March 21 • 2019 37
jn
arts&life
CHICKEN SOUP
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups unpeeled, chopped onions
(not chopped finely)
2 stalks celery cut into 1-inch pieces
(including leafy tops)
1½ cups carrot rings (about 1-inch thick)
1-2 parsnips (about ½ pound), cut into 4 pieces
2 tsp. chopped fresh garlic, optional
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 sprigs of parsley, with stems (uncut)
1 stem fresh dill (with stems)
1 whole chicken (with skin and
bones), about 2-3 pounds, cut into 8
pieces
Water
Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add
the oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring
occasionally until the onions are softened but not
browned, about 3 minutes.
Add carrots, parsnips, garlic, salt, pepper, pars-
ley and dill. Add the chicken pieces and enough
water to cover the ingredients and to 2 inches
from the top of pot.
Close and lock the lid. Set the Instant Pot to
the soup setting which usually cooks for about 30
minutes. Turn the pot off (cancel) and allow the
soup to cool enough to unlock the lid. Remove
the chicken from the pot to a dish to cool.
Use a sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander
to strain the broth into another vessel. Do not
return the vegetables to the soup. Shred or chop
some of the chicken and return it to the soup.
Taste the soup and adjust salt to taste. NOTE: If
you like your soup richer, cook the broth until
reduced somewhat.
Float fresh parsley in the soup before serving.
Makes 8-12 servings.
BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH HONEY
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped red or bermuda onions
3-6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
(about 2½ pounds). If large, cut into smaller
portions
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup honey
2 tsp. fresh thyme
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add
the oil and onions and cook until softened but
not browned. Arrange the breasts on top of the
onions. Add the remaining ingredients (do not
stir).
Season the breasts well with salt and pepper.
Turn Instant Pot to manual or pressure cook
function and press high pressure. Cook 20 min-
utes (10 minutes of that is heating time).
Once done, release pressure. Taste the sauce
and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve the chicken
with the sauce spooned over and garnished with
fresh parsley. Makes 6 servings.
RATATOUILLE
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
(6 cups)
arts&life
continued on page 38
Top 5 Fears
Take the pressure off using your Instant Pot.
1. It will explode. If don’
t put the top on correctly, will I have a
disaster?
The machine will not explode. Ever. Plus, the machine will not turn on
unless the lid is sealed correctly. And, because it’
s controlled cooking,
the pressure will never be enough to send the lid into the air or your
face or anywhere else.
2. What if I fill the pot too much or too little?
The pots come in different sizes (my three are all 6 quarts — enough
to make dinner for 6 or soup/stew for more). It’
s best to fill about two-
thirds full.
3. I will burn myself if I open the lid while the pot is hot.
It is virtually impossible to open the lid of the pot if it is under pressure.
That means either you wait until the machine is cool enough to open
(about 10-15 minutes) or you manually release the pressure by open-
ing the vent and releasing the steam (quick release, with a little turn of
the lid valve). NOTE: I place a dish towel over the vent when I release
the pressure to keep the steam from filling the room.
4. The food will be tough or overcooked or mushy.
Since the steam (liquid) never goes away, everything truly remains
moist. You can overcook ingredients like vegetables and pasta, which
take mere minutes to go from fresh to mush, so always err on the side
of less cooking. If you want to cook foods less, press cancel, release
the steam and check. You can always cook more but not less. When
the food is cooked, the Instant Pot will turn to an automatic warm
setting.
5. What if I forget to add an ingredient before closing the lid and
turning it on?
No problem! Even if the lid is closed and the machine is on, until it
reaches a certain temperature (takes 5-10 minutes), you can open the
lid and add the ingredient. NOTE: Following recipes that give cooking
times don’
t always account for heating time. So once the pot is hot,
cook times start there. It’
s easy; don’
t fret.