Even in a time crunch, it is vital to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and food is at the heart of it. You can prepare healthy and innovative dishes with minimal effort, such as instant pot dishes.
The website ‘Tried, Tested & True’ described instant pot recipes wonderfully: ’These recipes are quick, healthy meals. ’Dump and Go‘ refers to recipes where most, if not all, the ingredients are ’dumped‘ into the Instant Pot. There are usually minimal, or even no, additional steps. Much like traditional slow cooking, these recipes are really simple and easy. They may also be referred to as, ’one pot meals’.
Here are some of our favourite instant pot recipes:
1. Instant Pot Brown Rice:
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup long grain brown rice
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp bouillon, chicken or vegetable
Preparation:
1. Rinse the rice
2. Heat the main pot of the pressure cooker, then add one teaspoon of oil and saute the garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Stir the brown rice into the pot followed by water, salt and bouillon (optional).
4. Let the rice cook under high pressure for 20 minutes while it is locked with the lid on. Let the pressure release naturally, which means you don’t release it out forcefully. The natural steam will help the rice cook properly.
5. Once you open the lid, the brown rice is ready to be served.
2. Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup:
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken thighs or 500 gm chicken breasts
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup peeled and sliced carrot
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
black pepper, to taste
1 cup egg noodles
Parsley, optional for garnish
Preparation:
1. Seasoned the chicken with salt.
2. Saute the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients in the pressure cooker/instant pot: the chicken, broth, bay leaves, and black pepper.
4. Cover the instant pot tightly with the lid and cook on high pressure for around 15 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own. In case you are in a hurry, you can manually release it.
5. Transfer the chicken onto a plate remove the bay leaves. Coarsely shred the chicken with two forks.
6. Add noodles to the pot with shredded chicken and cook on high pressure for two minutes. Let the pressure release on its own and finally, garnish with parsley.
3. Instant Pot Black-Eyed Pea Salad:
Ingredients:
450 gm black eyed peas, washed and cleaned
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/3 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 ½ lemons
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Optional: Diced carrots, celery and feta cheese
Preparation:
1. Add beans, bay leaves and water into an instant pot or pressure cooker and cook on high pressure with a lid covered for 9 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Then strain the beans and remove the bay leaves completely. Let the beans cool.
2. Transfer the beans to a large bowl with onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper. Mix well. Add salt and lemon juice as per taste.
3. Chill in the refrigerator until it is ready to be served.
4. Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats:
Ingredients:
2 cups steel cut oats
6 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
4 medium ripe bananas
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup milk, either nut, soy or skim
8 tsp pure maple syrup or honey
Ground cinnamon, for topping
Preparation:
1. In the main container of the cooker, stir steel cut oats and water together.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks in the same container, then pressure cook for 6 minutes on a high pressure.
3. Let the pressure release on its own.
4. Remove the cinnamon sticks and stir in the blueberries
5. To serve, pour 1 cup of oats and add 2 tbsp milk in each bowl followed by ½ sliced banana. Pour 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup and garnish with a pinch of cinnamon.
6. Refrigerate any leftovers in glass or plastic containers.
7. You can also reheat for 2-3 minutes and then add toppings of your choice.
5. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:
Ingredients:
1 kg peeled potatoes, quartered
3 cups water
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
1/3 cup low-fat 1% buttermilk
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp whipped butter
Fresh black pepper
Chopped chives or parsley
Preparation:
1. In the instant pot or pressure cooker, place potatoes and cover entirely with water. Season with 1 tsp salt and cover with a lid.
2. Cook on high pressure for about 10 minutes and check whether the potatoes have become tender and soft enough to be mashed.
3. Drain the extra water and keep 1/2 cup of the water for later use. Add the butter, sour cream and buttermilk, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper in the boiled potatoes and mash them all with a potato masher.
4. Add salt to taste keep it warm until it is ready to eat. The later you eat them, the higher the chances of the potatoes drying up.
In this case, use the water reserved earlier during boiling to moisten the dry potatoes.
5. Served with parsley.