Chicken With Capsicum

This recipe was converted from the Australian Women's Weekly Pressure Cooking book. Gorgeous sweet red and yellow capsicums along with the flavours of herbs, wine and tomato paste combine to make a satisfying and delightfully colourful dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken thigh cutlets (800 gms)

2 medium brown onions (300gms), sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium red capsicums (400gms) sliced thickly

2 medium yellow capsicums (400gms) sliced thickly

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/3 cup (80ml) dry white wine

1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock

2 dried bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme

METHOD

1. Select Browning, Heat half the oil and brown chicken in batches until browned, remove from cooker.
2. Continue with Browning, Heat remaining oil and cook onion, garlic and capsicum, stirring till onion softens.
3. Add tomato paste, cook, stirring for 1 minute
4. Return chicken to cooker with wine, stock, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Secure lid
5. Manual quick cook for 15 mins.
6. After pressure released, open lid, season to taste.
7. Serve sprinkled with chopped thyme.

I served this with mashed potato, but rice would work just as well. 

Lamb Shank Vegetable and Lentil Soup

This is another recipe converted from the Australian Women's Weekly Pressure Cooking book. Who doesnt love lamb shanks with their beautiful gelatinous texture.  I enjoyed this soup, but I found it really needed a lot more seasoning, but that could just be a matter of taste.

Ingredients 

2 tablespoon olive oil

3 french-trimmed lamb shanks (750g)

1 medium brown onion (150g) chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium carrots (240g) chopped coarsely

2 celery stalks, (300g) chopped coarsely

155g piece of pancetta, chopped coarsely

1.25 litres (5 cups) water

½ cup (125ml) dry white wine

2/3 cup (130g) french-style green lentils, rinsed and drained

½ cup (60g) frozen peas.

Method

1. Heat half the oil in C4M, choose manual browning
2. When the temperature is reached press ok and brown the shanks in batches on both sides.
3. Remove shanks, add remaining oil.
4. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and pancetta, stirring till vegetables soften.
5. Return shanks to cooker with water and wine and secure the lid
6. Choose Manual – Quick Cooking – 15 minutes (original recipe said 10 but I found the lamb shanks needed a little more)
7. Add Lentils, secure lid, and quick cook for another 10 minutes
8. Remove shanks and coarsely shred meat, discard bones.
9. Return lamb to cooker with peas, Manual – Browning and simmer uncovered till peas are tender. Season to taste.

Classic Minestrone

I made this lovely hearty soup, converted from the Australian Womens Week Pressure Cooking Book for my lunch guests.  With oodles of parmean cheese grated on top and some lovely crusty rolls made from my bread recipe. My guests went home very satisfied, and I had heaps left over to freeze. I forgot to take a picture, so, will have to wait till I take some out of the freezer to add my picture!

INGREDIENTS

1 Ham Hock (1kg)

1 Medium Brown Onion (150g)

1 Stalk Celery (150g) trimmed, halved

1 teaspoon Black peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf

1.5 litres (6 cups) water

2 cups (360g) cooked white beans (I used 2 cans of butter beans)

1 large carrot (180g) chopped coarsely

2 medium zucchini (240g) chopped coarsely

2 stalks of celery (300g) chopped coarsely

3 cloves garlic, crushed

410g (13 ounces) canned diced tomatoes

1 cup (100g) small pasta shells

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

½ cup (40g) flaked parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Combine ham, onion, halved celery peppercorns, bay leaf and water in C4M; secure lid Select Manual - Quick cook 20 minutes
2. Unlock lid. Strain stock into large heatproof bowl; reserve ham, discard vegetables and peppercorns. When ham is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bone; discard bone, skin and fat, shred ham coarsely.
3. Return stock to cooker with shredded ham, beans, carrot and zucchini, chopped celery, garlic, undrained tomatoes and pasta; secure lid. Select  Manual - Quick Cook 3 minutes.
4. Unlock lid, season to taste.Serve soup sprinkled with basil and cheese.