Recipes By Sarah Digregorio
132 recipes found
Pressure Cooker Chickpea, Red Pepper and Tomato Stew
This vegan stew is inspired by romesco, the Spanish sauce made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Here, those flavors combine in a ragout that pulls from the pantry, with fast prep and little waste. Instead of stock, this stew relies on the thick liquid from the canned chickpeas, sometimes called aquafaba. And the marinating oil in jarred sundried tomatoes is delicious, especially when augmented with herbs and vinegar. Give yours a little taste to make sure you like it, and then throw that in, too. (If you don’t like it, make up the difference with regular olive oil.) The smoked almonds on top are key, adding necessary crunch and richness, so be generous with them. (If you would like to make this stew on the stovetop, just sauté the onion then add the remaining stew ingredients and simmer until the flavors are blended, about 30 minutes. You can also use this recipe to prepare the dish in a slow cooker.)
Pressure Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos
If you have an electric pressure cooker, you can throw together a big batch of spicy chicken and black bean tacos in about 30 minutes. Smoky canned chipotles in adobo and honey do most of the heavy lifting here, combining to create a glossy, spicy-sweet sauce. Chipotles can pack varying levels of heat, so if you want your tacos on the milder side, use only one or two peppers. You can always drizzle with hot sauce at the table. The pickled onions are not absolutely necessary, but they add acidity and crunch that contrast nicely with the spicy shredded chicken. (Get the slow cooker version of this recipe here.)
Pressure Cooker Hot Honey Ribs
It’s a pressure cooker miracle: super-tender ribs in little more than an hour, from start to finish. (You could also make these ribs in a slow cooker using this recipe, though be aware it will be significantly more time-consuming.) These sticky, spicy ribs make a fantastic football-watching snack, but they can also be a dinner main, served with some sautéed greens on the side. The ribs emerge from the pressure cooker falling-off-the-bone and flavorful. They just need a quick spicy honey glaze and a two-minute run under the broiler to caramelize. One thing to note: Red chiles taste best in this recipe because green chiles are less sweet and can taste grassy. Any spicy red chile will work beautifully, and red-pepper flakes work in a pinch. If you prefer green chiles, however, you can use them.
Pressure Cooker Ribollita With Smoked Mozzarella Toasts
This classic Italian vegetable stew is a wonderful way to revive leftover cooked vegetables and stale bread (ribollita means “reboiled” in Italian). You can prepare it in a pot following a more traditional method, but here, a pressure cooker makes it possible to cook dried beans relatively quickly without having to soak them. Thanks to a quick sauté in olive oil, the vegetables become silky and almost disappear into the soup. If you’d like to add leftover cooked vegetables, throw them in with the greens at the very end so they don’t overcook.
Pressure Cooker Beef Stew With Maple and Stout
This savory-sweet stew is delightfully hands-off — no sautéing, searing or simmering. The key is the timing: Cook the beef first and add the vegetables later to ensure that the meat tenderizes while the vegetables retain some bite. Real maple syrup gives the dish a sweetness that pairs well with the mild bitterness of stout beer. Carrots, potatoes and parsnips are classic stew vegetables, but rutabaga or celery root work well, too. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the flavors of this cold-weather dish.
