Growing up I remember my father thinking a pressure cooker was a must have for my
mother while Mom treated it like a ticking time bomb. “It’ll blow up and burn your face
with boiling hot liquid.”
Fast forward to my stint in Quito, Ecuador, where altitude is king and cooking rice takes
longer than a turtle marathon. Enter the pressure cooker, the hero of high-altitude cuisine.
But me? I was more afraid of it than a cat facing a lawnmower. Eventually, though, hunger
and time won over fear, and I gave it a whirl. No explosions, no face burns—just perfectly
cooked rice and a newfound appreciation for kitchen gadgets that don’t double as danger
zones.
By the time I bid adieu to Quito, I was a cloud-dwelling culinary master, armed with the
knowledge of pressure cooking and ready to embrace the electric Instant Pot craze back
home. I mean, who needs a time machine when you’ve got a pot that turns ingredients into
magic in minutes? Instant Pot, here I come!
And hey, I’m not on the Instant Pot payroll, but if you’re still stuck in the dark ages of slow
cooking, it’s time to join the revolution. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you, and your
face will remain delightfully unscathed—as long as you follow the instructions. So go
ahead, unleash your inner chef and cook like a pro, without the explosive drama. Bon
appétit!
Safe Beef Stew in 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound beef stew meat (can use chuck roast beef, cubed)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon flour
A pinch of salt and black pepper
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons red cooking wine
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped (can use baby carrots)
2 potatoes (yellow Yukon are best), chopped
½ Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Cup beef stock (boxed or made from Better Than Bouillion)
* 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped (added after stew is cooked just before serving)
Directions:
Mix salt, pepper, and flour in a bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat the cubes.
Set electric Instant Pot of sauté mode, add the olive oil and heat it up.
Add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
Add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes.
Return the beef to the pot, add all the veggies, tomato paste and beef stock.
Stir, cover and cook on High for 20 minutes.
Add the parsley, stir and serve with crusty white bread.
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