You know those people who get some fancy new cooking tool on a special sale day at a leading online retailer and then take months to even take it out of the box to try it? So that’s me. And that fancy cooking tool is an instant pot. I admit it: I’m intimidated by it. I know I’m not alone in that, but the whole point of the Instant Pot is to be less intimidating for cooks like me who want to cook better meals but lose confidence when faced with the reality of doing it.
That is why I was so excited to find Instant Family Meals on my doorstep. This is the book I need. Author Sarah Copeland was also slow to take up the Instant Pot. But she has since converted to a believer, and I think her advice can help me too. She starts out with instructions for how to use it, what all the settings mean, how to make sure it’s sealed, and how to clean it. She sets us up for success, before we put a single ingredient in the pot, and that’s what I needed. And then she tempts us with delicious recipes and the promise of time saved and easy cleanup. Sounds ideal!
She starts off with the most important meal of the day, with Eggs, Toasts, and Breakfast Bowls. There are recipes for Breakfast Shakshuka, an All-Purpose Crustless Quiche, Pumpkin Butter Yogurt Bowls, Steel-Cut Oat Porridge, and Ricotta Toast Three Ways (that’s fresh ricotta that you can make in the Instant Pot in a little over half an hour with just fresh milk, cream, vinegar or lemon juice, and some salt), just to name a few of these hearty meals.
Then it’s off to Nourishing Soups and Stews, where you can enjoy a Chickpea Coconut Curry, Spring White Bean Soup, Turkey Meatball Soup, Green Pozole, Traditional Beef Borscht, Holiday Ham and Navy Bean Soup, and Kimchi and Tofu Stew. The Instant Pot is also ideal for Beans, Vegetables, and Other Sides, so you can try out Copeland’s Dreamy Creamy (Any Bean) Hummus, Honey-Braised Carrots, Creamy Parmesan Polenta, Fast Root-Vegetable Mash (she adds cauliflower or a celery root to the usual potatoes), Creamed Mexican Street Corn, Refried Beans, and Coconut-Turmeric Rice.
Now let’s talk about those One-Pot Mains and Meals, because we all want our Instant Pot to make a hearty, healthy homemade dinner an easy one-pot, meal, right? (Clearly I do!) So how about some Cacio e Pepe Risotto, Easy Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Tikka Masala, Stovetop-Style Mac’n’Cheese, Coconut Salmon, Mussels in White Wine, Quick Pork Bolognese for a Crowd, Pulled Pork Tacos, or Double-the-Vegetables Pot Roast?
And then there are the Simple Desserts. These recipes include Stewed Cinnamon Plums, Deep Dark Chocolate Pudding, Easy Caramel Flan, Vanilla and Cardamom Poached Pears, Summer Berry Crumble, and Double Citrus Cheesecake. And she even includes a chapter on Cozy Drinks, like French Hot Chocolate, Golden Milk (Turmeric) Latte, Homemade Chai Masala, and Spiced Cider.
But the last chapter might be the best one of all. Staples and Mealtime Helpers teaches how to use your Instant Pot to make Homemade Yogurt and Creamy Homemade Ricotta, From-Scratch Pumpkin Butter, Apple-Pear Sauce, Raspberry Maple Jam, All the Pickled Vegetables, and Quick Pomodoro Sauce. And you can also make homemade stocks so you won’t have to use store-bought: Potent Vegetable Broth; Beef Bone Broth, Pho Style; Duck or Pork Bone Broth; and Double-Duty Poached Chicken and Chicken Broth.
Instant Family Meals may not make me into the cook I want to be overnight, but it can get me started. There are lots of ideas and tips for using the Instant Pot (and many of the recipes can be adapted for a slow cooker too, which I am far more comfortable with), and the recipes are hearty and warming, perfect for colder nights when it gets dark early and you crave comfort. I can’t wait to start adding these recipes to our weeknight meals and enjoying filling dinners with half the effort!
A copy of Instant Family Meals was provided by Clarkson Potter for an unbiased review, with many thanks.