Slow-Cooker Corn Pudding
Corn has always been an important crop for Native Americans, who cook it into porridges, breads and puddings. Over generations, various incarnations of corn pudding became especially popular in the South. In this version, fresh corn, scallions and jalapeño are held together by rich cornbread for a savory, sweet and spicy side that’s like a spoonbread crossed with a quick bread. While corn pudding is usually made in the oven, this slow-cooker version frees up your oven for other tasks. As the bread steam-bakes, the edges get caramelized and firm, and the center becomes soft and delicate. It’s spoonable, not sliceable, and its rich texture is best served warm or at room temperature. Jalapeños vary in heat level, so taste a tiny piece before deciding how much to add. To decrease the spice level, use one chile and remove the seeds and ribs before chopping it. To maximize the spice, leave the seeds in and use two.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup With Lemon and Rice
Lightly thickened with egg yolks and sour cream, this comforting soup is both deeply satisfying and springy-bright. Choose the amount of lemon juice that’s right for you: Using a half cup makes an assertively tart soup, while the smaller amount gives a gentler result. This soup is a really excellent way to use up leftover rice. Any kind of cooked rice will work, though white jasmine and basmati are particularly nice. Finish the soup with a big hit of dill for freshness, but other soft, fresh herbs of your choice would also be welcome. Find the slow-cooker version of the recipe here.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup
This satisfying soup is an excellent one-pot dinner to come home to after a long day. It takes only 10 minutes to throw it together in the morning and 10 minutes to finish it in the evening. If you plan to be away for eight hours or more, set the cook time for four hours, then set the slow cooker to auto-switch to warm for the remaining time. (This prevents overcooking.) If you’ll be home when the soup is done and can remove it from the heat, it’s best to cook the chicken for five to six hours. Add only the tortellini you will eat right away. Leftover tortellini will get mushy.
Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup With Horseradish Cream
The pressure cooker turns simple ingredients into a creamy and satisfying soup in under an hour. Split peas are a type of field pea that’s been dried and split. They have been eaten around the world for ages, because they are cheap, nonperishable and widely available. This recipe is enriched a ham hock, which provides salty pork bits. Ham hocks can be harder to find, but they are also inexpensive and add body and flavor to soups — and freeze well, so they are worth having on hand. If you don’t have a ham hock, you can use a leftover ham bone or diced thick-cut ham, or toss in some crisped bacon at the end. (You can also prepare this recipe in a slow-cooker.)
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef is really just brisket that’s been cured in salt and spices. Historically, this was done for preservation, but the method of “corning” has remained because it transforms the meat into a bold, aromatic and salty treat. You can corn your own brisket if you have a week to spare, or you can buy one that’s brined but uncooked, which is what is used here. Each one comes with a little sachet of pickling spices, usually coriander and mustard seeds, allspice and crumbled bay leaf. Make sure to fish it out of the package and save it, because those spices perfume the beef as it braises. Get a corned beef made from flat-cut brisket, if you can, as it will be easier to slice into neat, uniform slabs. (The point cut has more striations of fat and may fall apart when sliced.) Serve this satisfying one-pot meal with mustard and beer. (If you have more time, or you don't have a pressure cooker, here are slow cooker and oven-baked corned beef and cabbage recipes.)
Pressure Cooker Red Beans and Rice
This is a pressure cooker spin on the New Orleans classic (though we have a slow cooker version, too, if that’s more your speed). Pressure cookers have a special way with dried beans, cooking even unsoaked beans quickly and evenly, so that the beans become creamy but retain their shape. Here, you want the beans to be very soft, so that the stew is thick, not brothy. “Monday red beans” are traditionally flavored with a leftover pork bone, so you can use one instead of a ham hock, if you like. If you have a favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, use 1 heaping tablespoon of it in place of the sage, cayenne, garlic, onion and paprika, and taste before adding any salt, since seasoning blends vary in salinity.
Pressure Cooker Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
Typically, chicken with 40 cloves of garlic needs to cook for a long time to mellow out all that garlicky sharpness, but in this recipe, a pressure cooker softens and sweetens the garlic in record time. Still, 40 cloves is for the most dedicated garlic lovers, so feel free to reduce the quantity if you like; the recipe will work all the same. The addition of beans to the classic dish makes it a one-pot meal. The chicken skin won’t be crisp at the end of cooking, so if that bothers you, discard it afterward — it will have done its duty, imparting deep chicken flavor to the dish — or you could place the thighs on a baking sheet and set them under the broiler to brown just before serving.
