutes and then beep and cycle over to keep warm.  This usually happens when the machine is sensing not enough liquid and too much heat is present so it will auto shut-off.  Well, I had plenty of liquid and I wondered why it was doing that.  I realized it was because the meat was one large slab of beef that basically covered almost the entire bottom of the pot.  Not enough liquid was actually touching the base.  So what I ended up doing was cutting up some potatoes that I had to use up anyway and placed it under the beef to raise it off the bottom of the pot by a bit.  That way, it created pockets for the liquid to flow under.  If you don’t have potatoes, you can always just use a trivet too.)

Once the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure and unlock the lid.  The meat should be falling apart into smaller portions.  Remove each portion to a platter.  Use a couple of forks and shred the meat into small shredded pieces.  When all the meat has been shredded, ladle about 1 cup of the cooking liquid into the beef and mix.  Then add the other 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and mix as well.

This is where I got an inspiration.  The BBQ sauce I used just didn’t have enough kick to it.  So of course, I pulled out my trusty jar of Habanero Pepper Jelly!  Hey, why not!  I added about 2 tbsp to the shredded beef and gave it a good mix again.

I chose to make little Slider Sandwiches but you can really use the meat for anything.  Serve it as is with mashed potatoes, or put it between some tortillas, add cheese and make a great quesadilla.  Use your imagination.  It’s great with chips and potato salads as well.  You can’t go wrong here.  This has got to be the easiest and quickest recipe post I’ve done so far.  Enjoy!

Southern Tangy Pulled Roast Beef {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Lb. Chuck Roast

1 Packet of Ranch Dressing Powder

1 Packet of Au Ju Mix Powder

1 Stick of Butter (Or just half if you don’t want the extra calories.)

1 Jar of Peperoncinis aka Peppercinis

Place about 4 peppers into the bottom of the cooking pot first. Then place the chuck roast on top of them. This will lift up the roast off the bottom of the pan and prevent burning and overheating.

Open the packets of the seasonings and sprinkle them both all over the top of the roast, covering it as much as possible. Place a few more peppercinis on top of the roast, and around it. Then pour about 1/4 to 1/2 of the peppercini liquid into the pot. Add 1/2 a cup of water to that, put the whole piece of butter directly on top of the roast as well and you are DONE!

Lock and load the pressure cooker and program it to cook for 60-minutes.

Lasagna Soup {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

From: peggyunderpressure.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Lbs. Spicy Italian Sausage (You can also use lean ground beef or even ground turkey)
• 16oz. Cans of Chopped Tomatoes. Stewed tomatoes will break up better after they are chopped.
• 1 6oz. Can of Tomato Paste
• 1 Whole Yellow Onion, chopped
• 3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
• 6 Cups of Chicken Broth. Use Veg. Broth or water for less sodium. I used 4 cups low sodium broth and 2 cups water, which was below the MAX line full capacity. Make sure not to over fill pass this line or you’re going to have a mess.
• 2 cups  Mafalda or fusili pasta or one 28oz package of 4 cheese ravioli or tortellini
  I didn't need to season with salt as the canned tomatoes and paste had enough.

Cheese Balls( if you don't use cheese filled pasta):

• Shredded Mozzarella
• Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

In your pressure cooker’s inner cooking pan/pot, put a bit of olive oil and heat up the browning feature if your model has it, otherwise you can do it on the stove in a saucepan.

Crumble the sausage or whatever meat you are using and brown the meat in the pot.  Add the Italian Seasoning and lightly saute everything together until browned. Turn off the browning feature.

Add in the minced garlic and chopped onions. Also the cans of chopped tomato and tomato paste. Give everything a good stir.

Now pour in the broth or broth/water combo.

DO NOT ADD THE PASTA YET!  We’ll do that later.

Close the lid and lock it.  Set the pressure valve to Airtight.  Program your pressure cooker to cook for 10-minutes.  Or if it has a pre-set SOUP function, go ahead and press that.

When you’re making a large pot of soup that has a high liquid content, the pressure cooker will take longer to come to pressure because it has to take time to heat up the liquid inside it.  Once it is all heated and the pressure has been reached, the cook time will then begin and count down.

While the pressure cooker is doing its thing, you can make the cheese balls!

Put some shredded mozzarella cheese onto a plate.  Then scoop out about 2-3 tablespoons of ricotta cheese and mash it onto the plate and mix it with the mozzarella.  

Mash and roll until both cheeses are incorporated and roll it into a nice tight ball.  You can choose to add some dry parsley and dry basil to the cheese balls too.  Make however many balls you want and cover with saran wrap.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the soup.

Whenever the pressure cooker has finished pressure cooking, adjust the pressure valve to Exhaust to release all the pressure.  For a big pot of soup, it may take almost 2-minutes for it all too release completely.  Once all the pressure is released, open the lid.  The unit should also have gone to the Keep Warm setting automatically. 

Give everything a good stir.

Add about 1-2 cups of pasta to the soup.  Don’t add too much because the pasta have the tendency to soak up a lot of the liquid and get really bloated looking. Add just enough for the amount of servings you want.

Shut the lid to the pressure cooker again and program it to cook for just ONE more minute. Once that has completed, go through the usual cycle to release the pressure and unlock the lid.

Ladle a nice portion into a serving bowl and drop a cheese ball into the center of the soup.

Serve while it’s nice and hot!  The cheese will melt and make the soup sort of creamy.