Pressure Cooker: 16-Bean Soup

I got a really nice Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker for Christmas, and this bean soup was my first ever attempt at pressure cooking. I was nervous -- I'd heard all the stories about pressure cookers blowing up, sending soup and stew all over the ceiling. This was amazingly simple though, and the result was some of the best bean soup I've ever had. I'm actually looking forward to leftovers today!

PC 16-Bean Soup

5-6 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch chunks

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 lb dried 16-bean soup variety beans (I buy them in the bulk bin at the natural food store)

6oz can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

Salt, pepper, Lawry's Seasoning to taste

In an electric pressure cooker, sauté chopped onion and sliced bacon in olive oil until the onion is clear. Add the dried beans and tomato paste and cover with water, about 2" over the beans. Secure the lid and turn on high pressure for 35 minutes. When the time is up, use the quick pressure release,  add diced tomatoes and season to taste. Simmer 5 minutes and serve. Makes 10-12 servings.

Note: To make this soup vegetarian, simply omit the bacon.

Potato Corn Chowder

I first got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Centsational Girl. It sounded easy enough, and with fall most decidedly here, it sounded warm and cozy. And it was both. So delicious that even my picky 4-year-old cleaned his bowl. And the leftovers were even better! Of course, being me, I couldn't just make the recipe as it was posted (sorry Kate!). I had to tweak it and make it my own. So here it is, Centsational Girl's chowder with Sandy's modifications LOL!

Potato Corn Chowder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 large yellow onion), diced

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

6 medium potatoes

3/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp Lawry's seasoning salt

Salt to taste

1-1/2 cups frozen corn

2 cups half-n-half

1/4 cup flour or cornstarch

Crumbled bacon (omit if vegetarian)

Sour cream for topping

Heat olive oil and butter in pan. Soften the diced onion in butter/oil mixture for 8 – 10 minutes on medium low heat. Meanwhile peel your potatoes and chop them into small cubes. Add chicken broth to your softened onions and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and thyme and cook on medium heat (low boil) for 15 minutes until potatoes are soft. Mash up your potato mixture using an immersion blender, regular blender or a manual potato masher. Add the frozen corn and half & half, Lawry's, white pepper and salt to taste. Mix a little chicken broth with the flour/cornstarch until smooth, then mix everything together in the pot. Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Ladle into bowls, the top with a dollop of sour cream and bacon crumbles. Mmmmmm!

Turnip Mashed Potatoes AND Braised Cabbage

Two more recipes from my CSA veggie experiments, one with turnips and the other with cabbage. Both were yummy. The turnip mashed potatoes will definitely be added into rotation whenever there are turnips available, and the cabbage tasted great too -- even my 3-year-old ate it! I served these with sauteed smoked sausage.

Turnip Mashed Potatoes
6 large red new potatoes, skin on
4 large turnips, peeled
1/2 cup cream, heated
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

Slice potatoes and turnips 1/4-inch thick. Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain. Whip unpeeled cooked potatoes and turnips with electric mixer, mixing until moderately smooth (don't overbeat them; a few lumps are nice). Add hot cream, butter and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whip again until blended. Adjust thickness by adding more cream, if desired. Serves 8.


Braised Cabbage
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
6 slices uncooked bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
1 small onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced or shredded
1 bottle beer
About 2 tsp of your favorite Creole seasoning blend (to taste)

In a large pot, cook the bacon in the oil and butter until brown and crispy. Add the onion and the bay leaves. Add the cabbage, stirring to mix. Add the beer, season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning, and cover. Braise until the cabbage has wilted, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Slow-Cooked Collard Greens

Thanks to our CSA membership, we're now getting a box of fresh produce every week straight from the farm. Some of this produce is new to us, and it's been an experiment finding recipes for foods I've never cooked before. This recipe is a new one for me. I had never cooked collard greens, and while this recipe wasn't very pretty (hence, no photo), the result was actually very tasty. Kale can also be added in with the collard greens.

Slow-Cooked Collard Greens
2 large bunches collard greens
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1/2 package bacon
2 qt chicken broth, warm
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the greens: cut away the tough stalks and stems from the collards, and discard any leaves that are bruised or yellow. Wash the collards thoroughly to remove the grit, 2 or 3 times, until the water runs clear. Dry thoroughly. Tear the leaves into large pieces.

Place a stock pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Brown the bacon, then add the onion, garlic and bay leaves. Cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Pack in the greens, pushing them down into the pot. Add the broth, vinegar and sugar. Bring up to a boil turning the greens over occasionally as they wilt. Lower to a simmer, cover the pot, and let cook for 45 minutes. Taste the pot broth and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Cover and let cook for 15 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Serves 6-8.

TuTu's Cabbage and Cheese

My grandmother made this for me when I was little. It's a great side dish, or you can just eat it by the bowlful.

TuTu's Cabbage and Cheese
medium head of green cabbage
8 oz package of shredded cheese (we like Longhorn Cheddar)
salt and pepper to taste
chunks of leftover ham for boiling water, if available (omit if vegetarian)

Cut cabbage into chunks and place in large oven-safe pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil, with salt and pepper to taste. Add a chunk or two of ham to the boiling water for taste if available. Boil cabbage until soft ~ 15 minutes. Drain off water and remove ham chunks, then place cabbage back in oven-safe pot. Cover with shredded cheese, then bake in oven at 350F until cheese is melty and bubbly ~ 10 minutes. Serves about 8-10 side dishes (more if you use small servings) or 4-6 main meals.