Invented in the 17th century, but popularized after World War II, pressure cooking always seemed antiquated to me. The idea of cooking under pressure evoked dented, sputtering aluminum pots and frayed electrical cords. Pressure cookers seemed a bit unpredictable, and I like my kitchen equipment to be dependable and safe.
In culinary school, pressure cooking never came up in our discussion of proper French technique. And while I’m no purist, I never gave it a second thought.
Perhaps it was my own need to cook the way I was taught. Or maybe it’s my closet-sized kitchen. Any new appliances I consider are subject to an extensive needs assessment and background check. Given that I thought a pressure cooker seemed vaguely hazardous, it was never an option.
But my mindset began to shift couple of years ago. I happened to be working on my computer at home on a weekday afternoon and decided to participate in my very first Tweetchat. The featured guest was JL Fields, and the topic was vegan cooking. Specifically, however, it was about using …dun da-da dunnnn…a pressure cooker.
I was skeptical, but sufficiently intrigued, and during that hour I learned a LOT about pressure cooking. (Well, it was a lot compared to what I already knew, which was nothing). I discovered how versatile pressure cookers are, and what to look for when buying one. More importantly, I began to recognize its many benefits.
Pressure cooking saves time and energy, and foods retain many more nutrients than with other methods. Realizing there had likely been some advancements in pressure cookers in recent centuries, I reasoned using one was no longer a life-threatening proposition. I moved one step closer to considering pressure cooking.
But I stewed about getting a pressure cooker for the next year or so.
Last spring, a defining moment came when I learned that JL was writing a vegan pressure cooking cookbook. This would be my excuse to explore pressure cooking with the support of an expert! And finally, just last week, Vegan Pressure Cooking was released!
I cracked open Vegan Pressure Cooking, along with my new T-Fal Clipso Pressure Cooker at the turn of the year. Setting aside my lingering fears, I started from the beginning.
Any ambivalence disappeared FAST with JL’s friendly, conversational tone and way of putting pressure cooking newbies at ease. Chapter One answers every question I’ve ever had about pressure cooking, including my biggest one: How can I avoid blowing up my pressure cooker? Once I read through this chapter, I felt far more confident and empowered to use my new appliance.
Chapter Two of Vegan Pressure Cooking titled Beans and Grains, got me started with the basics. I first made the Italian Lentils which went really well.
“If all the recipes go like this,” I thought to myself, “then I’m really going to like pressure cooking.”
The next day, I followed up with Vegan Pressure Cooking’s fabulous recipe for Balsamic Black Beans, which I thoroughly enjoyed with several meals over the next couple days.
Buoyed by these easy and flavorful beans, I then decided to try the Basic Quinoa recipe. Again, victorious. I followed the recipe closely and the quinoa was cooked and seasoned perfectly.
I was thrilled knowing how quickly I could prepare delicious staples. I honestly didn’t realize that pressure cooker recipes could be so fresh and tasty! How could I have held these antiquated notions all these years?
Both confident in the recipes and getting the hang of the device, I was ready to move on to sections like like Soups and Stews and One Pot Meals.
I tried the delicious New World Székely Goulash, which is a unique spin on traditional Hungarian goulash. This dish is loaded with paprika, sauerkraut and chickpeas, and made creamy with vegan sour cream. Homey and bursting with flavor, it’s another winner for an easy weeknight meal or bulk cooking. I was thrilled to take it for lunch with me for several days.
Then there are the veggies. Yes, you CAN cook vegetables in a pressure cooker! I don’t always feel like waiting 45 minutes for brussels sprouts to roast in the oven. From Vegan Pressure Cooking’s chapter on Meal Helpers and Veggie Sides, I made the Rosemary and Thyme Brussels Sprouts. They were done perfectly in a fraction of the time. Unreal.
I found myself on a roll, cooking one item after another from Vegan Pressure Cooking. Dal dip? Check. Tofu Scramble? Check. And each recipe contained a totally reasonable and easy-to-source ingredients list. Best of all, the recipes worked, which is no small feat given that according to JL, pressure cooking is not an exact science.
