A Perfect Pantry

A busy kitchen really benefits from good appliances.  It makes cooking so much easier and saves you time and money.  The recent addition of the pressure cooker to my kitchen has had me on Pinterest pinning like a crazy women.  How did I not get a pressure cooker sooner.  Roast chicken in 30 minutes, one pot meals in 20 minutes, warm winter desserts and succulent ribs like you get from a restaurant are only a few of the great things I have discovered so far.

Basically pressure cooking removes the time factor your normally need to turn cheap cuts of meats into tender meals.  Think casseroles and stews made in 30 minutes.

I have two family friendly dishes that are super easy to make and perfect for busy nights.

PRESSURE COOKER SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

All the normal sweet and sour flavours you love, prepared and cooked in the pressure cooker in 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg Chicken Thighs, cubed
• 2 Carrots, sliced finely
• 1 Onion, sliced finely
• ½ Cup White Sugar
• 425gm Can Pineapple Chunks and the juice
• ½ Cup Vinegar
• ½ Cup Water
• ½ Cup Tomato Sauce
• 1 Tbs Soy Sauce
• ¼ Cup Cornflour
• Cooked rice to serve

LETS PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

1. Add all the ingredients (except the chicken, carrot, onion and cooked rice) to the bowl of the pressure cooker. Whisk (use a plastic whisk as to not damage the nonstick coating) to combine.
2. Add the chicken, carrot and onion.
3. Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and close the vent.  Set to 20 minutes.
4. Once finished cooking, unvent and let the steam out.  Once all the steam is removed you should be able to easily twist the lid off.

You will be greated by your cooked Sweet and Sour Chicken.  Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 8

PRESSURE COOKER CARAMEL SELF SAUCING PUDDING

A self saucing pudding normally takes 50 minutes in the oven.  This is cooked in 15 minutes in the pressure cooker.  This makes a lovely saucy pudding which is perfect for those cold winter nights.  Serve with cream and a sprinkling of salt for that extra indulgence. 

INGREDIENTS

Pudding

• 2 Cups Self Raising Flour
• 2 Tbs Butter
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Milk
• ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Sauce

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Cups Boiling Water

LETS PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

1. Place all the pudding ingredients into the bowl of the pressure cooker.  Mix to combine with a plastic spoon.
2. Sprinke over the brown sugar and gently pour over the boiling water.
3. Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and close the vent.  Set to 15 minutes.
4. Once finished cooking, unvent and let the steam out.  Once all the steam is removed you should be able to easily twist the lid off.

Serve straight from the bowl. Top with cream and a sprinkling of salt for a salted caramel pudding.

Serves 8

Recipes created and shared by Amanda Voisey.

Cooking For Busy Mums was founded 4 months after my first son was born in February of 2010 when I quickly realised that the meals my husband and myself had become accustomed too were a thing of the past.

Meals would have to be quick, simple, cost effective, and dinner time made as hassle free as possible.

I decided it would be great to share my recipes with fellow busy mums and create a community where we can all help each other with answers that were tried and tested as apposed to being "googled".

Here are my links:

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