Bamboo steamer experiments over the Pressure Cooker, frozen ravioli? oh you BET that works too!

Don't blink!  This is an addendum to the experiments I did yesterday with the bamboo steamer and the freaky coincidence that it fits perfectly over the insert on my  Pressure Cooker.  Here is the original link to the steamer meets pressure cooker post:

http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/11/bamboo-steamer-on-digital-pressure.html

I'm searching through my fridge and freezer now for all things steam-able.  I am ALL about quick and easy for lunchtime around here.  Adding a little bit of water to the cooker, turning it onto BROWN and leaving it for the few minutes it takes to boil then adding the bamboo steamer on top with whatever I fancy is the EPITOME of quick and easy in my book!

There's no draining, no boiling water, no stove on, no fuss, no muss!

Today's experiment, frozen ravioli.

Don't blink!

Here's the play by play:

This is Costco cheese ravioli.  I bought it on a deal and it's been in the freezer for a year, you can tell by the ice crystals all over them.  I don't care, we're cooking them and trying them.

Hello my lovely.  OH quick note, you can remove the lid of the new Digital pressure cooker, you just lift it slightly up and slide it off the shaft thingy (technical term) at the hinge.  It's easy.  I like the option of using it with or without the hinged lid.

Throw a little water, about an inch or so, in the cooker and set it to saute.  Line your steamer basket with some leaves, I used cabbage, and then some frozen ravioli.  Set the steamer on the cooker when the water is boiling and time it for 12 minutes.
  

Make sauce to keep you busy in the interim.  Melt some butter and olive oil and pepper and salt in a small pan.  Ok, that used up a minute. Chop some beautiful parsley from your garden.
  

12 minutes later.  LOOK at these beauties!  There's none exploded, water logged, squashed, broken or anything, they're GORGEOUS.   Pick them up, tenderly, and put them in the sauce.  Shush them around a time or two to coat them.  Add cheese or any herb you like.
   
Add some parsley to pretty them up and slide them onto a plate
   

THIS is my idea of quick and easy!  Steam some ravioli! 

I'm going to try homemade, fresh, pasta, perogies, other frozen items (I'll have to go to the store and look to see what they have, I'm not a fan and don't keep stuff like that here... with this method though, I may just become a convert!)

Ok, go get your pressure cooker and dig out your steamer, we have more playing to do! 

/enjoy

Pressure cooker steamed pudding

YES WAY! 

So, I love steamed pudding from back in the day from across the pond. My British family are steamed pudding machines and can whip one up, steam it for 4-5 hours and produce the most delicious, lovely, unctuous, tender, soft, rich, flavorful pudding you'll ever eat.

I did futz my way to a great recipe which is on the blog here: http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2010/12/steamed-syrup-pudding-oh-yes-baby.html

My international tester (it's my mom!) was playing with the steamed syrup pudding and had the brainstorm to pressure cook it. NOT only to pressure cook it but then to freeze it both before and after it was cooked. Guess what? BRILLIANT! We are always trying to figure out what we'll test next in the pressure cooker and she hit the jackpot with this one.

The recipe works perfectly in the pressure cooker, in individual jars (I have to have my jar fix) and you can cook it fresh, prepare the batter then freeze it in the jars and cook it from FROZEN, you can prepare the batter, freeze the whole batch, then defrost and divide and then cook it. Seriously, she's one hell of a thorough tester.

Here's the recipe again:
In a bowl, cream
120 g sugar (4 oz)
120 g butter (4 oz)
ADD
2 beaten eggs
120 g a/p flour (4 oz)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
drop/s of vanilla

golden syrup or jam or marmalade or fruit

Cream the sugar and butter, add the rest of the ingredients and beat until it's a thick, smooth, batter. I never bother with the Kitchen Aid, I just use beaters. 

Butter 5 mini jars or ramekins and put a tablespoon of your favorite gooey treat... jam, marmalade  golden syrup, maple syrup, pie filling.... whatever you think of you'd love warm and on top of a steamed pudding. 

Divide the batter between 5 mini jars (or ramekins), put lids on (or cover with plastic wrap) and freeze.

When you are ready to use them, remove the lids and cover loosely with greased foil. Place then in a pressure cooker over 4 1/2 cups of water, set the STEAM timer for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, release immediately, remove from steamer, turn into a vessel for eating and EAT IT!!
Here is the long winded, picture heavy, play by play: 

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients.  I love my beaters ;)

  
Here are my 5 little jars, all buttered.  In two of them, I put raspberry jam, about a tablespoon.  In two of them, I poured the nectar of the Gods, Golden Syrup and one I left plain... all for science.
 
Beat the batter until it's smooth and creamy and very thick!
    

Spoon the mixture into the jars, over the filling which will be the topping!

  
Put the lids on, put them into a circle to take their picture then pop them into the freezer!
  

Take the frozen puddings out of the freezer and remove the lids.  Solid as a rock!  Make very tall tinfoil hats for them and seal around the side of the jar, we're just trying to stop water from getting in/on top.

   

Awww... little foil hats.  Now then, put them on a rack in your pressure cooker over at least 4 1/2 cups of water.  

  

LOCK AND LOAD!  Set the rocker to VENT and the STEAM timer for 35 minutes. 

 

DING!  *I'm dying to see how these worked!!
  
TA DA!  LOOK!!  Look at them! HAHAHA  They rose like CRAZY!

  

I grabbed the jam one first... Run a thin knife around the edge and tip into a beautiful vessel...OOOOOOOH!!!   
It looks stodgy but it's NOT!  It's light and delicious and warm and tender and absolutely perfect.  Yeah, I ate it.
 
Golden Syrup time!!!!! OH MY GOD
  
LOOK how perfectly this came out!!  Just as light, just as tender, as delicious, as easy.

 

WELL, well, well. 

I think we've learned something here.  There's no reason on earth NOT to eat a steamed pudding every.single.day.  Make a batch in jars and shove them in the freezer, bring one, two, three out when you want and steam them in half an hour and you have the perfect dessert/treat without having to steam it for 4-6 hours.  Seriously. 

OH and Tester advises that you can make the batter and freeze the whole batch in a bag, thaw it in the fridge and then steam it in the pressure cooker in individual servings the same way and it comes out just as perfectly.  *we skype cooked today so I saw how well hers rose too. 

Go and get some jars and make yourself a steamed syrup pudding. 

/enjoy