COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY! Vegan Under Pressure: Sassy Sesame Tofu

[Editor's note: Please note that the giveaway has ended and the winner is announced here.  Thank you to all who entered!]

When I first got my InstantPot, Jill Nussinow's cookbook, The New Fast Food quickly became a favorite of mine.  The time tables were spot on, and her recipes were flavorful and very approachable for someone new to pressure cooking.  Many of Jill's (aka The Veggie Queen's) recipes from her first pressure cooking cookbook have filled our kitchen for the last year, so I was ecstatic to get my hands on her second, Vegan Under Pressure.

Over the past few weeks, I've tried a dozen or so recipes from Vegan Under Pressure, and I can already tell it is a big winner!  Not only does it have tons of new recipes, but it is an EXCELLENT source for those new to pressure cooking.  The first two chapters introduce the reader to their pressure cooker, and then goes over pressure cooker basics.  It includes info for jiggle-top pressure cookers, stovetop pressure cookers, and electric pressure cookers.  Here is the index of how all of the chapters are organized:

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

One of my favorite features of the new cookbook is the layout of the recipe pages.  On the right (or left for reverse side) edge of the page there is a summary of the cooking time and pressure releases required, followed by the ingredients.  The main page of each recipe then includes a description, how many servings it will produce, and then the instructions.

Another thing I love about this cookbook, and really all of Jill's recipes is that she allows room for improvising.  Like in this recipe, maybe you don't have 2 cups of sugar snap peas on hand, so use broccoli instead!  All of her recipes can be great starting points for creating dishes out of we have on hand and what each person's particular tastes are.

Moving on to the recipe I'm about to feature, which happens to be the one on the cover of the cookbook, I know some of you shy away from tofu for one reason or another.  In this recipe, just make sure to get extra firm tofu and drain and pat it dry.  If you are really against tofu, try switching it out for 2-3 cups of cooked beans such as chickpeas or even edamame.  I've already made this recipe twice and love it, so trust me, you don't want to miss out on these flavors.

Sassy Sesame Tofu 
with Sweet Potato, Carrots, and Sugar Snap Peas
Time: 10 minute prep, 3 minutes high pressure, quick release, 1 minute high pressure, quick release
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
    2 tsp toasted sesame oil (I left this out, but it would add flavor without too many calories)
    1 medium yellow, white, or sweet onion, sliced from top to bottom to equal about 2 cups
    1 carrot, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
    1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 Tbsp sesame seeds (1 Tbsp reserved)
    1 pound extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
    1-2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
    1 Tbsp rice vinegar
    1/3 cup vegetable stock
------------------------------
    2 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas, cut in half
    2 Tbsp Sweet and Spicy Red Pepper Sauce or sriracha
    2 Tbsp tahini, optional, for a richer dish
    2 Tbsp chopped green onions, for garnish

Instructions:
Prep all ingredients before beginning.

1.)  Heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat or set an electric pressure cooker to sauté; add the sesame oil if using.  Add the onion, carrot, and sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds and sauté for mother minute.  Add the tofu, tamari, vinegar, and stock.

2.)  Lock the lid on the cooker.  Bring to high pressure and cook for 3 minutes (set your electric pressure cooker to cook for 3 minutes on high pressure).  Quick release the pressure.  Carefully remove the lid, tilting away from you.

3.)  Add the peas and lock the lid back on.  Bring to low pressure; cook for 1 minute.  (If you do not have a low pressure option, lock the lid on and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.)  Quick release the pressure. Remove the lid, carefully tilting away from you.

4.)  Stir in the pepper sauce and tahini, if using.  Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and the chopped green onions and serve.

Variations:  Use broccoli florets or 1-inch pieces of green or wax beans instead of the peas.  Cook at low pressure for 2 minutes with a quick release.

Amy's Notes:

I've made this recipe twice and loved it both times.  I've tried it with the added tahini and without it, and I actually prefer it without the tahini.  The first time I made it, my sweet potatoes cooked a bit too much and ended up mushing into the sauce (which I really liked).  The second time my sweet potatoes stayed together a bit better.  Jill makes note in her pressure cooker introduction that her recipes can have a bit of different results depending on the freshness of your ingredients.  My first sweet potato must have been fresher than the second!  The same can be true for dried beans.

In the end, all I can say is thank you, Jill, for another amazing cookbook to add to our arsenals.  Your healthful and fast recipes will grace my pressure cooker and our table for years and years to come!

Find Jill's website here and sign up for her monthly newsletters.  Within her newsletters she updates fans of where she is, what she is doing, AND features a few recipes, many of which are for the pressure cooker.

Now, for you lovely readers who would like to enter in for my GIVEAWAY of Vegan Under Pressure,  please see below.  The giveaway will run from today until midnight on February 1st and is limited to those in the US and Canada for shipping reasons.  Now, this is my first time using this widget for a giveaway, so cross your fingers that everything works!  I will contact the winner of the random drawing by next Friday, February 5th.  Good luck to all!

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Health and Happiness,

Amy