2016-01-26

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY! Vegan Under Pressure: Sassy Sesame Tofu

[Editor's note: Please note that the giveaway has ended and the winner is announced here.  Thank you to all who entered!]

When I first got my InstantPot, Jill Nussinow's cookbook, The New Fast Food quickly became a favorite of mine.  The time tables were spot on, and her recipes were flavorful and very approachable for someone new to pressure cooking.  Many of Jill's (aka The Veggie Queen's) recipes from her first pressure cooking cookbook have filled our kitchen for the last year, so I was ecstatic to get my hands on her second, Vegan Under Pressure.


Over the past few weeks, I've tried a dozen or so recipes from Vegan Under Pressure, and I can already tell it is a big winner!  Not only does it have tons of new recipes, but it is an EXCELLENT source for those new to pressure cooking.  The first two chapters introduce the reader to their pressure cooker, and then goes over pressure cooker basics.  It includes info for jiggle-top pressure cookers, stovetop pressure cookers, and electric pressure cookers.  Here is the index of how all of the chapters are organized:

One - Introduction to Pressure Cooking
Two - Pressure Cooking Basics
Three - Spice Blends and Other Seasoning
Four - Grains
Five - Beans
Six - Vegetables
Seven - Soups
Eight - Main Courses
Nine - Burgers, Patties, and Savory Cakes
Ten - Toppers: Sauces, Fillings, and More
Eleven - Appetizers
Twelve - Desserts

One of my favorite features of the new cookbook is the layout of the recipe pages.  On the right (or left for reverse side) edge of the page there is a summary of the cooking time and pressure releases required, followed by the ingredients.  The main page of each recipe then includes a description, how many servings it will produce, and then the instructions.


Another thing I love about this cookbook, and really all of Jill's recipes is that she allows room for improvising.  Like in this recipe, maybe you don't have 2 cups of sugar snap peas on hand, so use broccoli instead!  All of her recipes can be great starting points for creating dishes out of we have on hand and what each person's particular tastes are.

Moving on to the recipe I'm about to feature, which happens to be the one on the cover of the cookbook, I know some of you shy away from tofu for one reason or another.  In this recipe, just make sure to get extra firm tofu and drain and pat it dry.  If you are really against tofu, try switching it out for 2-3 cups of cooked beans such as chickpeas or even edamame.  I've already made this recipe twice and love it, so trust me, you don't want to miss out on these flavors.

Sassy Sesame Tofu 
with Sweet Potato, Carrots, and Sugar Snap Peas
Time: 10 minute prep, 3 minutes high pressure, quick release, 1 minute high pressure, quick release
Servings: 4



Ingredients:
    2 tsp toasted sesame oil (I left this out, but it would add flavor without too many calories)
    1 medium yellow, white, or sweet onion, sliced from top to bottom to equal about 2 cups
    1 carrot, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
    1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 Tbsp sesame seeds (1 Tbsp reserved)
    1 pound extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
    1-2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
    1 Tbsp rice vinegar
    1/3 cup vegetable stock
------------------------------
    2 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas, cut in half
    2 Tbsp Sweet and Spicy Red Pepper Sauce or sriracha
    2 Tbsp tahini, optional, for a richer dish
    2 Tbsp chopped green onions, for garnish

Instructions:
Prep all ingredients before beginning.

1.)  Heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat or set an electric pressure cooker to sauté; add the sesame oil if using.  Add the onion, carrot, and sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds and sauté for mother minute.  Add the tofu, tamari, vinegar, and stock.

2.)  Lock the lid on the cooker.  Bring to high pressure and cook for 3 minutes (set your electric pressure cooker to cook for 3 minutes on high pressure).  Quick release the pressure.  Carefully remove the lid, tilting away from you.

3.)  Add the peas and lock the lid back on.  Bring to low pressure; cook for 1 minute.  (If you do not have a low pressure option, lock the lid on and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.)  Quick release the pressure. Remove the lid, carefully tilting away from you.

4.)  Stir in the pepper sauce and tahini, if using.  Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and the chopped green onions and serve.

Variations:  Use broccoli florets or 1-inch pieces of green or wax beans instead of the peas.  Cook at low pressure for 2 minutes with a quick release.




Amy's Notes:

I've made this recipe twice and loved it both times.  I've tried it with the added tahini and without it, and I actually prefer it without the tahini.  The first time I made it, my sweet potatoes cooked a bit too much and ended up mushing into the sauce (which I really liked).  The second time my sweet potatoes stayed together a bit better.  Jill makes note in her pressure cooker introduction that her recipes can have a bit of different results depending on the freshness of your ingredients.  My first sweet potato must have been fresher than the second!  The same can be true for dried beans.

In the end, all I can say is thank you, Jill, for another amazing cookbook to add to our arsenals.  Your healthful and fast recipes will grace my pressure cooker and our table for years and years to come!
Find Jill's website here and sign up for her monthly newsletters.  Within her newsletters she updates fans of where she is, what she is doing, AND features a few recipes, many of which are for the pressure cooker.

