Loving My Instant Pot - Day 13

  I wanted a pressure cooker for many years and actually bought one from QVC but I was scared to use it.  It sat in the box for a couple of years and I'd feel guilty every time I looked it.  We end up donating it someplace.

Fast forward a few years.  I started hearing about this thing called an Instant Pot.  Not knowing what it was I googled it and found links to You Tube videos showing what to do with them along with delicious sounding recipes.  So I binged watched many, saved links and talked to people who swore by their Instant Pot.

By then I had to have one.  So I ordered this from Amazon and started playing. It is over 3 years old and well used.

We love tender pot roasts so I decided to buy a Chuck roast. I had to cut it into chunks because it wouldn't fit in the pot whole.  I chopped up some onions, mushrooms, garlic and carrots.  First I turned the pot onto Sauté.  When it gets warm enough it will show HOT.  I poured some olive oil and butter in, then some onions, garlic and the meat.  I browned the meat but had to keep scraping off the browned bits because if I didn't it would stick to the bottom of the pot and it wouldn't go up to pressure.   If food sticks to the pot where the Off is, it would read BURN.  

Next I added the rest of the onions, mushrooms, carrots and garlic along with a can of Beef Consume.  Yes beef broth is good and so is water.  I added some more water (don't remember how much, I play it by instinct now days).  I added garlic powder, some what's its here sauce (worchestire sauce however you spell it) and salt and pepper.  You can add what you want.  When everything was in the pot, I put the lid on, moved the nozzle on the top toward the back.  I pushed the off button and pushed the manual to on and moved it up to 60 minutes. When the little silver pin pops up then the pressure has begun and the numbers on the front start counting down.  I found through trial and error that we liked the pot roast cut into cubes and cooked longer.  A wire rack comes with the pot so I peel two large potatoes and put the rack on top of the food and place the potatoes on the rack, then close the lid and set the time.  They are a little soft but delicious. When the pot reads LO 00 then you push the lever at the top of the lid forward carefully because steam will pour out and you don't want to get burned. I use a long handled wooden spoon and pull it forward with that.  When the silver pin at the top drops down that means you can open the lid safely.  I usually let anything I cook with beef do a natural release meaning let it count down without forcing it.  I find the meat is more tender by releasing naturally.

There are a lot of recipes online and many have videos that go with them.  I belong to several Instant Pot groups on Facebook that have been a lot of help.  So if you are thinking of buying an IP I would say go for it. Watch the videos first if you want as they helped me to decide which model I wanted and gave me so many hints.  I'm thinking seriously of buying a second one because I can cook pot roast in one and the most delicious mashed potatoes in the second.  I mash the potatoes right in the pot and they are so good.  Here is the pot roast finished.  



I've made fresh vegetable soup with chicken broth.  If you're vegetarian you can use vegetable broth or make your own. 

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A big cup of finished soup

Spaghetti, oh my!  Yes you can put the uncooked spaghetti in the pot.  Here is a recipe . It's my favorite.    A word of warning.  Before you put the spaghetti in make sure you have scraped all the bits of browned meat, onions off the bottom because if you don't you could easily get a BURN notice. Or it might count down without the burn notice and you will have burned food on the bottom of your bowl.  Yes you can eat it if you want, I have.  Also I had to add some more water with this recipe.  

I made Instant Pot Pasta Carbonera  ,  Banana Bread  too. Corn takes 3 minutes, asparagus 3 minutes  and oh hard boiled eggs!  5, 5, 5.   You can even cook potatoes under the eggs for potato salad!!!  

So I hope this has wet your appetite for the Instant Pot. They even have a model now with a browning lid for air fry. People swear by it but I don't have one. 

Happy Pressure Cooking.

I am having so much fun blogging every day in April with my blogging buddies in Effy's blog-a-thon.

http://effywild.com