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One Pot Miracles

I am not a fan of having useless gadgets in the kitchen to clutter my counters or cupboards, but I was intrigued with the One Pot.
When I bought one and finally used it, (I had to work up my courage), I was sold.
Though I do not yet grasp all the features of what it can do, those that I have used, I’m impressed.


Hard Boiled Eggs
I use to not make hard boiled eggs. With fresh eggs, the shells stuck to the egg and I’d lose half the egg. I tried multitude ways, each seemed cumbersome.
With the One Pot, I only have to hover for 15 minutes for perfect eggs. And the shells just slide off. 
Here’s how:
Place one cup water in bottom of pot.
Place trivet, then eggs single layer.
Lock lid.
Close pressure release valve.
Select Pressure Cook, high pressure.
Set timer for 5 minutes.
When time is complete, natural release for 5 minutes.
Prepare ice bath. (Bowl with water and ice.)
Manually release remaining pressure after five minutes.
Transfer eggs to ice bath for 5 minutes.
5-5-5 Easy. Peel to perfection!

Venison
I remember my grandma’s canned venison. It would melt in your mouth.
Venison made in the One Pot seems always to bring back that same memory. Tender.

Beans
Any kind of dry beans can be done in an hour. 
With our move, I’ve had to adjust to an electric stove. BLAH!
It has two settings: boiling everything out of the pan or off. I haven’t found simmer.
You can’t boil beans, you must simmer them a long time.
The One Pot solved my problem. Without watching the stove to make sure my water didn’t boil out. Without making a boiled over mess to clean on the stove. Without…a problem.

Though cooking for less people (a big adjustment) and not starting dinner until mid-afternoon, I find myself grabbing the One Pot for that quick pot of chili, those refried beans, that split pea soup. I have enough time! 
I use the Bean Setting.

Sweet Potatoes
With Easter or Christmas, I prepare ahead for the meal. 
I’ve shared before my recipe for sweet potatoes HERE under Thanksgiving: Sweet Potato Crunch.
The boys look forward to it. My mother-in-law, though extremely giving in all ways, will hide her sweet potatoes that I send for Thanksgiving and Christmas so she can enjoy it herself.
All that to say, this  recipe is good.

But I never liked baking the sweet potatoes. They took four-six hours, then still were hard and difficult to peel.
The One Pot solved that. Though I could not do all at the same time (I do make a lot), I can make them more quickly. And they were soft and easy to peel.
I put one cup of water and the trivet in the bottom of the pot.
Wash, poke with knife several times, and layer sweet potatoes. 
Select similar sized potatoes to cook together.
Close lid.
Close steam release valve
Press Pressure Cooker Mode on High.
Adjust time by size of potato: Small 15 minutes, Medium 25 minutes, Large 35 minutes.
Allow Natural Release for 10 minutes (or until you can get to it :))
Done.

The skin slides off. The potato is soft and tender, easy to blend with other ingredients.
Or you eat like a regular potato, loaded with butter.

Can do regular potatoes as well, same way.

The One Pot has so many other features that I haven’t worked up my courage to pursue, but these have lessened my work and time in the kitchen.

I put the One Pot away, thinking I’m finished with it and want to see my counter space again, only to get it out again the next day. Maybe there’s something else on my counter I can get rid of…maybe my stove?


Displaying 1 comment

I have chickens and the instant pot is the ONLY way to be able to peel fresh hard boiled eggs. Mississippi roast is also really tasty cooked in the insta pot

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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

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