[titch]

My mum has given me a pressure cooker - her old one - any ideas where i should look to find out how to use this, recipes, what i can do with it etc etc
all she said was - it makes lovely stews, which i  am sure it does but also sure it can do so much more - mum is not an adventurous cook at all - good but not adventuruos

all help appreciated

[Yorkie]

Have you looked at Jamie Oliver's website - he has a range of cooking stuff including a pressure cooker so there may be recipes on there?

[Poolfield2]

Hi Titch, is this site any good?

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blpressurecook.htm

[mumofstig]

just Google 'pressure cooker recipe' and pages and pages are shown.
Something for everybody

[titch]

thanks for the replies, will get on google later plus the jamie site and the linky you posted poolfield -

[Trillium]

I don't really do 'recipes' with my pressure cooker, but all my beef stews are done in it. Really makes the difference between tough to tender. I prep all my veg except potatoes into the cooker, including meat cubes, broth so its only at the half level (otherwise the froth gets into the steam release) and after it comes to the boil then turned down, I let it rattle away for 40-45 minutes. During that time I get the potatoes cleaned and cooked, and once the top comes off the cooker, I make the gravy then add the spuds.

I've also done a few small roasts with the cooker, mostly cheap tough cuts. I sit those on the little rack that fits the bottom, add the water, wine, broth, whatever, all seasonings, and let it rattle for about 90 minutes. Yummm.

[noshed]

Very handy for cooking dried beans.

[titch]

oooooooh i did not know that - whenever i have tried to cook dried beans in the past they never turn out soft - always still a little bullet like in the middle

when all the madness has died down i am going to have a go with this new toy

[JulieP]

I use mine on a daily basis for cooking my veg (we like it cooked - not raw!)

Great for stews, fry off meat, add veg, add stock, cook for 20-25 mins of full pressure, then thicken or add a dumpling or two.....

Great for joints, I do beef (if had a lazy sunday morning in bed) for 20 mins a LB then finish off in oven - also ham joints the same way.

Rice pudding is JUST DE-LIS-IOUS.

Look on internet for an instruction book for your model, this will give you ideas and timings for basic things like Veg and meat etc.

Enjoy - cooking things in a saucepan will never be quick enough again....... - I've got two going dusty on the shelf....

[Poolfield2]

How funny you are on fast forward cooking and I'm really into slow cooking, my slow cooker goes on for stews and whole joints of meat and yes rice pudding too. It's quieter than a pressure cooker too, I once blew the weight off my Mums pressure cooker and never got my nerve back

[titch]

made a stew and a soup in the pressure cooker, but tbh could not see anydifference between that and the slow cooker ones i do, so no benefits that i can see,, but then the slow cooker means i come home and the house smells amazing............my guess is that the pressure cooker will get used sometimes but the slow cooker more often - sausage casserole is amazing this way

[madcat]

I have a slow cooker and a pressure cooker and I move between the two depending on .... not sure really!   Mood, life pressures, what I am cooking???  When the builders were here, working inside, the slow cooker was banned.  The smell made them hungry all day.   

Sometimes I'll have phases for pasta or soup or curries or casseroles ....  I'm definitely not one of those 'cold meat monday, mince on tuesday .... fish on friday .. roast on sunday" people.  I suppose I also therefore have cooking equipment phases too.   

[Ice]

I can't be in the same room as a pressure cooker when it's working.  They scare the bejesus out of me. 

[Val H]

I can't be in the same room as a pressure cooker when it's working.  They scare the bejesus out of me. 

Pretty much the same here! John has to use ours - I can't! It "boils" down to when my Dad managed to somehow, when taking the pressure off, having a steaming hot load of stew erupting out of the top and hitting the ceiling - followed by days of him cleaning it off (Mum was in hospital having my second brother). It was only 50 years ago .

[titch]

my memories of my mum using one are of her, with teatowel over her arm, the longest wooden spoon she had in her hand, standing at arms lenght from the pressure cooker trying to whack the wieght off the top   - probably why i hav#nt had one before - i was scared using it for the first time - worried about the stew fountain that might erupt but so far so good