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.