Weekend Cooking: The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook by Jeffrey Eisner

Happy Saturday. I hope all of you are still safe and healthy. We're still doing fine.

The Voracious Ambassador program is on a pressure cooker roll. I have no complaints, but I'm going cut to a spoiler right here: many of the recipes in the cookbook I'm reviewing today could work on the stovetop. So if you don't own a pressure cooker, don't turn away yet!

I use my pressure cooker several times a week and am always happy to get new recipes or inspiration. Thus I couldn't wait to dive into Jeffrey Eisner's The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook (Voracious; April 14), which I received as part of the Voracious Ambassador program.

The first thing I noticed when flipping through the book is that every recipe is set up in clear steps and each step is accompanied by a full-color photo. I love the way Eisner makes the dishes foolproof.

I also appreciate the tips, which are found both in the recipe introductions and in separate well-marked paragraphs. Best of all, I love the real timing for each dish. The total time is broken down into prep, pressure building, pressure cooking, and release time. I hate it when a pressure cooker recipe says "done in 15 minutes," when the truth is that the dish cooks under pressure for those 15 minutes. Thank you, Eisner for giving me the real time.

Okay, so what kinds of recipes are found in The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook? All the things that the pressure cooker does best: soups and stew, pasta, rice, beans/legumes, and side dishes. There's also a section on making bone broth, and a handful of desserts. Vegetarians will find a few delicious dishes, but this cookbook is definitely geared to the omnivore.

I made Beef and Barley Soup (see my photo), Tex-Mex Brown Rice and Beans, Hungarian Goulash (see my photo), Ultimate Baked Beans, Refried Beans, and Chicken Oreganata, All the dishes were really delicious, and I have a bunch more marked to try.

Now, here's the rest of the spoiler: While Eisner's recipes worked beautifully and were really tasty, I had to wonder about the need for the pressure cooker for some of the recipes. I love my pressure cooker, but I don't use it, just because I can. Many dishes come out just as yummy and just as quickly on the stovetop as they do in the pressure cooker.

In fact, I didn't use the pressure cooker to make the chicken recipe. This recipe required some sauteing, and then pressure cooking, and then back to sauteing to thicken the sauce. Finally, the chicken and other ingredients were put into a casserole to be slipped under the broiler. I made everything in a single ovenproof (cast-iron) skillet and had only one pan to clean and didn't have to wait for the cooker to come up to pressure and to release the pressure. *Shrug* It just worked better for me to use the stove.

Is that a criticism of The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook? I don't think so. It's more of an observation and a preference on my part. On the other hand, if I had an RV or if I were headed off to a rental cabin or beach house, it's great to know that I could make the chicken (or other recipes in this book), even if I didn't have a stovetop or oven.

Recommendation: Jeffrey Eisner's The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook is prefect for both experienced and just-learning electric pressure cooker lovers. The recipes are flavorful and easy to follow. Vegetarians should look before buying.

The recipe I'm sharing is an example of one that could be made on the stovetop. I would add all the ingredients to a skillet and cook until the beans were how I like them. I have this one marked to try soon.

Szechuan String Beans
Serves 4-6

• 1 1/4 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
• 1/4 cup vegetable or garlic broth
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons siracha
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Put all the ingredients in the Instant Pot and stir well.

2. Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, and hit Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes. Quick release when done.

3. When the lid comes off, you're ready to serve.

Note: recipe and scan used in the context of a review; all rights remain with the original copyright holder. Thanks to Voracious for the review copy.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)