How Instant Pot Cooking Turned me into a Lazy Cook

Last year while I was away on a trip, my husband, in order to survive weeks of living a bachelor's life again bought an Instant Pot, an all-in-one device that functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker/porridge maker, sauté/browning pan, steamer, yogurt maker and stockpot warmer. He ate very well. He did not miss my cooking.

Needless to say, when I came back from my trip, my ego was slightly bruised. I was highly skeptical of this multi-purpose cooker. Well, how good can food taste when all the ingredients are dumped into one pot and all you need to do is to press a button?  Doesn't it take away the joy of cooking? The stirrings? The aromas? The sizzling sounds?

The answer is no, much to my surprise!

Months later,  I am now making steel cut oatmeal, brown rice, lentils, one-pot lentils and rice mixes, beef stews, sweet potato and chickpea curries, all with the press of a button! We have become Instant Pot addicts! In fact my husband and I are so convinced that everyone should own an Instant Pot, we are buying it as a standard birthday or Christmas gift for all our friends and family members.

I love how I don't need to soak the black beans overnight. I love how I can walk away from the kitchen and not have to constantly stir or worry about anything burning. I love how the brown rice always comes out perfectly. I love how fast the food cooks.

It is human nature that we want to put in the least amount of effort to achieve the biggest possible result, i.e. to be lazy, and the Instant Pot has transformed me into a lazy cook, in a good way!

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Here are two of my favorite ways to cook rice in an Instant Pot:

4 GRAIN RICE

• 1/3 cup millet
• 1/4 cup purple rice
• 1/4 cup short grain brown rice
• 2 Tbsp amaranth
• 1 3/4 cups broth /water

Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. If double the amount of grains, use 2 3/4 cups of liquid.

Mushroom and Kombu Flavored Rice (with Chicken, optional)

• 2 cups brown jasmine rice
• shitaki mushrooms
• crumble of kombu
• sprinkle of salt
• 2 3/4 cups broth /water
• chicken pieces (optional)

Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Season with tamari when done.

Easiest way to eat a rainbow- master the basic stir fry

My default meal is stir fries. Not only can I finish all the wilting leftover veggies in the fridge, it is also the easiest way to eat the biggest variety of veggies in one sitting, what elementary school children are taught to do - eat a rainbow a day!

Because almost everything goes when it comes to stir fries, I will not give you an exact recipe, but a formula of success:

Protein (meat or plant-based) + crunchy veggies + mushrooms + greens + basic seasonings

In this stir fry, tofu is my protein of choice. When you empty a tofu cube from the box, make sure you dry it off. I like to brown my tofu in a non-stick or cast iron pan on all sides for a few minutes.

Then I throw in a few drops of tamari, toss to coat the tofu cubes and set them aside.

My crunchy veggies are red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots. The mushrooms I am using are shitake and buna-shimeji, which is also called the beech mushroom and the brown clam shell mushroom.

The greens I am using are a few leftover broccoli rabe stems and baby spinach straight out of the bag.

My go to seasonings are tamari, garlic, ginger, salt, garlic flakes, mushroom powder. Sometimes I use all of them, sometimes just a few.

To make the stir fry, warm olive oil in a pan, add ginger and garlic mix.

Toss in crunchy veggies mix.

Add mushroom mix. Add salt, mushroom powder.

Throw in greens. Sprinkle a little more garlic flakes or seasoning of choice.

Toss in browned tofu.

Season with tamari to taste. Sometimes I drizzle a few drops of maple syrup to give it a touch of sweetness.

All ready to go! The simplest dish you can throw together with any random ingredients on a whim!

What is your stir fry formula? What works for you?

Secret Stir-fry Seasoning - homemade mushroom powder

I used to sprinkle a mushroom extract I bought from China Town on all sautéd greens and stir fries because it just made all things taste better......that is until I found out it contained MSG. I threw out the whole packet, but really missing the umami depth it lent to my veggies.

Not long ago I came across a blog that suggested making your own mushroom extract. Why didn't I think of that?

I combined dried porcini mushrooms with dried shitake mushrooms (stems removed) in a food processor. In a few minutes I created my own MSG free mushroom extract. It has become one of my spice rack staples and I use it for everything from sautéd kale to veggie stir fries to soups!

Celebrate Spring with 2 green soups

Spring has finally arrived! Seeing the tiny green buds once again bursting out of the many trees in my neighborhood, I am reminded that the greens-eating season has officially begun.

What comes to your mind when I mention eating greens? Green salads? Green juices? Or maybe green smoothies?

Let me share one green secret with you - green soups.  I survived the cold winter months by making variations of green soups to supplement my greens intake when eating a green salad just seemed too cold and unappealing. Green soups are like the savory versions of green smoothies - you can pack almost any green veggies in them. All you need is a blender or food processor to puree the ingredients into a smooth paste. Believe it or not, you don't even have to add dairy or potatoes to achieve the desired creamy texture.

It is such an awesome way to add greens to my diet that I will for sure keep drinking them as cold gazpacho soups way into the hot summer months!