I’ve gotten more use out of my pressure cooker in the past two weeks than some appliances I’ve had for years. And it’s all because of Vegan Pressure Cooking. In fact, its never-fail recipes have helped me integrate this simple and convenient way of cooking into my busy life in a very short time.
Both in-person and in-writing, JL’s expertise and passion for pressure cooking comes through. Whether you’re a newbie or pressure cooking aficionado, Vegan Pressure Cooking’s solid, no-nonsense, flexible recipes will change and evolve the way you think about pressure cooking.
Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a copy of Vegan Pressure Cooking by JL Fields! To enter, simply click on the giveaway to input your contact information. Then leave a comment below this blog post and share what vegan foods you’d like to make in a pressure cooker. Good luck!
Details
- The giveaway entry period begins 12:00am January 11, 2015 ET and ends 12:00am January 19, 2015 ET.
- To enter, click on the Rafflecopter badge above to enter your name and email. Then leave a comment on this post about what vegan foods you’d like to make in a pressure cooker.
- One winner will be drawn at random and will be notified by email. The winner must respond within 48 hours with their mailing address to claim their prize. Otherwise, another winner will be selected at random.
- The winner will receive a copy of Vegan Pressure Cooking by JL Fields
- The book will be shipped to the winner by the publisher
Sara says
Share what you’d like to make in a pressure cooker here in the comments! Me? I’m REALLY excited about both pantry staples like black beans and chickpeas, as well as making hearty soups to have for lunch.
Alicia says
I got a pressure cooker for Christmas because I’ve been inspired by JL Fields!!! I would LOVE to win this book!!!
We are trying to be debt-FREE and being able to make wholesome, REAL food from scratch will help in that endeavor. I can’t wait to make quick beans, tempeh, and seitan dishes!!!!
Thank you!
Sara says
Awesome, Alicia! Sounds like a fantastic plan. And I agree JL is such an inspiration! 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Beans! Seriously, I hear they come out perfect!
Marfigs says
I’ve been hearing about this book for so long now – would love to get my very own copy! Is this open internationally?
I’ve had my eye on a pressure cooker, just no confidence to actually start cooking without some sort of guide. Would love to make stews and other hearty dishes in bulk now that I’m going back to studying and working two different jobs with limited time- it would make a refreshing change from the same soup every day! (I’ve also seen pics of some amazing sweet dishes in a pressure cooker – swoon!)
Connie says
I already have a pressure cooker and other cookbooks but I’d love to add JL’s to my collection. My favorite things to make are beans, soups and stews.
Nancy A. says
I would love to win this cookbook as I need ideas so badly of what to fix at meals that is healthy!! I would love to try beans and rice and love soups in the cold months!!
Terri Cole says
I have an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) that I love. The recipes I cook in it the most are soups and stews, plus the basic pot of beans. I would love to have JL’s book. Thanks for the giveaway!
Marsha Browne says
I would love to cook beans, grains, rices, and other staples for freezing and make-ahead meals. I would also love to make more one-pot meals. I love the convenience of everything in one vessel and quicker cleanup.
Adina says
Rice & quinoa!
Lydia Claire says
Soup with lots of veggies and beans.
sarah says
dry chickpeas!
Becca F says
I’d love to learn how to cook beans quickly in a pressure cooker
Katie says
I would try making beans in a pressure cooker
Janie Gianotsos says
My mom used her pressure cooker all the time. It was the noisy, stove-top one. She’d warn me to be very careful so I was always a little afraid, but learned to use one. I always cooked potatoes in mine. Recently I got an electric one and have been making beans all the time. Living at a high altitude makes it very hard to cook beans on the stove, so the pressure is great. What I haven’t done is make one pot meals in the pressure cooker, so I’m going to check out JL’s book and hope to learn how to do that.
Corrine says
Currently I mostly cook artichokes and potatoes.
Allison says
There are so many! A friend has said that lentils in the pressure cooker are beyond amazing. I haven’t started to play with mine yet. This book would be amazing!
Debbie Harris says
I’d love to make beans. They take a long time, but in a pressure cooker, it’s be so much less time.
Lentils, rice, etc.
I’ve always wanted to play with one, but seem to have so many appliances already. This would be a treat! Thanks for hosting the giveaway, the cookbook looks amazing!
