Cooking with a Pressure Cooker

A pressure cooker cooks a lot faster than a traditional oven or even microwave. It forces a lot more pressure on food and it treats liquids in a different manner. While there are some brave souls who tell me that they can convert their favorite recipes from traditional ovens to pressure cookers - I'll have to admit that I've never had much luck with conversion.

So when you see that I'm featuring a recipe for Quick Beef Stew, know that every item that I put in it is organic and chemical free. Oh by the way this great cookbook is less than $15.

1. Brush the inside of the presure cooker with olive oil to keep things from sticking.
2. Brown the meat to keep in the juices, with the onions to create a wonderful flavored beef.
3. Add broth, wine, bay leaf, basil, galic powder and bring to high pressure on medium heat.
4. Cook for 6 minutes. Seriously don't let your mind wander or you'll over cook your beef.
5. Cool your pressure cooker under water. Basically take your pressure cooker to the sink. With the lid on, run cold water over it. Oven mitts aren't a bad idea! The inside pressure will fall quickly. Then carefully open you're lid. Keep your face up and away.
6. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery.
7. Put the lid back on and bring to high pressure. Cook for another 3 minutes.
8. Cool as in step 5. Take off lid.
9. Remove the bay leaf.
10. Add arrowroot.Heat until thickened. Add salt to your liking. Serve with lots of hearty bread and a green salad. Drinking the remaining wine isn't a bad idea either!