Now, for you lovely readers who would like to enter in for my GIVEAWAY of Vegan Under Pressure,  please see below.  The giveaway will run from today until midnight on February 1st and is limited to those in the US and Canada for shipping reasons.  Now, this is my first time using this widget for a giveaway, so cross your fingers that everything works!  I will contact the winner of the random drawing by next Friday, February 5th.  Good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Health and Happiness,

Amy

40 comments:

  1. A pressure cooker is amazing to have because you can cook a variety of meals in it. Just throw in ingredients and wait for it to be ready :)

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  2. I love that it cooks beans and potatoes so quickly! My two favorite foods. :)

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  3. I have an Instant Pot and love it. I have been seeing so many good reviews for this cookbook. Thanks for the chance to win one!

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  4. This book is on my wish list!

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  5. Love my Instant Pot! I just love that you can set it and go do other stuff. Love cooking beans in there (I used to hate cooking them on the stove for hours!).

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  6. I have a new Instant Pot, but I haven't used it yet. I'm thinking that I'll like most how I can cook dried beans quickly.

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  7. Just bought my InstaPot and love experimenting with recipes and looking forward to trying the sesame tofu. Gone plant based for over a year now and need to start concentrating on low fat and low salt. Thank you for an opportunity to be in the drawing for the giveaway!

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  8. I use my Instant Pot every weekend to make a huge batch of soup for my weekday lunches. Delicious, healthy, and easy!

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  9. Just got my InstantPot and am eager to start using it. I'd love to have this cookbook!

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  10. I love how you can just set it and forget it!

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  11. Jill Nussinow is the bomb. And she's kind. Very kind.

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  12. This cookbook sounds wonderful! Would love to own it.

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  13. I just got an electronic pressure cooker and I am going to make this tonight! Being new to the nutritarian community, I sometimes feel like I have to learn how to cook all over again, so this cookbook would be a huge help!

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  14. I would love this book. I have a kuhn rikon, have for years, use it all the time. And I have Jill's ebook on pressure cooking but I would love a hardcopy cookbook :) Thanks for hosting this.

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  15. I just got the first one a month ago and love it, I can't wait to try get new recipes!

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  16. I've been using a pressure cooker for over 20 years and love how it makes it fast and easy to get food on the table... plus allows you to develop flavor in a dish that would have taken hours of simmering on the stovetop. I love my pressure cookers!

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  17. I have a stovetop pressure cooker and I love that it can cook beans in minutes! I have tried to cook beans on the stove in regular pot, but they never come out as tender as with pressure cooker!

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  18. This cook book looks like a great beginner book for those like me starting to cook with a pressure cooker. I can't wait to try this out and would enjoy using this book to make the recipes! Thank you for this giveaway Amy!

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  19. I got mine a couple months ago. I make beans and stews so much faster. Looking forward to finding new plant based recipes.

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  20. I just got mine for Chistmas, but so far I love it for mashed potatoes. Just put them in and set it, no waiting for water to boil. It is perfect everytime. Can't wait to actually try a recipe in it.

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  21. I love being able to make a stock super quick

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  22. Beans!! I love being able to cook dried beans so quickly, and they taste so much better!

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  23. I've been eyeballing/coveting/investigating the InstantPot for some time now, especially since it can replace at least two of our appliances (slow cooker and rice cooker) and add some pressure cooking flexibility. When I eventually get one, I look forward to cooking beans from scratch!

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  24. I love being about to cook beans in no time!

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  25. I love my pressure cooker! I've been using it almost everyday now. I love cooking beans in it, so fast. 'Baked' Sweet Potatoes are great as well! Rice pudding and risotto cooks up so quickly too! Maybe the better question is what don't I like to cook in my pressure cooker!

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  26. A pressure cooker saves so much time !!

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  27. being able to cook chickpeas super fast!

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  28. I love my instapot and am always interested in new vegan recipes to use with it.

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  29. I would love to have this book. I've heard a lot of talk about it. I'm new to pressure cooking and need a recipe book.

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  30. It is so nice to dump the ingredients in and have soup so quickly!

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  31. I love Jill! Totally on it when it comes to pressure cooking and vegan cooking. Even tho I am not 100%, I do strive get more vegan based into me and my family!

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  32. Love my instantpot - because I can walk away from it and just let it do its thing!

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  33. I am new to this way of eating so I enjoyed reading your blog.

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  34. I love the convenience and cost savings of cooking beans and whole grains in a short amount of time.

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  35. I love my instant pot too! I have Jill s first book and love it. Makes life so much easier!

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  36. I have debated getting her first book for years! And now another book is out - seems I need to visit the bookshop soon and get on this bandwagon!!!

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  37. I have been kind of obsessed with getting a pressure cooker for awhile now...this book could push me over the edge.

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  38. LC Love how easy quick meals with ingredients on hand can be.

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  39. I just bought this book and is amaaaaazing for a person like me, new to pressure cooking.

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