Sara says
Im ready for changes!! Slowly transitioning to being a VEGAN! and this book will definitely help give me ideas of what to make and show me there are more than just a few ideas out there!
Joanne Otto says
I just got an electric pressure cooker and need to learn how to use it!
Joanne Otto says
Oh! As for which foods I would like to make: beans, grains, stews, potatoes…
Marsha says
I finally broke down and traded by old aluminum cooker for a new stainless steel cooker. I use mine regularly for dried beans. Much less time in pressure cooker and great flavor!
Mary Herndon says
Was interesting to see that pressure cooking retains MORE nutrients, I thought it would be less. Which makes me want a pressure cooker! Thanks for the great review.
Tracie says
Beans, beans, and more beans! I’d love to make them from scratch instead of buying in cans. Plus soups… especially in the winter, the thought of a big ole pot of soup makes me happy! 🙂
Sandra Hays says
Wow, what a cool idea – vegan pressure cooking! I’d be very interested in trying recipes with beans AND grains, including wild rice. I usually cook that in a rice cooker in my microwave, but am wondering how it would be in the pressure cooker? Interesting!
Purnima Barve says
I would love to make soups, stews, and lots of dishes with beans.
Linda says
I can make beans in a slow cooker, but have to plan the evening meal in the morning. I don’t know what I want to fix for dinner in the morning!!! It would be great to have some recipe ideas from the cookbook that I could make quickly in the evening (even if it does include beans or grains!). Thanks for the opportunity to win a cookbook!
Truc says
GOULASH well not really, I mostly would really like to try making beans, but everyone else also wants to make beans too. =) I’m curious whether tofu scrambles made in a pressure cooker would be different than those made on the stovetop, because I don’t think of tofu scrambles as a dish that takes long on the stovetop.
Tim says
I’d make chili. I’ve had pressure-cooked chili before and it’s fantastic.
Me says
Just bought an Instantpot. I need this cookbook to teach how to prepare the basics and wonderful meals.
Susan says
Grains and beans!
Amy says
Winning this book would be AWESOME!!!! Beans, soups, and grains are on the top of my list!!! Good luck to everyone!!!
Kelly says
I am new to the Vegan lifestyle and I would love to start cooking in a pressure cooker. I would love to try cooking lentils so I can make my first Lentil loaf with ease!
Arthur says
Does this cookbook list any nutritional information for the recipes? I paged through a copy of The Everything® Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook and was surprised at the number of recipes that had a sodium count greater than 600mg per serving. One recipe was listed as having 5,402 mg of sodium per serving. I was surprised at how someone could call recipes that contained over 1,000 mg of sodium per serving “healthy”.
Sara says
Hi Arthur! It doesn’t have nutritional info for each recipe although in some cases salt is considered ‘optional’ or ‘to taste’ and low-sodium vegetable broth can be used. If you go to veganpressurecooking.com and click the link to the Google+ community, JL is posting some recipes from the book so you can get a better sense of the ingredients. For example, here’s the Umami Anasazi Beans on JL’s site: http://jlgoesvegan.com/umami-anasazi-beans-vegan-pressure-cooking/
Tommie says
Nice post SARA. Thanks for your effort to provide this informative article. I already have a pressure cooker and other cookbooks, but I’d love to add JL’s to my collection.
Sara says
Thanks, Tommie! I’m loving this cookbook! As you know well, pressure cooking is such a great way to create easy, healthy meals!
Catherine says
I’ve been experimenting with my new pressure cooker and everything has come out great so far – beans and rice, barley, quinoa. I’m more nervous about making quicker cooking meals, for instance a stew with tofu. I own no pressure cooker cookbooks yet – just winging it with the help of the manual!
Sara says
That’s fantastic, Catherine! I know what you mean about the meals. I was apprehensive at first and started slow with very basic combinations but everything since has turned out great. You can do it! 🙂 Most of what I’ve made is from the Vegan Pressure Cooking cookbook but JL lists a bunch of easy ones on her website here: http://jlgoesvegan.com/recipes-3-2/?search_term=pressurecooker&ui=37&cm=1