The comforting feel of food made with love
The tender and loving care that goes into the cooking makes comfort food what it is. That extra time and effort that is put into making the dishes extra special give one a warm, glowing feeling they eat.. Unfortunately, these dishes can be painstakingly time-consuming, unless if, of course, you own a pressure cooker.
Three pressure cooker comfort foods
Pressure cookers have the ability to reduce the cooking time of many foods, making even the longest and most tedious recipe a piece of cake.
Leek and artichoke frittata
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small leeks halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 9 large eggs
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or parsley
- ½ tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup marinated artichoke hearts
Sauté the butter and oil in the pressure cooker, stir in the leeks, add a little bit of salt, and cook gently for 5–10 minutes. Whisk the flour and milk in a large bowl and add the eggs, the thyme, the basil, the Gruyère, and the pepper, mixing thoroughly. Add the artichokes to the leeks and then pour everything into the egg mixture.
Mix well and pour into a buttered soufflé dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
Add 1.5 cups of water to the pressure cooker, then place the steaming rack into the bottom. Lower the soufflé dish into the cooker and cook on high for 16 minutes. let the pressure release naturally, and then remove the soufflé dish. Heat your broiler, sprinkle the parmesan over the frittata, and broil until golden brown. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Creamy macaroni and cheese
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 6 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 garlic clove (optional)
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 8 oz. macaroni pasta
- 8 oz. grated sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Blend the milk, cream cheese, cream, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, and a teaspoon of butter. Then add the mix to the pressure cooker and combine with the macaroni. Cook on high for 6 minutes.
Release the pressure and stir. Add the cheddar and cover, allowing it to sit for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Bittersweet chocolate pudding
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- Whipped cream, for serving
Add the milk and cream to a heavy pan and let the mixture simmer. Whisk in the chocolate until it melts. Whisk the eggs yolks, the whole egg, the sugar, the vanilla, and the salt in a bowl and pour in the chocolate mixture while whisking constantly. Strain into six 4 ounce cups and cover with foil. Place on the steamer rack in the cooker and cook on low pressure for 18 minutes. When cooked, remove and uncover, and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve topped with cream.
h/t: Refinery 29
Also available on Zyne.ca