Slow-Cooker White Bean Parmesan Soup
Parmesan rinds are magic. After a long braise, that hard, waxy scrap infuses the entire soup with its rich, distinctive flavor. Here, they make a wholesome soup taste like an incredible indulgence. So don't ever throw them away. They keep in the freezer indefinitely. The wheat berries here are also a great match for the slow cooker. While they may not be the most glamorous grains, they hold their shape and take a conveniently long time to get tender. You can find them at many grocery or natural-foods stores, as well as online. But you can also substitute farro or spelt (whole grains but not pearled). Just note that they'll cook faster and may end up quite soft after an 8-hour cook time.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef — brisket cured in brine — is beloved for its big, salty, aromatic flavor. It needs to be braised or simmered for a long time to become tender and sliceable, making it an ideal slow cooker dish. Get a corned beef made from flat-cut brisket, if you can, as it will be easier to slice into neat, uniform slabs. (The point cut has more striations of fat and may fall apart when sliced.) Corned beef is often braised in beer, and you could certainly do that, but a slightly sweet wine, like a semi-dry Riesling, balances the beef’s saltiness. Finish with a simple honey-mustard glaze and a quick trip under the broiler. Serve this satisfying one-pot meal with mustard and enjoy with beer. (Here are pressure cooker and classic versions of corned beef and cabbage.)
Slow-Cooker Baked Beans With Chorizo and Lime
Beans stewed with pork, tomato and something sweet is a traditional side dish at potlucks. This easy slow-cooker version is uncommonly kicky and bright, flavored with spiced Mexican-style chorizo, cilantro and lots of lime juice. Use cooked, smoked or cured chorizo, but don’t use dry-cured Spanish-style chorizo, which is a different kind of sausage altogether. There’s flexibility built into this recipe: If you like slightly sweet baked beans, use the larger amount of sugar. If you prefer a result that’s barely sweet, use the smaller amount. Likewise, the lime juice can be assertive or gentle, so use the larger or smaller amount to your taste. You may be tempted to add more liquid to the slow cooker, but resist the urge. The onion and sausage release liquid when cooking, so if you add more you will end up with bean soup instead of baked beans.
Slow-Cooker Butter Beans With Pecorino and Pancetta
These luscious beans are inspired by pasta alla gricia, a classic Roman dish that is similar to pasta carbonara, but this recipe doesn’t require any egg yolks. The no-cream creaminess is created by vigorously stirring pecorino, sizzling pancetta and its fat into the warm, brothy beans, all of which emulsify into a spoon-coating peppery sauce. Serve the beans with bread to mop up the sauce. Try to use good pancetta, guanciale or thick-cut bacon — the kind of pork product is less important than its quality. (A similar stovetop recipe can be found here.) This dish is unlikely to need added salt if you are using salted broth; if you use low- or no-salt broth or stock, add salt to taste at the end.
Slow-Cooker Braised Pork With Prunes and Orange
This tart-sweet braise is inspired by porc aux pruneaux, a classic French dish, which usually involves soaking prunes in tawny port before adding them to a sauce for pork. Here, the prunes are soaked in a mix of vinegar and brown sugar, a less expensive way to amplify their mellow sweet-sour flavor. (But by all means, use tawny port instead of the vinegar-sugar combo if you like!) This slow-cooker version employs a quick microwave roux for just a bit of thickening power, and is fragrant with orange zest and tart from a generous amount of sherry vinegar to balance the richness of the pork and dried fruit. Serve pork and sauce over polenta or with seeded bread.
Vegan Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
This vegan version of New Orleans-style red beans and rice omits the sausage and ham hock, and instead adds smoked paprika, miso and soy sauce for a savory, rounded flavor. If you have a favorite Cajun or Creole spice mixture on hand, use 1 heaping tablespoon of it in place of the sage, cayenne, garlic, onion powders and sweet paprika, and taste before adding any salt, as seasoning blends contain a varying amount of sodium. These vegan beans are not as creamy as the ones made with pork, so smash a few against the side of the pot before serving to thicken the liquid. Serve with hot sauce, preferably a vinegary, cayenne-based Louisiana-style sauce like Crystal, Louisiana brand or Tabasco.
