Pork Chops and Root Veggie Mash

We didn't have pork chops in our house when I was growing up, so this is a food that is still new to me. I have found it easy to overcook and make tough. But then I was introduced to cooking it in the pressure cooker -- and, voila! Perfect pork chops every time. As an added bonus, I've created a recipe that produces one of your side dishes at the same time, and infuses it with the pork juices. It's an easy weekday dinner that is ready in a jiffy. I add steamed kale or a salad to round out the meal.

• 4 1-inch thick pork chops
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper, and seaweed salt replacer (if you have it)
• 2/3 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (or 1/3 cup more chicken stock if you prefer)
• 2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut 1/8-inch thick
• 1 large sweet potato (equivalent to 2 medium potatoes), peeled and cut 1/8-inch thick
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped or sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, quartered

1. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and season with salt, pepper and seaweed salt replacer. Brown both sides, then remove from pan.
2. Add stock and wine to pressure cooker and scrape loose any browned pork bits.
3. Add veggies and garlic, then top with browned pork chops.
4. Close lid and bring cooker to full pressure according to your cooker's instructions.
5. Cook at 15 psi for 10 minutes, then release pressure.
6. Remove pork chops to plates to serve. Mash remaining ingredients together and taste to see if more seasoning is needed (I usually don't need to add anything).

Note that if your pork chops are not 1-inch thick you will need to adjust the cooking time. You can experiment with other vegetables in this dish -- parsnips give it a whole different flavour!

Turkey Risotto

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season.  This has been a super busy month at Eagle Loft.  I've been cooking up a storm and have several new recipes to share.  I also have a few new cookbooks I'm excited to review.

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a set of two pressure cookers.  I love them!  I made a pressure cooked meal for lunch and another for dinner last night, so they are already getting lots of use.  After eating turkey with mashed potatoes, yams and gravy for the several days following Christmas, I wanted to come up with a recipe to use up more turkey in a different way.  I braved risotto for my first test of the pressure cooker and it was an overwhelming success!  I will definitely not be making risotto the old fashioned way again.  I've made it a couple more times since, including as a dinner side-dish to accompany a roast chicken.  It really is easy and quick enough to make as a side-dish or a lunch.

If you are scared of pressure cookers then I encourage you to try a good quality new model as they have safeguard features now.  Mine is the Fagor Duo, which comes with two size pots (both of which I've used already in the last week).  I found it easy to figure out and am not worried at all about its safety.  I've also heard good things about the Kuhn Rikon cookers.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small sweet onion, chopped
• 1 small leek, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock for a vegan dish)
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey (optional -- omit for side dish)
• 2 Tbsp Daiya vegan cheese (optional but delicious)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in pressure cooker pot over medium heat and saute onion and leek for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add rice and saute another 2-3 minutes until rice starts to slightly brown.
2. Add peas and chicken stock and stir.  Seal lid and pressurize according to your cooker's instructions.  Cook at reduced heat (once under pressure) for 7 minutes at 15 psi (13 minutes at 8 psi).
3. Release pressure fully then open lid and stir in turkey, Daiya, thyme, salt and pepper.  Serve and enjoy!