Bao Buns

 These aren't too hard to make but they do take a bit of time and require a steamer. This recipe is for the Ninja Foodi Deluxe but you could steam them in a electric pressure cooker or steamer basket on the stove. You may have to adjust times and methods accordingly. 

There are probably a ton of different fillings you could use as well but I am including my favorite hoisin pork filling.

Place 1/2 cup hot water (105 degrees) in bowl. Sprinkle 1 package of yeast on top. Let sit 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine:

 3 cups all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Warm 1/2 cup milk to 105 degrees and add 1 Tablespoon of oil. Mix with water and yeast.

Make well in flour and pour in wet ingredients. Mix slightly.

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Turn onto floured surface and knead and add flour to surface until smooth and elastic.

Put into an oiled bowl, flip dough, and cover with a towel.

Place in the oven with a shallow pan of boiling water on the rack below. Let rise for 45-60 minutes or until about doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, prepare your filling.

Brown some ground pork in a skillet. Make sure to break it up into small pieces for your filling. You don't want big chunks of meat. 

After it is cooked, add in some hoisin sauce (or sauce of your choice). You want the meat covered but not wet.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and knead a few times on a lightly floured surface.

Then divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. 

Roll each piece into a circle. Don't roll it too thick or too thin.

Place the dough in your hand and place a bit of pork filling in the middle.

Bring the edges up and pinch and pleat all the way around. Then twist it a bit at the top to seal.

Then place the bun into a standard-sized silicone muffin "paper".

You can double stack these on the racks but don't do more than 6 on each layer.

Fill the bottom of the pot with 1-2 cups of boiling water. And place the rack inside the pot.

If you are doing a double layer, steam the buns for 14-15 minutes. 

If you are doing a single layer, place them on the taller rack and steam for 12-13 minutes. 

I tried this recipe with the pressure cooking lid and the Ninja glass lid. I found they did not steam correctly with the PC lid, even on vent. I would suggest buying the Ninja lid or even finding a glass lid that fits the pot for this recipe.

Start with the lower time and carefully remove the lid as soon as the timer stops. Remove one of the buns with tongs and let sit for about 30 seconds. Try removing it from the silicone mold. If it sticks and doesn't want to come out, put it back, put the lid back on and steam for another 1 minute. Check again the same way. Mine have never taken more than the extra minute.

Eat these right away. 

You can also chill them for the next day or then freeze them. 

To reheat, place frozen or leftover bun on a glass plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for about 1 minute or until heated through. You can also steam them again from frozen in the Foodi for 5-6 minutes or until heated through. 

Pressure Cooker Sichuan Style Pork

After spending 16 days teaching English in China this July, I was craving some of the foods I ate there. And I ate a lot of delicious food while I was there. Delicious and spicy! I was in Sichuan, after all.

This recipe has quite a few steps to it and takes much longer than most of my pressure cooker meals, but I just love the way it turned out both times I made it in the pc.

This will probably also require you to make a stop at your local Asian market to pick up some of the more authentic ingredients. Some you may not be able to find at all.

Marinade:

Cut up 1-2 pounds boneless pork into large chunks (use dark pork meat, not a white loin meat)

Whisk together:
2 Tablespoons sherry and soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Pour over pork and let marinade in fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Oil:

Heat 1/8 cup oil in a small saute pan.

Add:
 1/2 Tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns (just leave them out if you can't find them, these are what makes Sichuan food special and will not be like anything else you've ever tried)
10 dried red chilies
Saute in oil for about 15-30 seconds.
Remove from heat and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Veggies: 

Mix in small bowl:
1 Tablespoon each of minced garlic & ginger (I use jarred)
1 handful of sliced green onion

Cut up into large pieces:
1 large potato (scrub, but do not peel)
3 narrow carrots (scrub, but do not peel)
1/2 white onion
10 mushrooms

Sauce:

Mix in small bowl:
2 Tablespoons sushi vinegar & chili bean paste (again this will be at the Asian market)
1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce & sherry
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
4 teaspoons sugar

Cook: 

Preheat your pressure cooker on the meat setting with the lid off.
Strain your oil from the saute pan into your pressure cooker.

Add the meat and stir and cook until it is browned.

Add the garlic/ginger/green onion mixture and continue to cook a couple of minutes.

Stir in remaining veggies, 5-7 of the chilies and 12 Sichuan peppers from your oil pan, and 1/3 cup raw Spanish peanuts

Pour in sauce and 1/2 cup water. Stir well.

Put on lid and cook for 6 minutes on rice setting.

Quick release and serve with cooked white rice.

To counterbalance the heat, I served it with cucumbers marinaded in sushi vinegar and sesame seeds and lychee fruit.

Oh and a fun chunky drink like I had in China...

Pressure Cooker Frozen Potstickers

I love those frozen potstickers from Costco! And the pressure cooker steams them to absolute perfection in only 4 minutes!

Just cover the bottom of the pot with water, put in a steamer rack, place the frozen potstickers on top, put on the lid, set for 4 minutes on vegetable setting and wait.

Quick release the steam and fry in a  bit of sesame oil until lightly browned, if desired.

Serve hot with dipping sauce...

Pressure Cooker Saudi-Style Chicken & Rice

I taught a class on the history and culture of Saudi Arabia and adjusted a recipe I found for a chicken and rice for the pressure cooker. I liked it so much, I've had it three times now. It's sweet aromatic spices are delicious and different.

I served it with pita, hummus and dates as sides.

Saute 2-3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into small pieces on the meat setting. Add 1/3 cup of chopped fresh onion. After a few minutes add 1 heaping Tablespoon of minced garlic.

Add 3/4 cup basmati rice, 3/4 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 7 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/2 can diced tomatoes.

Stir well and cook on rice setting for 6 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes.

Stir again and pick out the cinnamon stick and cardamom. You don't want to eat those. LOL

Pressure Cooker Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

My pressure cooker has made my favorite, already easy to make potato salad even easier! Hooray!

Wash and scrub as many red potatoes as you would like,

Cut them into large bite-sized chunks.

Place them in pressure cooker with 1 cup water. Cook on veggie setting for 3 minutes.

Quick release and drain in colander.

Place potatoes immediately into a large mixing/serving bowl. While the potatoes are still hot stir in ranch salad dressing, frozen peas and black pepper to taste. Mix well.

Chill salad in fridge until cold.

At this point you may want to stir in more ranch dressing so it isn't too dry. But you can also just leave it as it is. Just depends on how wet you like your potato salad.

Stir in crumbled cooked bacon pieces just before serving.