Monday, November 5, 2012

Pressure Cooker recipes from Chef Brad


We are adapting our favorite Chef Brad’s recipes by preparing them in advance as frozen crock-pops.  The ingredients are assembled and frozen in containers that can removed just before cooking.  In this case, we are speeding things up by popping the frozen food into the pressure cooker rather than a crock pot.  It would be confusing to call them pressure-pops, so we’ll continue referring to them as crock-pops.  The amount of extra time required in the pressure cooker because the food begins cooking in a frozen state remains to be determined.  We'll let you know after we test these.

Millet Rigatoni

This recipe is a family favorite at Chef Brad's home. So easy and so tasty. This must be done in an electric pressure cooker.  The electric pressure cooker is amazing for this meal.

Ingredients

16 oz Sweet ground Italian Sausage
½ cup Millet, uncooked
26 oz pasta sauce, garlic and herb
28 oz Crushed tomatoes, or Whole tomatoes crushed with hand
12 oz can roasted red peppers, chopped
2 T. Italian seasoning
1 lb. dry rigatoni
Salt and pepper
2 cups water (if using crock pop, add water to the pressure cooker)

Directions

Turn on an electric pressure cooker to high heat. Let it begin the heat up. Add the sausage with a little olive oil. Using a flat spoon, break up the meat in the cooker to let it begin to brown. Add the millet into the sausage. When it is about half way brown, you can begin to add all the other ingredients. Once the ingredients are all in the cooker, add a can full of water (using the pasta sauce can). Add more water if needs be till the water line is right above the pasta. Place on the lid, and cook for six minutes on high pressure. Let pressure come down naturally and open and top with cheese and close until cheese melts.

Crock Pop Directions:  unmold frozen crock pop, add 2 cups water to the pressure cooker,  and change the processing time to 16 minutes on high, letting the pressure come down naturally.

Chicken Thigh Stew

This soup is soul food. So tasty, you will want to make sure you have leftovers. Chef Brad serves this stew on or over pressure cooked Yukon Gold potatoes.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

This recipe is Gluten Free

Ingredients

10 skinless chicken thighs
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh rosemary, parsley, and marjoram, chopped
1 large can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Corn starch or Ultra gel for thickening (try 2 tablespoons CS in a little water)
6 ½ cups water (If using crock-pop add water to the pressure cooker)
Directions

In pressure cooker, sauté onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add some of the water and sauté for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and place lid on pressure cooker and cook for 12 minutes. Remove lid and thicken with Ultra gel or corn starch. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over cooked potatoes.

Pop crock direction:  add 6 1/2 cups water to pressure cooker.  Change processing time in the pressure cooker to 22 minutes.  Quick release and thicken sauce with corn starch or ultra gel (see instructions above).

Lemon Chicken

This is a wonderful new twist on a old favorite recipe of Chef Brad's that he called Lemon Chicken Louise, after his wife. He has updated it using whole grains and the result is amazing.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Total Completion Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, skin off
2 cups fresh ground whole grain flour, I like a mixture of spelt, barley, and brown rice.
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 lemons, juice and zest
Peanut oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

In sauté pan with peanut oil, brown meat that has been dredged in the whole grain flour mixture with salt and pepper. After browned, set aside. In pressure cooker sauté onions and garlic in small amount of oil. Place browned chicken on top of tender onions and garlic and add can of soup with lemon juice and zest. Pressure on high for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and add more water if needed, pour sauce over chicken, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with brown rice or mashed potatoes.

Crock Pop instructions:  Add 1 cup water.  Process on high for 25 minutes.  Let pressure release naturally. 

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