Jill Nussinow, RD Archives - Forks Over Knives

Brussels Sprouts with Maple-Mustard Sauce

Jill Nussinow, RD — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 11:03:01 +0000

In this recipe, Brussels sprouts are braised in a pressure cooker with a tangy-sweet combination of Dijon mustard and maple syrup. There are lots of advantages to pressure-cooking the sprouts: For one, they cook in just three minutes once the pot has reached pressure. The pressurized heat also helps the sprouts hold their shape and texture, so there’s no risk of them getting mushy. Finally, the tightly sealed pressure-cooking environment concentrates the flavors, creating a rich, super-fast sauce. Although the dish is designed to be a side, you could also serve it as an entrée by ladling it over grains and sprinkling it with chopped nuts.

Yield: Makes 4 cups

½ cup chopped onion
½ cup unsalted vegetable stock
1½ tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
3 cups halved or quartered Brussels sprouts
½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Set an electric pressure cooker to sauté or heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring and adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of water as needed to prevent sticking.
Whisk the stock and mustard in a small bowl; add the mustard mixture to the pressure cooker. Stir in the Brussels sprouts and maple syrup.
Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure for 3 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Remove the lid carefully, tilting away from you. Season with salt and pepper.

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5 Reasons It’s Tastier and Easier to Cook With a Pressure Cooker

Jill Nussinow, RD — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 23:41:17 +0000

For many people, it’s tough getting a home-cooked meal on the table every day. If you eat a whole-food, plant-based diet, it’s even more difficult, since you will probably want to include whole grains and beans cooked from scratch. Enter the pressure cooker, a tool that I think is essential in a plant-based kitchen.

The best part of using a pressure cooker is that it can save you both time and money. It can solve the nightly “What’s for dinner?” problem, make cooking simpler, and result in better-tasting meals. In short, it can change your life. I believe so strongly in this concept that I have been teaching people how to cook with pressure for 20 years. Trust me, the pressure cooker can become your new best friend.

More Delicious Food

The pressure cooker works by turning liquid into steam and cooking food in a sealed pot. The food doesn’t cook by boiling; instead, it cooks with superheated (almost 250ºF) steam. Because the food cooks faster and very little moisture escapes, the flavors are richer and more developed. In my many years of pressure cooking, I have always noticed that vegetables tend to have brighter colors and better textures when cooked this way compared to many other ways of cooking.

Cooked Beans and Legumes in a Flash

Do you buy canned beans to avoid having to cook beans from scratch? Many people avoid cooking legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) because they’re afraid of not cooking them correctly and/or don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. Most presoaked beans take about an hour to cook on the stovetop, but pressure-cooked soaked beans (presoaked overnight, all day, or with a “quick soak”*) take 6 to 12 minutes at pressure in the pressure cooker.

To cook 1 cup presoaked beans (such as black, pinto, kidney, or white), combine them with ½ to ¾ cup liquid (broth or water) in a pressure cooker. Set your pressure cooker to 8 minutes; for a stovetop cooker, heat to high and then lower the heat to maintain pressure. In about 25 minutes from start to finish, you will have perfectly cooked beans. It works even better with lentils, which do not require presoaking and generally take just 4 minutes for red lentils and 6 to 8 minutes for green, French, or black lentils at pressure. Beans can also be cooked directly from dry, which takes three to four times as long as cooking presoaked beans, but still saves hours of soaking time.

(Related: Pressure Cooked White Beans with Garlic, Greens, and Tomato)

Whole Grains in Half the Time

Almost all whole grains take half the time to cook in the pressure cooker as they do to cook on the stovetop. Brown rice takes just 22 minutes at pressure. It is important to note that bringing your cooker to pressure and letting it come down does take some additional time. However, you will still be saving significant time over traditional cooking. In addition, the pressure cooker locks in flavor and helps maintain texture to produce better-tasting meals.

(Related: Pressure Cooked Pumpkin-Spiced Steel Cut Oats)

Perfect Vegetables in Minutes

Vegetables cooked in the pressure cooker are amazingly fast and easy: Imagine 1 minute for broccoli, 2 minutes for carrots, or 3 minutes for cubed potatoes. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can easily be cooked on a rack over 1 cup of water for 10 to 14 minutes at pressure depending upon their size. Whole winter squash can be cooked in a similar way for 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon their size. (No need to poke these whole foods!)

Quick and Delicious Soups, Stews, and Main Dishes

Soups and stews come together in a flash, as do mixed dishes with grains and beans such as red rice and beans (10 minutes at pressure) or chunky chili (10 minutes at pressure).

If you want to give pressure cooking a try, I recommend Fagor stovetop pressure cookers and Instant Pot electric pressure cookers. If you already have a cooker, then try these sweet potato and black bean tacos from my latest cookbook.

* Note: there are a couple of ways to quick-soak beans. Cover the beans with 3 inches of water and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Immediately remove them from the heat and let sit, covered, for 1 hour. Alternatively, cover the beans with 3 inches of water, bring to low pressure (if your cooker has this setting), and then turn off your cooker immediately and let the pressure come down naturally. This process will take about 25 minutes. In either case, drain the liquid before proceeding with cooking.

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Black Bean and Sweet Potato Hash

Jill Nussinow, RD — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 15:42:25 +0000

This black bean and sweet potato hash can be an ideal breakfast, a lunch, or a light dinner. It can be served simply as a side dish, spooned over brown rice or quinoa, wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla, or made into soft tacos garnished with avocado, cilantro, and other favorite toppings. Make it in your Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, or do it the old-fashioned way, on the stovetop.

From Vegan Under Pressure: Perfect Vegan Meals Made Quick and Easy in Your Pressure Cooker

Yield: Makes 4 servings

1 cup chopped onion
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes (about 2 small or medium)
2 teaspoons mild or hot chili powder
⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup cooked black beans
¼ cup chopped scallions
Splash of hot sauce (optional)
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)
Oil-free whole wheat or corn tortillas, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Stovetop Method 1. Place the onions in a nonstick skillet and sauté over medium- heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. 2. Add the sweet potatoes and chili powder, and stir to coat the vegetables with the chili powder. Add broth and stir. Cook for about 12 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through. Add more liquid 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time as needed, to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. 3. Add the black beans, scallions, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes more, until the beans are heated through. 4. Add the hot sauce (if using), and stir. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Top with chopped cilantro and serve.
Pressure Cooker Method 1. Heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat or set an electric cooker to sauté. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add the sweet potatoes and chili powder. Stir to coat the sweet potatoes with the chili powder. Add the broth and stir. 2. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure for 3 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you. 3. Add the black beans, scallions, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes more over medium heat, or lock on the lid for 3 minutes, until the beans are heated through. 4. Add the hot sauce (if using), and stir. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Top with chopped cilantro and serve.

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White Beans with Greens, Garlic and Tomato

Jill Nussinow, RD — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 23:01:15 +0000

You get the colors of the Italian flag, along with fresh flavors in this dish.

Yield: Serves 4

1 cup white beans, soaked (see notes)*
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced, half reserved
½ to ⅔ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bunch greens such as kale or collards, chopped, to equal 4-6 cups
3 cups diced heirloom tomatoes or 1 large can unsalted diced tomatoes, drained
Pinch of red pepper flakes, or diced hot pepper, if desired
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Pressure Cooker Method: Drain the beans and set aside. Heat the pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the beans and broth and lock the lid on the cooker. Bring to high pressure over high heat and then reduce the heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the pressure come down naturally. Carefully open the lid, tilting it away from you. Add the greens and stir. Lay the tomatoes on top of the green and beans mixture. Add the pepper flakes or hot pepper now, if using, along with the remaining garlic. Bring to high pressure again for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the pressure come down naturally. Carefully open the lid and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot over quinoa, other whole grain or pasta or as a side dish.
Stovetop Method: Dry sauté the onions and half the garlic and then add the beans and broth to cover (it will be closer to 1 cup or more). Cook, simmering, until the beans are done, adding liquid as necessary to keep beans covered. Drain off most of the broth, leaving about ¼ cup in the pot. Add the greens, tomatoes, pepper flakes, if using, and the remaining garlic. Simmer for up to 10 minutes until the greens are cooked and the tomatoes start to break down. Season to taste. Serve hot over quinoa, other whole grain or pasta or as a side dish. Notes: If fresh shelling beans are available, use them. If not, soak your beans overnight or do a quick soak and then cook them quickly in the pressure cooker. No, pressure cooker? It takes much longer on the stovetop but can be done. Find this recipe and more in the Forks Over Knives Recipe App.

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