Broccoli Fennel Soup (based on Susan Blum's recipe)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 leek stem, chopped (top 4 or 5 inches of greens removed)
• 3 cups chopped broccoli, florets and stems
• ½ head fennel, chopped
• 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups water

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic, celery, leek, broccoli, fennel, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Zucchini Pea Soup with Dill (based on Amy Chaplin's recipe)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 leek stem, chopped (top 4 or 5 inches of greens removed)
• 5 medium zucchinis, diced (1 1/2lbs.)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or dried dill
• freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
3. Stir in garlic, salt and cook another minute. Add leek and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add zucchini, peas and water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in dill and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

My Hello Fresh Experience

A few weeks ago we received 3 boxes of vegan meal kits from Hello Fresh. A friend ordered them for us to claim his referral reward. Although I'd never cooked from a meal kit before, I was quite excited to take a break, switch on the auto pilot and let the dinner cook itself!

What amazes me is that meal kits have definitely gained popularity over the last few years. The last time I looked, Blue Apron and Plated seemed to be the go to service. But now, there's Green Chef, Mark Bittman's Purple Carrot, Jamie Oliver's Hello Fresh and many more.

Here is what it looks like when I opened the box of Jamie's Aloo Gobi.

This is the Forbidden Rice salad.  There is also a box of Crispy Noodle and Veggie Stir Fry.

If you're in the kitchen a lot, cooking mindlessly like that is really like taking a vacation! No meal planning, no grocery shopping, everything arrives neatly in a box, every ingredient pre-measured, simple recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, foods cooked in 30-40 minutes!

And the outcomes........

Meal 1: Forbidden rice salad

Meal 2: Aloo Gobi

Meal 3: Crispy Noodle and Veggie Stir Fry

How was the food? The ingredients were fresh (although not organic), the food was tasty, not the blow-you-away kind of good, but yeah, I can live with that!

Did I enjoy my experience? You bet! But it strangely felt more like I was cooking in a cooking show, with all the ingredients measured perfectly to the exact amount, or I was building a Lego set or a scientific experiment from Tinker Crate with my daughter. 

Aside from that, those vegan meals were a little too starchy, too much rice, potatoes and noodles. I felt I had to supplement with extra protein and more variety of veggies.

What I found the hardest to justify was the amount of packaging involved - every little piece of ginger or garlic clove, every teaspoon of soy sauce or turmeric powder was individually wrapped.

But all in all, if you want a compromise between ordering takeout and cooking, it might be a good option for you, as Jamie Oliver said, "anything that helps busy people be able to cook from scratch is a good thing”!

How about you? Is this your thing?

Matcha is in the air

It's Valentine's Day and 1 degree Fahrenheit out there in New York! Are you cuddling up with a special someone over a cup of hot chocolate by the fire? Let me share with you my favorite way to get cozy - a perfect cup of matcha latte with frothed almond milk.

This high-end green tea is becoming the kale of all drinks because it's packed with chlorophyll, antioxidants and fiber. It boosts metabolism and helps burn calories. It detoxifies, calms the mind and relaxes the body, enhances mood and aids in concentration. For more benefits of matcha, click here or here.

But I fell in love because it has everything I've ever wanted in a hot winter beverage - a slightly caffeinated drink with the right amount of kick that totally works with warm frothed milk.

More and more cafes such as Fika and MatchbarNYC are serving this drink now as a healthier alternative to coffee. To make my own, I ordered a matcha starter kit from Matchabar that consists of a 30g Tin of ceremonial grade matcha, an Aerolatte Electronic Whisk and a bamboo spoon.  You can also order from Amazon.

Here's how I like it: 1/2 tsp of matcha stirred in with 1/3 cup of hot water, topped with frothed home made almond milk and a few drops of honey.

What do you think of that as a real Valentine's Day treat?

Vegan Ma Po Tofu

To make this classic spicy tofu dish you can find all the ingredients in any grocery stores except 2 - Chinese fermented black beans and hoisin sauce.

First let's talk about the dried fermented black beans. They are a staple in a Chinese kitchen. I remember growing up my mom would steam fish or clams, cook green beans, make chicken rice or practically anything with them. The salty, umami flavor they lend to any dish makes them one of the most versatile ingredients in Chinese cooking. Good news is you can get them from any Chinese grocery stores or even order them from Amazon. 

To make a black bean sauce, I usually put about a tablespoon of fermented black beans in a mortor, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot water and use a pestle to crush the mixture into a lumpy paste.

Now let's talk about hoisin sauce. You can pick up store bought hoisin sauce but I have yet to find a clean product that doesn't contain refined sugars and artificial ingredients. Good news is you can make your own. It really is simple and delicious! Once you've made a batch, you can throw it in stir fries or use it as a marinade or dipping sauce for anything. Check out my recipe here.

Now you're ready to make this delicious dish! A lot of the sauces and spices can be adjusted to your taste, so don't freak out over the exact amount!

