Instant Pot

I still use my microwave multiple times a day - theoretically, you can reheat things in the IP, but personally I find a microwave more convenient for that. But if you’re wanting to try to just buy one thing, definitely try the IP first and see if that meets your needs; I do reheat single portions of leftovers for each of us for lunch most days, so maybe for one person, it would be fine as you wouldn’t have to do multiple “batches.”

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Ooooh goodie! A whole thread!

We probably eat tacos or taco salads in this house every week or so, and I always use the electric pressure cooker. I make a bunch of extra and then turn it into Mexican chicken soup later in the week.

I do pot roasts with rutabagas, parsnips, and turnips.

Whole chickens to have for soup, cooked with carrots, onion, and celery - and that makes broth to use too. And sometimes just bone broth for 90 minutes in there.

Although like @Beacher I love roasted chicken in the oven and braised meats. But my town has gone from the high 70’s in summer to breaking 100° and no one has A/C so for weeks this year I refused to use the oven. Did it once and couldn’t get it to cool off in the house. So back to the back porch cooking with the IP.

I make a a lot of sweet potatoes for sweet potato mash. Slice about 2" thick, put 1 cup water in bottom, 8 minutes on high pressure, then using tongs peel off the skins while hot and discard, discard water, and reheat the resulting peeled sweet potatoes with coconut oil or butter and nutmeg and a little allspice or cinnamon.

I’m a pretty exacting baker (not good at it, perse, but very high standards), and we don’t do many sweets here, so I haven’t tried it for baking.

And we don’t eat legumes much, so I haven’t done chilis. But my best friend uses hers for cooked beans all the time, pork for stir fry, and loads of inventive things.

I don’t know if everyone needs one. I received mine as a gift and was annoyed (tiny kitchen, big expensive appliance) but it’s one of the best gifts my mom has gotten me. And I do use it all the time. I’m realizing for mostly the same stuff! But if you have a hungry family or want something that cranks out food in a limited amount of time, I would recommend it.

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Who said chili has legumes. Make it Texas style and enjoy the meat!

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What @Chris said - my family considers it a near-sacrilege to put beans in our chili. :wink:

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Just remember to get best results use the two addition rule for the spices. Put 60% of the spices in during the beginning of the cook, then add the remaining 40% about 20 minutes before the end. Great meats to make chili out of include:

Beef, Elk, Moose, Buffalo, Chicken and our favorite Venison.

ummm.

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Fascinating! I make a ton of what is probably like chili to normal people, but we make it sans beans and eat it over sweet potatoes.

That 60/40 rule is great to know!

And I know know where all those moose pancreases will come from for the zombie apocalypse - you are hoarding them from your chili making meat supplies. :wink:

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wow!

How are you bolusing for beans, lentils, quinoa? Quinoa is a bit easier for me than beans on the BG. Does it matter if the beans are well cooked, or less cooked in terms of their impact on BG? The beans also seem to cause a later, delayed BG rise compared to simple carbs.

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I usually just do a simple one-time bolus for the carbs when I eat beans or lentils or quinoa but if I am off I might need another bolus in 90-120 minutes with a delayed rise like you indicated. I haven’t really noticed how much beans are cooked but I imagine that would make a difference? I usually like them pretty mushy :slight_smile:

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