pc curried rice and beans

pressure cooker curried chickpeas and rice

I have a confession to make.  I've always been a little afraid of pressure cookers.  When I was growing up my mother didn't use one.  By the time I was exposed to them as a young adult the concept seemed a little scary.

Fast forward many years....my friend Emily at The Kindred Kitchen recently had me over for dinner.  She made an amazing dinner in her pressure cooker.  She was so confident, so calm, and it was all so delicious!  I was hooked and got my own.

When I talked to my mother about it she told me that her mother, my Grandma Katzy, had used a pressure cooker when she was growing up.  I asked my mother why she never used one.  She replied by sharing a story about my Nana, my father's mother, involving a pressure cooker.  Apparently in the middle of cooking dinner with the pressure cooker something went wrong and the lid blew off.  There was so much force involved that the lid embedded itself in the ceiling of Nana's apartment.  One can only imagine the horror and disbelief ... and what the kitchen must have looked like.  Mom wasn't exactly sure how Nana managed to get the lid out of the ceiling.  That was the end of pressure cooking as far as Nana was concerned.

Needless to say it was enough to convince my mother that she did not want to use a pressure cooker.  Ever.  Not having grown up around one neither did I.  Until now.  I've been experimenting with it and have discovered that I absolutely love it; it is rapidly becoming one of my favorite kitchen appliances.  Meats and vegetables are delicious, colorful, flavorful, and oh so tender.  The real prize-winning use however is for rice and beans, of all different flavor profiles.  It is so quick, so easy, and it comes out just right.  I absolutely love my pressure cooker and owe Emily a debt of gratitude for helping me to change my mind.  This recipe is based on one that she shared with me.

PC Curried Rice and Beans

1 cup chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
1 cup brown rice
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cups vegetable broth
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In the morning set the chickpeas to soak in a pot of hot water

In the evening assemble your meal:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas
Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker
Saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes until soft
Add the curry powder and stir for a moment
Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated
Add the broth, chickpeas, salt and pepper

Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure
Reduce the heat but still maintain high pressure
Cook for 9 minutes and remove from heat
Let pressure drop naturally for another 5 minutes
Quick release and then remove the lid

Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve

Note:  This was very tasty but needed a little something more. I think next time I will add some diced tomatoes and perhaps a little more spice.  I'll keep you posted.

food day

Our food system in this country is broken.  Many people don't have access to real food, often eating highly processed, low nutrition food; they live in what are called food desserts.  Much of our food supply is not raised in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner.  Many of our food animals are raised in confined quarters making their lives less humane.  And Big Ag receives massive subsidies from the government, our tax dollars paying for processing instead of supporting wholesome, whole foods and the farmers who raise them.  This in turn often leads to more ill health and more tax dollars supporting a sick-care system.

Food Day is an organization that is lobbying Congress to make changes to our system.  To help bring real food back to our schools and our neighborhoods.  To help educate people about what truly constitutes a healthy diet.  To bring real food back into our homes.  This issue is more than just me or you.  It's our neighbors, our community, it spreads outwards and I believe it is a vital part of our future.

With more and more food recalls happening, with the shrinking of the American family farm, with the aggressive advertising that junk food producers create, our health as a nation is rapidly declining.  We need to turn this cycle around.  I believe one way to do this is to speak up, to tell your elected representatives how you feel.

I rarely publicize campaigns on this blog but in this particular instance I feel moved to do so because this one issue encompasses so many of the challenges facing our food supply.  I have signed the petition and I encourage you to visit Food Day, learn more about the issues, and sign.

national nut day

mixed nuts | photo: melchoir

Nuts are a great heart healthy food.  They shouldn't need a special day, October 22, for you to consider adding them to your diet.  It goes without saying that raw nuts are best for you as the roasting process may make them tastier but the oils may not be the best and the heat destroys some of the nutrients.  If you want to boost the nutrition you can do this by soaking them.  This breaks down some of the enzymes making the nutrition more bioavailable.

Nuts are highly antioxidant and heart healthy.  There is even some evidence that eating nuts can be healthy for maintaining weight.  They can be added to salads, cooked dishes, eaten as a snack, sprinkled into breakfast cereal, there are any number of ways to eat them.

Different nuts have different nutrients making it a good idea to snack on a variety rather than just one or two.  I find that a quick and easy trail mix is 3 parts nuts, 2 parts seeds, 1 part dried fruit.  Mixing different nuts and seeds gives you a tasty treat and a nutritional boost.

For those who really want to know:

Acorns - highest in manganese
Almonds - highest in manganese and vitamin E
Beechnuts - highest in manganese
Brazil nuts - extremely high in selenium, also a great source of manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium
Cashews - highest in copper, but also a good source of magnesium and tryptophan
Chestnuts - (Eurpean) highest in manganese
Hazelnuts - (also called filberts) very high in vitamin E and a good source of B vitamins
Hickory nuts - very high in selenium, also high in magnesium, thiamin, and copper
Macadamia nuts - very high in selenium and thiamin, also high in copper and magnesium
Peanuts - not a nut, they're actually a legume, a good source of manganese and tryptophan
Pecans - very high in manganese, also high in copper and thiamin
Pistachio - very high in B6, a good source of manganese, copper, phosphorus and thiamin
Walnuts - very high in omega 3 fatty acids and a great source of manganese