Everyone is busy. And because of this, many of us do not have enough time to spend hours in the kitchen creating healthy meals for our families. So instead we zip through the drive-thru of the local fast food restaurant and order up some unhealthy, greasy fare. And every time we do this, we are left with that empty feeling of not giving our family real food, plus maybe even adding to their waistline.
But if you do just a little planning ahead, you can cook a quick and healthy meal in a pressure cooker.
Wearever Cookware
I know, I know. The thought of a pressure cooker usually conjures up some old memories of that large pot that our grandmom used to cook in and could sometimes explode. But this is no longer the case. Now you can safely cook in a pressure cooker without the fear of your ceiling being splattered with food.
All pressure cookers use a heavy pot or pan, a lid that locks, airtight seal, and a pressure control device.
First Generation or "Jiggle Top" Cookers: These cookers are more difficult to cook with. They require constant watch and also lose a great deal of moisture via the steam. Plus there is all that noise. These are the type of pressure cookers that most of us remember. Modified First-Generation Cookers: These have a sophisticated spring loaded valve resulting in less moisture loss and less noise. Second-Generation Cooker: This one has a spring-loaded rod instead of a weight that maintains the pressure.
But how can this cookware save you time in the kitchen?
A pressure cooker looks like any other pot you have in the kitchen except they have a lid that seals. Unlike your regular pots and pans, this piece of cookware traps all of the liquid's steam inside, resulting in a higher cooking temperature, thus shorter cooking time. In fact, foods cooked under pressure cook up to 70% faster than other conventional cooking methods. So as long as you have your ingredients on hand, you can just come home after work and get dinner on the table faster than ever before.
Plus, since all the cooking is done in one pot, you will have less dishes to wash. And let's not forget that there will be no splattering either, as everything is sealed tightly shut.
Yes, cooking in a pressure cooker will save you time letting you whip together a meal in no time. And as an added bonus, pressure cooking seals in all the vitamins and colors of your food meaning not only will you be serving up a hot, homemade meal fast but also a health one too.