You know why? Sometimes, life sucks. You can have one of those days where you are continually running, putting out fire after file. Maybe you have that ONE co-worker that you would rather see burn in a fiery vat of lava than spend one extra minute with, and that person decided that today would be the perfect day to unload their frustrations on you. Could be that someone stole your lunch out of the fridge and you were forced to eat something off the dollar menu because you had almost no cash in your pocket. It could also be that the drive home took twice as long as you expected and your iPhone stopped working, forcing you to listen to some inane radio talk show for an hour an a half. Whatever the reason, you walk in the door and you have absolutely no desire to spend a half hour or more in the kitchen.
But then you realize there are 3-4 other people relying on you for dinner and you have to make something. So you have to make a meal and make it fast.
So this is where my handy-dandy pressure cooker comes in. Pressure cooking allows you to go from frozen to cooked in about 15 minutes. And it allows you to let the machine to do most of the work.
Pressure cooking takes the steam that builds in the vessel and contains it. Those extra atmospheres of pressure caused by the contained steam force the water inside to boil at a higher temperature than the normal 212 degrees. Everything not only cooks hotter and faster, but the moisture is contained. Therefore, the meat to come out tender, moist and delicious.
So this dish is very easy to make. Toss the majority of the contents into the pressure cooker, turn it on and walk away. Now for the gravy, we can create the base while the pressure cooker does its magic. We're going to create a roux. It's a thickening agent that is just equal parts flour and fat (I like to use butter). You heat that in a saucepan and let it cook over medium heat while the pressure cooker finishes it's work. As the flour and butter intermingle, they make a paste that not only will quickly create a great gravy, it'll have NO lumps. And since the broth you put in the pressure cooker already has all of the spices in it, there's nothing else you'll need to add to the roux. As soon as the pressure cooker can be opened, you just pour the leftover juices from the chicken into the roux, cook it for all of three minutes and you're ready to rock.
While the roux is simmering and the pressure cooking is wrapping up, make a batch of instant potatoes or stuffing, warm up some frozen veggies and you have a complete meal in 20 minutes and very little dishes.
Dinner's done. Eat up, tell everyone else that they have to do the dishes, and then crash on the couch with a nice drinky-drink that'll help all the bad memories melt away.
Pressure Cooker Chicken with Sage and Thyme Gravy
Serves 44 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 14 ounce can low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
Pour the chicken broth, sage, thyme, and pepper into the pressure cooker. Drop the chicken breasts into the pressure cooker and set it to cook on High for 7 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat until is is melted. Add the flour and stir until well combined. Allow it to cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is done.
Quick release the pressure cooker. Once the pressure cooker has depressurized and can be opened, remove the breasts to a serving plate and pour the remaining liquid into the saucepan with the roux. Increase the heat to medium and stir to combine. After about three minutes, pour the gravy into a serving container and deliver both the chicken and gravy to the table.
Serve with a couple of side dishes that are quick to prepare and you've got a meal in 20 minutes.
This is my fallback recipe when I can't think of anything to make, or nothing really sounds good to me. This recipe is ALWAYS good! I've made it probably 7 or 8 times now over the last year.
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