Pressure Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
A pressure cooker provides a nifty shortcut to perfect pulled pork. This recipe calls for braising the meat in a dark soda like Dr Pepper or Coca-Cola, and the results are lush and tender — savory, slightly sweet and tangy. Once the pork is done, you can customize it to your taste using your favorite barbecue and hot sauces. Adding lots of black pepper and a few dashes of Southern-style hot sauce, like Crystal, Louisiana or Tabasco, is a very good idea. Like many braises, the pork improves overnight and can be cooked up to three days in advance; shred and warm it gently on the stovetop before tossing it with sauce and serving. The pork makes satisfying sandwiches on soft rolls (try coleslaw as a topping), but it could also be used in tacos or served over grits. (You can find the slow-cooker version of this recipe here.)
Pressure Cooker Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup
This comforting soup is a one-pot meal-in-a-bowl. The key to its deliciousness is the way in which the pressure cooker makes the soup taste as though it’s been simmered for hours when, in fact, it’s been only about 30 minutes. (You could also make the slow-cooker version of this recipe, if time is on your side.) Quick-cooking baby spinach works beautifully, but you can choose a different green if you prefer: If you use a heartier green, like chopped kale or chard, give it a few more minutes to get tender before adding the tortellini. If you’re planning for leftovers, add only the tortellini you will eat right away. Left in the soup, they will overcook. Be generous with toppings; they make the soup even more delicious.
Instant Pot Milk-Braised Pork (Maiale al Latte)
This is a classic dish from Emilia-Romagna, a region in Italy where dairy and meat feature heavily in the traditional cuisine. Marcella Hazan wrote in her book, “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” that maiale al latte is one of a handful of dishes that “most clearly express the genius” of regional Italian cooking. At its simplest, it is tough, inexpensive pork braised to finely textured tenderness in a pot of whole milk. As the caramelized milk reduces, it separates into extremely delicious curds and sauce infused with herbs and lemon. Serve this pressure-cooker version with bread or over polenta, pappardelle or rice.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine With Butternut Squash
Inspired by Moroccan tagines, which often pair sweet dried fruit with savory elements, this dish has deep layers of contrasting flavors: warmth and sweetness against acidity and spice. Taking the time to brown chicken skin, sauté onion and toast spices is definitely worth the 20-minute investment here, lending this stew a rich flavor. But if you're really pressed for time, you can skip it. Instead, layer the squash, dates, onion and chicken in the slow cooker, and season everything generously with salt and pepper. Whisk together the oil, ginger, garlic, spices and lemon juice, and pour it on top before cooking. Then finish the dish the same way the recipe directs: Season to taste with lemon and salt and finish with the parsley and scallions.
Slow-Cooker Lasagna
This easy slow-cooker lasagna is satisfying in all the ways that matter: Rich ricotta-Parmesan-spinach layers alternate with tender noodles, melted mozzarella and tomato. (A slow cooker will not give the crispiness that an oven does, but you may not even miss it.) It’s also petite compared to many other lasagnas, perfect for feeding a family, not a crowd. If you’ve ever had a one-pot pasta, the texture of the noodles will be familiar to you: They are tender and starchy. Don’t use no-boil or fresh noodles, as they will overcook. If you like, brown some loose Italian sausage in a skillet, pour off the fat and add it with the tomato sauce layers.
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup With Sausage and Greens
The seasonings in Italian sausage — fennel, red pepper, garlic — pair beautifully with lentils, and here, they make for a punchy take on lentil soup. The sausage's flavors are reinforced by adding more garlic and pepper to the soup itself, for pops of flavor. Pleasantly firm but creamy on the inside, Beluga lentils (also known as black lentils) are worth seeking out for this hearty soup because they hold their shape when cooked, adding a lovely texture. But you can absolutely use regular green or brown lentils instead. Just know that they will fall apart, making the soup smoother. This recipe freezes well and is better after it rests in the refrigerator, so make a big batch to eat for days.