Ingredients:

• 1 cube of (14oz) tofu, dried and cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 or 2 red chili peppers, crushed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp of ginger
• black bean paste - 1 Tbsp of fermented black beans + 1 or 2 Tbsp of hot water
• 2 Tbsp of home made hoisin sauce
• 1 1 /2 cups of mushrooms
• 1-2 Tbsp vegetable broth
• tamari to taste
• sesame oil to taste
• ground sichuan pepper to taste
• maple syrup to taste
• 1 tsp of arrowroot powder
• cilantro to garnish

Method:

1. In a large skillet, heat up oil. Add chili peppers, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add black bean paste, hoisin sauce. Cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Mix in tofu and stir.
5. Add vegetable broth.
6. Season with tamari, sesame oil, sichuan pepper. Add a little maple syrup for more sweetness if desired.
7. Stir arrowroot powder to 2 Tbsp of warm water to create a paste. Add to tofu mix to thicken the sauce. Coat all ingredients evenly with sauce.
8. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Home Made Hoisin Sauce

Eating clean sometimes means giving up things you are familiar with or once attached to. To me, it's Chinese food, the kind that is laden with greases and artificial ingredients. I still remember the day when I purged my kitchen pantry, I finally said goodbye to my last jars of Chinese condiments like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and sesame paste that I was holding onto for the longest time.

Lately I was looking for a dan dan mein recipe to surprise my husband on his birthday (his childhood comfort food). I found one that looked amazing but required hoisin sauce, the hoisin sauce I threw away years ago. So I googled home made hoisin sauce and landed on a recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good. It turned out to be so DELICIOUS and the easiest thing to make! It has become a condiment I often use now to make simple stir fries and Ma Po Tofu. Click here for Ma Po Tofu recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• one large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 cup red miso paste
• 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (add more to taste)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and five-spice powder and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Whisk in the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and cook, whisking or stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add more maple syrup to taste.
3. Let the sauce cool before using. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a week or so.
    

How much sugar should you consume a day?

I get this question from my clients a lot. When it comes to sugar, just how much is too much?

Before we attempt to answer this question, learn this single most important nutrition fact:       

1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar

Now let's consult the American Heart Association's sugar guidelines:
Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons a day.
Women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons a day.
(And kids, my guess is no more than 4-6 teaspoons a day?)

Ready to do a little Math?

1 8 oz. Noosa yogurt has 30 grams of sugar, which is almost 8 teaspoons.

Answer: If you are a woman and if you eat a tub of Noosa yogurt (and absolutely nothing else that contains sugar in it), you've already exceeded the daily recommendation of sugar intake according to the American Heart Association.

Do we see the picture here? We are not even talking about ice-cream, sodas and candy, we are talking about seemingly "healthful" choices like yogurts made of "farm-fresh whole milk" from "family-owned dairies" in Northern Colorado.

And how about Naked Juices, Kind Bars, Vitamin Waters, flavored milks and cereals the most well-intentioned moms feed their kids?

In That Sugar Film, Damon Gameau (the Australian, sugar version of Morgan Spurlock in "Super Size Me") decided to be a human guinea-pig when he put himself through a grueling 6 week diet consuming the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day. He did not eat desserts or "junk foods", but a "low-fat" diet of cereals, yogurts, sports drinks and juices most people find perfectly healthy and acceptable.

The result? Weight gain, pre-diabetic and fatty liver disease symptoms.

His message? Sugar is hidden in a lot of foods that are commonly perceived or promoted to be healthy.

Let's do a little more Math. Let's say you buy a plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.  The sugar content of 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup equals a little over 1 teaspoon of sugar. Now would you add 8 teaspoons of honey in your yogurt? You wouldn't, would you? Then why would you eat a pre-sweetened yogurt with 8 teaspoons of sugar in it?

What to do? Memorize this : 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams. Read labels. Don't let anyone sweeten your foods for you!

Buckwheat - the forgotten gluten-free whole grain

If you are not of Russian or East European descent, you probably won't be eating buckwheat groats as intact kernels on a regular basis. I usually rotate quinoa, millet, brown and purple rice as my favorite whole grain options. Although I love the taste of buckwheat flour-based pancakes and soba noodles, buckwheat groats are mostly forgotten and tucked away in my kitchen pantry.

A few weeks ago, my dear friend Sveta from the Ukraine came to visit. She taught me two ways to cook this gluten-free, super nutritious whole grain! Like quinoa, it cooks very quickly. What you see in the picture is kasha, or toasted buckwheat. You can have it with any salads, savory dishes or as an alternative to oatmeal as a breakfast porridge.

METHOD 1 (the mushier option):

• Rinse 1 cup of buckwheat and drain well.
• Put 3 cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
• Add rinsed buckwheat, a pinch of salt and boil in medium heat for 16 minutes. (Do not lower the heat.  Sveta insists it's 16 minutes exactly! Stir once or twice to make sure the grains are not stuck to the bottom of the pan.)

METHOD 2 (the grainier option):

• Rinse 1 cup of buckwheat and drain well.
• Put buckwheat in a saucepan, with 1 1/2 cups of cold water and a pinch of salt, then bring it to boil.
• Turn off heat. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes.