Pressure Cooker Custard Recipe

Pressure cooking is a skill.  However you can learn this skill fairly easily if you have the time and the care to learn.  You should definitely follow instructions on how to use a pressure cooker to the letter.  There have been several accidents when using a pressure cooker but it is usually because the person using it was not doing it correctly or they had faulty equipment.  You should have a pressure gauge tested every year to make sure it is in proper working order.  You can do so at your local extension office.  If you buy a cooker at a flea market or yard sale take you should definitely have it tested before using.

Presto makes three different types of six quart pressure cookers, the 6 quart aluminum, the 6 quart stainless steel, and the 6 quart stainless steel electric.  They are all very nice, the first two the only difference is the type of metal it is made of. The two non-electric pressure cookers are made for use on glass/ceramic and flat top and regular stoves, the aluminum model number is 01264.  The stainless steel is 01362.  The electric pressure cookers model number is 02160.  The 6 quart pressure cookers are made only to cook in, NOT to be used as a canner to preserve foods.  All three of these models have a twelve year limited manufacturer’s warranty on them.  All of these cookers do have replacement parts available if something happens to the original; just make sure you know the correct model number of your particular pressure cooker.  The aluminum and the stainless steel come with a recipe/instruction booklet, and a canning rack and the electric pressure cooker comes with the 64 page recipe and instruction booklet.  They all three hold six quarts of liquid (that's the reason it is called a six quart pressure cooker).  Each of the pressure cookers come with a regulator weight set at 15 psi. The regulator maintains the proper cooking pressure automatically. These are supposed to cook food 3 to 10 times faster than other food preparation methods.  Pressurecooker-outlet.com carries all three models of the 6 quart pressure cookers, the aluminum is $29.99, the stainless steel is $51.95, and the electric is $69.99 on this site. They have several different recipes in the instructions booklets.  Here is one for example:           

Vanilla Custard

2 cups skim milk

4 egg whites, slightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla nutmeg

1 1/2 cups water

Combine milk, egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour into individual custard cups.  Sprinkle nutmeg on custards. Cover each cup firmly with aluminum foil. Pour water into cooker. Place custard cups on rack in cooker. Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 5 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Cool cooker at once. Chill custard.

Nutrition information per serving

84 calories, 0g fat, 1mg cholesterol

Variation: chocolate custard

Heat skim milk with 3 tablespoons cocoa. Follow vanilla custard directions.

Variation: coconut custard

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon coconut over top of each vanilla custard before cooking.

Also if you already have a pressure cooker, but just need some cooker parts, they are fairly easy to find online.

It's a Salad Shooter!

My husband told me a joke last night.

"What do you call a vegetarian who has diarrhea?"

"I don't know, what do you call a vegetarian with diarrhea?"

and he said "A Salad Shooter!"

Well that was a funny joke, but pretty gross; he told me that joke because we were actually talking about a Presto Salad Shooter, the small kitchen appliances. Well, anyway, I bought one the other day it was the regular one not the professional, (don't need a large commercial type for just us two).  It is a pretty neat device and it wasn't too expensive either, just a little over thirty dollars. I also bought an extra retaining ring, the medium shred cone, fine shred cone, ripple slice cone (to make our food prettier), the super shred cone, the funnel guide, and the slicing cone. I wanted to have all the cones so I would have a variety to choose from if I got bored with one. It shreds vegetables, fruits, and cheese to make salads, soups, pizzas, tacos, desserts, and so much more. It is very easy to use and to clean just wipe the base and the other parts can go in the dishwasher. It doesn’t take much room at all to store it, and... it has a one year limited manufacturer’s warranty and boy am I glad because I have the worst track record with everything.  Oh and lucky for me it comes with an instruction book that has a long list of foods and it tells whether to use a shredding cone or a slicing cone (I am just now really getting interested in cooking so I am learning everything I can), the instruction book obviously tells how to put it together and take it apart.  Word to the wise, make sure that the fruits and vegetables are fresh and firm.  The book says that, but I just had to try a tomato in it and it made a big ole juicy mess. 

I think tonight I am going to make a Caesar Salad for my husband so he will be a salad shooter...

Here is the recipe I am going to use:  Caesar Salad

1/4 cup (.75 ounce) BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground mustard

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

4 slices (about 1-inch-thick each) French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes and toasted

   1. Combine cheese, mayonnaise, water, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and mustard in small bowl; mix until creamy.

   2. Combine lettuce and dressing in large serving bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with toasted bread cubes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Estimated Times

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 250 Calories from Fat: 50 Total Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 5 mg Sodium: 600 mg Carbohydrates: 40 g Dietary Fiber: 4 g Sugars: 3 g Protein: 9 g

It is so good! My new Presto Salad Shooter makes it more fun to eat healthy.  So maybe I can stay on track with my New Year's resolution.

What I want for my birthday!

It is the perfect day to cuddle up in my favorite Alabama sweat pants and hoodie with a good classic movie and a bowl of freshly popped popcorn.  Of course there are several ways to pop those little corn kernels, but I prefer a popcorn popper over a bag of microwave popcorn.  I don’t know if it is because it brings back memories of my dad and my grandpa or if it really does taste better, but man those little puffs of perfection are just what I need today.  The other reason I prefer these types of poppers is simple economics.  I eat a lot of popcorn.  I can eat a box of the microwave stuff in just a couple of weeks.  Buying the bag of popcorn kernels without the oil and butter is much cheaper in the long run.  I’m all about saving some money.  That means I have more money to buy more shoes with!

I have been researching the best reviews of popcorn poppers because my birthday is coming up and my boyfriend needs some ideas.  I figure I can drop the hint with this blog. (hint hint)

The first popper is the PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper.  This hot air popcorn popper is a small counter top popper that uses hot air, not oil.  This is supposed to be healthier and better for you.  According to the website this popper pops 18 cups of corn in less than 2.5 minutes.  That is a whole lot of popcorn!  There is a butter melting cup in the top that can be use as a measuring cup too!  This popper has a pretty good price too.  The best I have found is $22.49.

The second popper is the PowerPop Microwave Multi-popper.  This microwave popcorn popper works with oil or without so I can get that buttery greasy goodness with this one!  It pops up to three quarts in about 2.5 minutes…again that is a lot of popcorn!  This whole popper is dishwasher safe too!  The popper is about 10” wide and 6” tall so it should fit in our little microwave pretty good.  This one is a bit cheaper too, $16.49!

Finally, the third popper is the Orville Redenbachers Stirring Popper.  Now this is a popcorn popper for the serious popcorn connoisseur.  This popper will pop 6 quarts of popcorn and will make kettle corn!  I love me some kettle corn!!!  This is a counter top model that has a stirring arm inside.  There is a built-in melter to distribute butter while it is popping.  You can even use the transparent lid as your bowl.  There is a non-stick surface for easy cleaning and the lid can be washed in the dishwasher.  I was surprised that this popper wasn’t much more expensive.  I found it for $32.99!

I think I know which one I want.  While I would love to have the Orville Redenbachers Stirring Popper, I think the PowerPop Microwave Multi-popper would suit me better. Now I have to get the boyfriend to get it for me!