Chocolate bread pudding, in the pressure cooker, of course!

30 minutes high pressure plus 10-minute natural release

1/2cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3cup hot coffee or 1/3 cup hot water plus 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
3 large eggs, beaten well
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2cup sugar
4 cups loosely packed 1/2” cubes stale, crust less bread
1-cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream or ice cream for garnish, if desired
Place cocoa in a large bowl and drizzle coffee over it. Run a fork through the mixture a few times to begin incorporating the cocoa powder.
Add the eggs, half and half, and sugar and use a hand-mixer or whisk to blend thoroughly.
Place 1/3 of the bread into a 1 1/2 quart soufflé’ or other heatproof dish that fits into cooker.
Pour 1/3 of cocoa mixture over the bread and distribute 1/3 of the chocolate morsels on top. Repeat this process twice more. With a fork, or your fingers, gently press the top layer of bread cubes into the liquid until they become deeply colored.
Set the dish in the middle of a large sheet of aluminum foil about 2 feet long. Bring the long ends up to meet and fold over several times, to seal, allowing some space on top for pudding to puff up. Bring the short edges of the foil together and press tightly to the side of the dish. Set a trivet or steaming rack into cooker. Lower the pudding dish onto trivet. Pour in enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the dish.
Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Adjust heat to maintain pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid, tilting away from you, to allow any excess steam to escape. When steaming has subsided carefully lift dish from cooker and set on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Can be served warm or cold, garnish as desired.

Potatoes in the pressure cooker

Lorna Sass' New Potatoes with rosemary, garlic & olives

4 minutes at high pressure


2Tb. Olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 lb. very small red potatoes ( 1 1/2 inches in diameter), scrubbed
1/4 c. oil-cured black olives, pitted & coarsely chopped
1 c. veggie stock
Salt to taste
Garnish: fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan

1. Heat oil in cooker. Sauté garlic & rosemary for 10 seconds, then add
potatoes & toss to coat with oil. Add olives & stock.
2. Lock lid in place & over hi heat bring to high pressure. Adjust heat to
maintain hi pressure & cook for 4 min. Reduce pressure with a quick-release
method. Remove lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.
Adjust seasonings, adding salt if desired. If potatoes aren’t quite done,
replace lid & simmer over low heat for another minute or two.
3. Strain solids from liquid with a strainer. Toss potatoes w. fresh parsley
& Parmesan. Serve.
Serves 4

Risotto in the Pressure Cooker

It has been requested that I post a few recipes for the pressure cooker. no photos with these, sorry.


6 minutes high pressure – 2 to 4 minutes additional cooking

2 Tb. Olive oil
1-cup minced yellow or white onion
1 1/2-cups Arborio rice
1/2-cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth-divided
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Set pressure cooker over medium heat and heat the olive oil, until it ripples. Add the onion, cooking until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, tossing to coat with the oil, and cook, stirring until it has a nutty aroma, about 1 to 2 minutes. Continue stirring and add the wine.
When the wine is completely absorbed, add 3 1/2 cups of broth, lock the pressure cooker’s lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower heat to maintain temperature and cook for 6 minutes. Quick release pressure and remove lid, tilting away from you. Return to low heat, stirring constantly until rice is tender, but chewy and the sauce becomes creamy and thick. Add more broth, if needed. Stir in Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Stir-in options****
∑ 10 oz. frozen peas, rinsed, 3/4 C. Parmesan Cheese- drizzle with a couple teaspoons high quality balsamic vinegar.
∑ Drizzle with white truffle oil
∑ Steamed asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes
∑ Pesto
∑ Fresh chopped herbs
∑ Shrimp sautéed with garlic and plum tomatoes (use shrimp shells to make broth for the risotto)
∑ Leftover, cooked vegetables, chopped.

Edamame Salad

Yum... soybeans...


Dressing for salad:

juice from one large orange
1 Tb. sake
2 Tb. rice vinegar
3 Tb. olive oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. maple syrup

Combine dressing ingredients and pour over:

1# frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to pkg. directions
6 oz. red radish, thinly sliced
1/2 large orange pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 small bunch asparagus, cut into 1" piece, blanched
***tip*** to easily blanch the asparagus, add to the edamame during the last two minutes of cooking time.**
1 TB. black sesame seed
1 to 2 tsp. gomasio, optional ( a delicious seasoning, popular in macrobitic cooking) Make your own or purchase pre- made

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To make gomasio:
1/4 cup raw, unhulled sesame seeds
2 tsp. kosher salt or 1 tsp. sea salt

1 Place seeds in a dry frying pan and toast on low heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until a bit fragrant and they start to pop. Cover with a splatter screen if you have one to keep seeds in the pan instead of popping all over the place. That is a hot tip, people!

