The Health Seekers Kitchen: Vegan Under Pressure (Perfect Vegan Meals Made Quick and Easy in Your Pressure Cooker)

I am very excited to be part of the Vegan Under Pressure Blog Tour by reviewing Vegan Under Pressure, by Jill Nussinow, MS, RDN. I created her Tapioca Berry Parfait and it was fabulous! See recipe below.

Jill Nussinow, known as The Veggie Queen, became a Registered Dietitian because she always cared about her food, what it tasted like and that it was healthy. She has followed a vegetarian diet, and then a vegan diet, since she was a teenager. About twenty years ago she rediscovered the age-old method of pressure cooking. She found it saved so much time when cooking whole grains and dried beans, as well as so many other foods. The pressure cooker changed her cooking life and her health. She could finally cook flavorful beans, vegetables, soups, stews, fillings, sauces and so much more in an hour or less.

I also love using my pressure cooker. The foods taste amazing and I am always surprised at how quickly they cook and how fresh they taste. Many foods cooked in a pressure cooker retain the nutrient-rich cooking liquid, so you are not throwing away any nutrients. I am all about preserving and making sure we get the nutrients from our foods. You can saute right in the pressure cooker without adding any oils, which I love! For those of you concerned about BPA lining canned food, the ability to cook dried beans in just 12 minutes or less in the pressure cooker means avoiding this potential health hazard by not buying the cans. If you don't already have a pressure cooker, I would recommend it as an essential kitchen tool! It will save you an enormous amount of time in the kitchen preparing healthy, fresh foods.

Vegan Under Pressure is divided up into twelve chapters.

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


Tapioca Berry Parfait, pg. 302 (Photo © Lauren Volo)

Tapioca Berry Parfait
Serves 4
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Making dessert doesn't get much easier than this. Be sure to use a 6-quart (or larger) cooker as this gets very foamy, which can clog the vent or cause spewing liquid in a smaller pot. Make a double batch if you have enough room; it's that good.

½ cup small pearl (not instant) tapioca
2 cups almond or any nondairy milk
Pinch of salt, optional
¼ cup organic sugar or blonde coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups fresh berries of your choice, sliced as needed
Fresh mint, for garnish

1. Place the tapioca pearls in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under running water for 30 seconds.

2. Add the milk to a pressure cooker. Add the tapioca and salt, if using, and stir. Lock the lid. Bring to a high pressure; cook for 4 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Quick release any remaining pressure after 20 minutes. Open the lid carefully, tilting it away from you.

3. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest.

4. Spoon 2 tablespoons berries into the bottom of 4 pretty bowls or parfait glasses. Add about 1/4 cup tapioca, then 3 tablespoons berries. Add another 1/4 cup tapioca and top with berries. Garnish with mint.

Variation: If stone fruits are in season, substitute chopped stone fruit for the berries.