Under Pressure? Easy meals using pressure cookers

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) -Cook meals, snacks and desserts in one convenient appliance: a pressure cooker!

Hy-Vee registered dietitian Nina Struss RD, LDN discusses reasons why adding a pressure cooker to your kitchen appliances can help make mealtimes easier. Learn five ways this handy gadget will save time in the kitchen and how to make a delicious recipe perfect for the whole family. In the next segment, Nina reveals some delicious chicken tacos made in the Instapot.

5 Ways Your Pressure Cooker Saves Time

1. From Freezer to Cooker: Cook thin cuts of meat such as chicken breasts without thawing.
2. One Button Prep: Place ingredients in the cooker and press a preset button or select your own time and pressure. 3
3. No Need to Monitor Progress: Once the lid locks, your work is done. Stirring food would release the pressure, so set it and let it cook.
4. One Pot Cleanup: Many recipes cook in the removable central pot without any extra tools for quick and easy cleanup.
5. Quicker Cook Time: Most foods cook faster under pressure. For example, baby back ribs need 2 hours in the oven, but just 35 minutes under pressure.

6 Ways to Use a Pressure Cooker

1. Sauté – Add oil, then heat and use the inner pot like a burner on the stove. Use to brown meat, stir-fry vegetables, reheat grains and heat soup.
2. Poach – Submerge in liquid and heat at a low temperature. Use to cook delicate proteins like fish, chicken and eggs.
3. Boil – Use a substantial amount of water, but don’t fill completely. Use to cook hearty grains like wild or brown rice and beans.
4. Steam – Add at least 1 cup of water, then steam in a basket or on the trivet. Use to hard-cook eggs and cook fish and tough vegetables like squash.
5. Braise – Use a small amount of liquid and cook food slowly. Use to cook big meat cuts like chuck roast, beef shank and brisket.
6. Bake – Remove the gasket and place a small cooking rack on the bottom. Use to bake sweets like cake, cheesecake, brownies and cookies.

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