2 Allow the seeds to cool for about 10 minutes, then place in a spice grinder or food processor with the salt and pulse a few times until most of the seeds are cracked open. Do not to grind too fine: Leave some texture to the seeds.

3. When completely cool, store in a tighly covered jar.

I originally made this with a Japanese mortar and pestle (suribachi) but the processor method is quicker and easier.
However, if you don't have one, by all means use a mortar and pestle.



We tossed leftover salad with a few ounces of linguine and made a sturdier sidedish to accompany seared scallops. A sprinkle of soy sauce was good on the noodles.

African Style Yummy Yummy Yam Stew

Oil for cooking
1 Onion ,very large, chopped
1 Garlic clove , chopped
1 Swiss Chard bunch, cleaned, stems separated from leaves, both chopped
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 15 oz. Can Garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 c Raisins
2 medium yams or sweet potatoes , peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 " slices
1 large can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper,-to taste
1/2 c bulger, raw
Tabasco sauce or hot sauce, to taste

Heat a very large saute or fry pan over medium heat. In a bit of oil, fry the onion, garlic and stems of chard until barely limp.

Add the cinnamon and cook until the fragrance is released, 10-20 seconds.

Add garbanzos, raisins, yams, tomatoes, water, salt and pepper.

Cook, covered, about 15 minutes or until yams are 3/4 of the way done.

stir in the bulger and place chard leaves on top.

Cover and cook until bulger is done, about 10 minutes.

Add Tabasco sauce to taste.

Serving suggestions*****

If you want, omit the bulger and serve over whole wheat cous cous or brown rice.
Or leave out grain completely.
Use fire roasted tomatoes or use two cups chopped fresh tomatoes.
Use spinach or kale instead of chard, omitting stems.

Get dressed!

My recipe for dressing has been requested. Goes well with poultry, pork and tofu cutlets.

Here goes.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, chopped very fine
4 large carrots, chopped very fine
4 stalks celery, chopped very fine

Saute above ingredients over medium to medium high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until straw colored. Do not let brown. Keep and eye on the heat so that the veggies slowly caramelize without burning. Can be made ahead and frozen or will keep in fridge for a few days.

combine with:


8 to ten cups dried bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes, I used 1/2 spelt bread and 1/2 white buttermilk bread
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1Tb. chopped fresh thyme
Several fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped

Add broth, I used veggie, to moisten- somewhere between 4 and 5 cups. Not too wet or you'll have a soggy mess.

Put in a large greased cassserole and bake uncovered in a 425 oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake another 25 minutes until completely heated thru and browned op top.

Happy New Year

In the great tradition of the south we had black- eyed peas for New Years Day dinner.
there are a million recipes for Hoppin' John and no two seem to be the same.
Here's how I made mine.

evoo (now in the dictionary!)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
couple stalks celery, chopped very fine so the Millers can't pick it out.
1 fresh bay leaf or two dried
1 pound dried black eyed peas, picked over and rinsed
1 small andouille sausage,removed from casing and cut into small bits, optional for vegetarians
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 Tb. cajun spice
water to cover beans
Salt and pepper to taste

In a six quart pressure cooker, saute' onions, pepper, celery in some olive oil until limp.
Add the bay leaf and saute until fragrant.
Add the black eyed peas, the sausage, the tomatoes and the cajun spice.
Add water to cover by about 1/2 inch to an inch.
Lock lid into place, bring up to pressure and begin timing, reducing heat to just maintain pressure. cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let natural release for five minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Open cooker turning lid AWAY from you.
Check for doneness. I like mine really creamy.
Add salt and pepper to taste.If you need just a bit more cooking, simmer on the stovetop. If it needs alot more, bring back up to pressure for a few more minutes and then quick release.
Serve with rice, if desired. Oh, and a drizzle of hot sauce, of course!